Pilgrimage
France & Spain
src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/simplykate_2007/September%202012/map-camino-de-santiago.gif". Another map: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=450042&page=26
The Yellow route is from St.Jean Pied de Port through the Pyrenees and teh ancient kingdoms of Navarra and Leon. Perhaps the most famous route. The orange route is the Via Del Plata of Silver Road up from the hot south. While the purpse route taked you through Portugal from Lisbon. There are shorter Northern routes too though the inftrastucture here is not so well developed.
There are several Pilgrim Routes through France and Spain - and Portugal.
Many of these ended at Santiago de Compostela - though some like to continue to the coast at Finisterra.
The advantage of these routes is that a whole infrastructure has been built up - monasteries, hospitales, inns, villages, towns, churches and even Cathedrals have been established to protect and enable the pilgrim. Pilgrimage came first.
The most popular - and busiest - route is the Camino Frances (French Road) called in France the Via St Jacque. The Purple route on the map shows the route from Le Puy but there are other traditional starting places: Paris, Le Puy,