Pilgrimages
Pilgrimages have shaped people's travel behavior for over 2000 years and are therefore the most traditional form of spiritual tourism. Although not all of the reasons for early Christian pilgrimages still exist today (e.g. penitential journeys), many of the motivations have remained essentially the same.
Basically, pilgrimages can also be described as extended hikes. What distinguishes them from the usual hiking trips (combination of nature and culture) will be described below.
On pilgrimages, distances of several hundred kilometers are covered on designated pilgrimage routes. Depending on the physical endurance of the pilgrims, the entire route is divided into individual stages. Because of their claim to authenticity, pilgrimages are usually completed on foot. The combination of the extent and type of route covered implies intensive planning and preparation for the trip. This applies both to the route itself and to the potential overnight accommodations and church offerings along the way. Each pilgrim determines the time and place of travel individually. However, due to the weather-dependence of this type of travel, trips increasingly take place in the summer months. Because of their individuality, pilgrims usually travel alone, but they often join together to form smaller groups on shared routes.
Probably the most important aspect of pilgrimages is the route orientation. It's not primarily about arriving at a certain place, but about "being on the move" itself. The motto of this form of spiritual travel could therefore also be: “The journey is the destination”.
Pilgrimages
The tradition of pilgrimages dates back to the 16th century, when long pilgrimages became more difficult as a result of wars and the Reformation. Pilgrimages are therefore the second oldest form of Christian spiritual travel.
In contrast to a path-oriented pilgrimage, a pilgrimage is always goal-oriented. Furthermore, pilgrimages can be classified as collective travel, as they are completed by larger groups - in so-called processions. The distances that the groups cover are significantly shorter than on pilgrimages. These are often trips to places of pilgrimage in the surrounding area, which are usually organized by church communities for their members.
Monastery trips
The original structure of the monasteries was comparable to that of a city. There were all the necessary facilities to ensure the residents' self-sufficiency (e.g. monastery garden, bakery, brewery). “In keeping with its social and political mission, each monastery had a guest house, which was often inhabited by permanent guests.
There are many reasons for taking a “time out” in a monastery. Nevertheless, the search for peace and security in the monastic community can be mentioned as the main motif.
Other motives include, for example, interest in architecture, art or cultural history. Religious motivation plays only a minor role. Everyone is welcome in the monastery, regardless of their religious denomination.
Christian study trips
As with almost all forms of spiritual tourism, the motives for participating in a Christian study trip are not exclusively religious. Motives such as culture and education also play an important role in the decision to go on a Christian study trip. The underlying data comes from a survey from 2004, in which participants of Christian study trips (individual bookings) organized by the Bavarian Pilgrim Office were asked about the main reason for their participation. Religious reasons were only a deciding factor for 42% of travelers; for 34%, the focus of interest was on the cultural aspect of this form of travel. Elements of both motives were reported by 18% of participants, and 6% chose this trip for other reasons.
Other reasons for participating in Christian study trips could be due to their nature as a group trip. The focus can also be on aspects such as sociability, community experiences or getting to know new people with the same interests. However, a distinction must be made between Christian study trips and already existing groups, such as church communities or clubs. In this case, the participants often know each other before they start their journey. Another motive can be to strengthen the feeling of togetherness.
Church tourism
Regardless of whether it is a village, a small town or a big city, churches shape the image of every place in the Christian world. Depending on the size of the place, there are either chapels, parish churches, cathedrals or cathedrals. Although these sacred buildings differ in appearance, depending on the architectural style, era, furnishings, or building materials used (e.g. field stone churches in Fläming, wooden churches in Scandinavia), they do not differ in their function as houses of worship with spaces for silence and prayer. Furthermore, churches often have extensive collections of art objects, such as sculptures, reliefs, altars, cathedral treasures, etc. "The church owns most of the art treasures in this republic (in Germany, the author). In the territory of the ecclesiastical province of Saxony alone, there are 2,258 church buildings, the majority of which are historically and/or art-historically valuable.
The reasons why people visit churches are quite diverse. In addition to religious motivation, church visits also occur out of architectural, musical, art or cultural-historical interest. In addition, people are also drawn to churches for other reasons, such as: B. out of pure curiosity, to rest on the church pews, as a free pastime or due to weather conditions (protection from rain, snow, etc.). The result of these paradoxical motivations is an extremely heterogeneous visitor structure.
Travel to religious and historical sites
Traveling to religious and historical sites means visiting places that are related to the life and work of important figures in church history. This type of spiritual travel can therefore be classified as personal themed tourism.
Forms of religious festivals differ in terms of the visitor structure. Visitors to church events are generally religiously motivated, whereas the audience at cultural events is a mix of culturally interested, religiously motivated or simply experience-oriented guests. [1]
SOURCE 2008
- [1] Cora Prünsten, August 13, 2008, diploma thesis HS Harz, selected aspects of spiritual tourism using the example of Lutherstadt Wittenberg, travel types of spiritual tourism pp. 14 to 42