Pilgrimage as Well-Being Therapy: Exploring the Mental, Physical and Social Benefits of Pilgrimage Walks (PILGRIM-APHY-TOUR)

General Overview

The act of pilgrimage is a global phenomenon, undertaken by people on journeys of varying scales and for diverse reasons. Beyond religious or spiritual motivations, as well as interests in the natural environment and cultural heritage, pilgrimage is increasingly valued for its positive impact on mental health and physical well-being. The project PILGRIM-APHY-TOUR seeks to explore this relationship, with the aim of identifying the conditions under which pilgrimage can serve as an effective form of therapy.

Purpose and Significance

Traditionally examined from historical and geographical perspectives, pilgrimage has more recently become the focus of interdisciplinary research, yielding results which highlight its therapeutic potential.

The PILGRIM-APHY-TOUR project envisions pilgrimage walks as a form of “therapy tourism” that can be openly “prescribed” to people of all ages and backgrounds – without restrictions or contraindications – offering new opportunities for inclusive and sustainable development.

Photograph of two people with backpacks on a country road, walking past sign posts.

Implementation Method and Timeline

Four universities are joining forces in an interdisciplinary team led by the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), with partners from the University of Florence (UNIFI), Semmelweis University (SE), and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU).

To better understand the impacts of pilgrimage on mental, physical, and social well-being, researchers and students will design and distribute questionnaires to pilgrims and walkers. Based on these findings, the team will then conduct interviews with local stakeholders along selected pilgrimage routes: the Camino de Santiago (Spain), the Via Francigena (Italy), and the Way of Mary (Central and Eastern Europe).

This comparative approach will allow the project to highlight the therapeutic potential of each route by examining both their shared features and distinctive qualities. The team brings together specialists in pilgrimage studies, experts in cultural heritage and tourism, and researchers in medicine and psychology – offering a rich combination of perspectives and expertise.

Timeline

  • Phase 1: Planning (month 1)
  • Phase 2: Initial implementation and pilot tests (months 2–3)
  • Phase 3: Large-scale fieldwork (months 4–8)
  • Phase 4: Training in Budapest (months 9–10)
  • Phase 5: Walking therapy along the Camino de Santiago (months 10–11)
  • Phase 6: Dissemination of results (month 12)
     

Expected Outcomes

  • Project website managed by USC providing reports, activities and audiovisual material.
  • Indicators fixing the relationship between pilgrimage and mental health and well-being developed by the Team at SE.
  • Dissemination activities including different local events to present the results of the project.
  • Project reports as well as a joint scientific publication.
  • Documentation of Good Practices and Policy Recommendation Book.
  • Multilingual project material.
  • Development of an interdisciplinary network specialising in pilgrimage and well-being.
     

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