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Reportedly, there were three roads to Paradise in early Christianity: the Camino de Santiago through northern Spain, the route from Rome to Jerusalem, and the Via Francigena (Frankish Route). Originally, the Via Francigena (VF) extended as a series of footpaths from Canterbury, England, to Rome. Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, who returned by the route in AD 990. C., documented it for the first time in a diary. However, some say it existed much earlier as an important trail across the continent for kings, merchants, artists, and invading armies. Today, after centuries of neglect, this historic road has risen from the ashes of historical obscurity.

As the first American to complete the 1,155-mile backpacking journey from Val d’Aosta, Italy, just south of the Swiss border, to Rome in 2000, and in 2002 from Switzerland to Canterbury, believe me when I say this is a trip you will take with you all your life. If you are in fairly good physical condition, with perseverance and a relatively easy pace, you should be able to do the entire route in 65-80 days. But then again, who’s worried about speed?

Unlike the hectic itinerary typical of other types of modern travel, this is not a race. It is a one step at a time path to calm your mind and open your heart.

Everyone walks at their own pace, either alone or in a group. By following infrequent signs and up-to-date guidance from the VF Association, you can walk 12 to 20 miles a day. It all depends on the weather, your physical condition and attitude. Equally important is the location of the towns and whether they have lodgings or pilgrim or pilgrimage parishes.

When I walked it, for some locals, the Pellegrino concept was more foreign than the Euro. I got more than a few weird looks as this tired, weather-beaten backpacker crawled into town. On one occasion, a lady nervously grabbed her brooch when my friend and I passed her on the sidewalk. On another day, in pouring rain, we were forced to present our credentials (with a flourish) to surprised polizia officers.

Before you leave, be sure to contact the helpful Via Francigena Association in Rome to apply for the credenziali del pellegrino Romeo, similar to a passport. Arriving in each town at night, take your credentials to the church, cathedral or duomo and have them stamped by the priest or even an unassuming archbishop, like the one who stamped mine in Viterbo, Italy.

On the road, this passport serves more practical purposes. It’s a great conversation starter, a source of local amazement, and can even open the door for you to sleep in for minimal cost at the local parish, monastery, or nunnery. This is an experience not to be missed. Sure, you could sleep in some of the best hotels, bed and breakfasts, or spas in the region. But for me, it was important to stay true to the concept and more memorable to collapse in these historic lodges. The opportunity to “break bread” and share Chianti with Franciscan, Augustinian or Capuchin monks was preferable to any homogeneous and nondescript hotel. (Also, traveling light with only a small backpack, hanging out at the local clubs was never an option for me. I had nothing to wear.)

By carrying your own backpack, you quickly realize what is most important on the trail and perhaps in your life. The added weight is equated with more sore muscles and bigger blisters. So what you don’t need, definitely leave it at home. Pack like you’re going on a weekend hike in the mountains. A stove and a tent are unnecessary. Food supplies are plentiful and exceptional. Take a light sleeping bag, as many towns still don’t have extra beds, let alone bedding. This, again, is where the Via Francigena Association guides shine, especially with their accommodation suggestions.

The best time to go is from May to September, but come prepared for hot weather, rain, or even snow at the top of the Great St. Bernard Pass as you enter Italy. If you only have time to walk part of the VF, Geneva is very accessible to Lausanne, about halfway, or Milan for points further south.

As you can imagine, anyone who follows this path today is a “pioneer”. Although village priests are generally curious and supportive, many are still unprepared to deal with overnight guests. Sometimes the most opulent cathedrals and the richest parishes are less welcoming than the smaller churches in the ruined towns.

There is nothing more daunting on the road than, after walking for eight hours in the often brutal heat, arriving at an imposing church, presenting your credenziali to a smiling priest for a stamp, and then being told “there is no room in the Hostal”. Happens. He is not surprised when he is told that the city of “so-and-so” is only ten kilometers away. Little do they realize that means several more hours of walking in the dark. But this is the exception.

My best memories of the trip were the nights spent practicing weird hand gestures and broken Italian with the curious villagers. There was universal awe that someone would walk all the way to Rome, a wide-eyed fascination and a genuine warmth not found among jaded locals in major tourist destinations.

From the simple street fruit vendor who didn’t accept payment for his apple, to the cafe owner who treated me to a steaming espresso in the morning, to the small town priest, his housekeeper and his mother who treated me and my friend like royalty and cried when we left, to the local mayor who allowed me to use the only internet connection in town to check my email, to the Sisters of St Guistiniana who took me in during night and fed me when I couldn’t walk anymore, to the kind WWII paratrooper who had served with the American allies who bought me a glass of wine to toast his comrades, these folks were some of the unexpected treasures along of the VF.

So who walks the Via Francigena today? Over four weeks on the road, I met a total of six others: a Frenchman cycling to Jerusalem and five German cyclists en route to Rome.

What is it that attracts today’s pilgrims to the VF?

It is still a great odyssey. It’s an opportunity to shut out the distractions of a busy world. Opportunities for such peaceful reflection should improve over time, as the trail moves away from often dangerous paths. The Association is working on it. However, be careful. Italians push their Fiats to the limit. Some sections of the road will test your bravery, devotion and sanity.

But the country roads of France and the well-marked footpaths of Switzerland and the South East of England are a sheer delight. This is the way to immerse yourself in the local culture and travel through time.

The Via Francigena presents many opportunities to discover precious art and architecture, such as the magnificent marble Duomo of Siena or the neighboring living museums in Lucca and San Gimignano. It is an opportunity to stroll along the ancient Roman roads. Explore castles, elaborate fountains, frescoes, sculptures, and holy relics sequestered in small chapels along the way. Experience local festivals such as the sauerkraut celebration and local harvest celebrations.

Explore traditional Italian delicacies, from the Pontremoli specialty, wonderful fungo (mushroom) bites to Rome’s melt-in-your-mouth buffalo mozzarella. All the delights of your favorite cooking show are there: from savory chestnuts at your feet just for the gathering to tangy Gorgonzola pizzas and gooey fondue from alpine northern Italy.

Of course, no stay would be complete without sampling the most incredible variety of wines. Sip rare local champagnes straight from their caves, savor deliciously chilled white wine in street corner cafes from Aosta to the Ligurian Sea. Then continue your gourmet quest south with hearty Tuscan rossos, Chianti and refreshing Brunello de Montalcino, as you make your way to serene Lake Bolseno.

In Rome, an interesting way to end your trip is to attend the public audience of the Pope that takes place every week. Even for me, a non-Catholic, it was an emotional rush. It is a striking contrast to walk alone among shepherds and their flocks in one minute and emerge in St. Peter’s Square in one hour. People had come from all over the world, but perhaps I was the only Pellegrino who had walked there.

While in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, visit the Via Francigena Association representative at the Vatican Post Office. There, you will receive a warm welcome and a postcard from the Vatican stamped with your day of arrival. Later, you may be eligible to receive a certificate in recognition of your trip.

Finally, allow yourself to be open to the “magic” of experience, inspiration, your silent companion along the way. In addition to heirlooms, relaxation, food, and fresh air, you’ll return to your everyday life with an even more treasured memory. You will change. Life will never be the same. And maybe you have found the answers you are really looking for.

Good trip! As the Italians say, “Sempre diretto!”