Both. The Via Francigena has been a pilgrimage route since the Middle Ages, but today it is walked by people of all backgrounds and beliefs. Many travelers come for the landscape, the history, and the pace of slow travel rather than for religious reasons. You will find pilgrims, hikers, and cyclists on the same path, and the route welcomes all of them equally.
The complete itinerary of the Via Francigena route in Italy takes you from the Great St. Bernard Pass all the way to Rome. This 50-day journey (customizable if needed) allows you to experience, with calm and slowness, the extraordinary variety of landscapes that define our country. Every stage ends in a town rich in art and history: reaching places like San Gimignano, Sutri or Pontremoli on foot is a profoundly different experience compared to arriving by car. Walking through these ancient routes, surrounded by nature and centuries-old traditions, is the true essence of this pilgrimage.
Enjoy hours immersed in nature as you follow stone-paved paths once used by millions of pilgrims from the Middle Ages onward. SloWays knows the Via Francigena route in Italy intimately: for years we have worked on its preservation, waymarking and mapping. We know the best places to stop, the hidden artistic gems worth exploring, and the most welcoming local accommodations along the way.










