Required equipment: Sporty clothes, shoes, a notebook and a personal computer

​

This course aims to reflect on the Way of St. James as a cultural product that can be explored in an educational context. The Way of St. James, also known as Camino de Santiago, has been considered a European Cultural Itinerary since 1987, since it contributed to the standardization of a European identity and the cultural landscape of the continent.

​

Cultural heritage education (CHE) is one of the main aims of the European Heritage Strategy for the 21st Century (ST21). Therefore, the trainees will start with the case of the Camino de Santiago to then be able to elaborate strategies of cultural heritage education in their countries. In this context, Portuguese culture will be promoted through the Way, which will show the participants that different cultural identities can complement and enrich each other, shaping a European cultural identity.

​

Portugal is the stage for several routes of the Way of Saint James. The various routes of Santiago are made official through the institution Oficina do Peregrino and to do so they undergo a process of study by historians about the places where a certain route passed. As the medieval pilgrims used already existing roads, such as the Roman ones, the routes themselves are journeys through time and heritage. To distinguish the routes, each path has its name. Throughout this course we will cover the Central Way, the Torres Way, the Geira Way, the Minhoto Ribeiro Way and the Coastal Way. We will cover some kilometers of these routes, in the cities of Braga and Porto, and we will see patrimonial elements that connect us to the way, such as the legend related to the Praça de Santiago, in Guimarães, or the old pilgrims' hospital in Viana do Castelo. Get ready for a journey through time made step by step!