pilgrimage routes

Pilgrimage routes are established paths traveled by pilgrims to sacred destinations.

Some have been walked for centuries: the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain, the routes to Rome, the paths to Jerusalem or Mecca.

The term extends to secular journeys with spiritual overtones: Graceland has become a pilgrimage route for Elvis fans.

These routes often develop their own infrastructure—hostels, waymarkers, traditions—that outlast the original religious impulse.