Where There’s a Country, There’s The Way
All roads lead to Santiago de Compostela, but some are less well-known than others. Today, we stumble upon an unusual spot, Einsiedeln.
The monastery of Einsiedeln in Switzerland, photo by the author.
What are places if not the journey that leads to them and the atmosphere that envelop us once we get there? The experience of visiting a place builds on the anticipation to reach our destination, if indeed we know it is there that we are heading, or on the miracle of stumbling upon it by chance if we don’t. Upon arrival, a freezing fog descending on us can increase our feeling that this is the end of the road, the edge of the known world. In reality, as most places, it is only a stop along the way. And here, that way is The Way.
All roads lead to Santiago de Compostela
Say The Way, or el Camino, in Europe and most people will know you’re talking about St James’ Way or el Camino de Santiago, as it is known in Spanish. Even those who are not versed in the intricancies of the language know this word, just as they are familiar with more prosaic ones like chorizo or paella (luckily, the pronunciation of the word Camino is hard to get wrong).
A myriad of films, books and documentaries have been produced about this journey that has captured the imagination and piqued the interest of people of all nationalities, faithfull and faithless.
France or Spain are locations we are more used to seeing linked to this world-famous pilgrimage. Perhaps challenging an erroneous perception, Switzerland sports the Via Jacobi, which takes the traveller from Lake Constance to Geneva, along a breathtaking scenario. Since the Middle Ages, pilgrims on that route have stopped at a picturesque place, Einsiedeln.
Einsiedeln, a hidden gem
Einsiedeln is a large complex which features not just an imposing Baroque church, but also stables and the kind of spaces you would expect from the most cinematographic of monasteries. Leaving the arched circle that the temple draws on an otherwise snow-covered ground to the right, a gate signposted ‘cloister’ actually leads to a long, mysterious corridor where the well-combed lines of horses’ manes are hinted at among the thick air.
There is something both eery and peaceful about seeing horses feeding amongst the snow and fog. Though, as everything seems to have a fun, practical side in today’s world, I quickly learn that, though the horses live there, they are maintained by members of the public, who sponsor them and can take them out at specific moments if they wish.
Other sights at Einsiedeln include a ‘black virgin’, which is often something mentioned in Catholic temples as a kind of attraction, and a magnificent set of stairs which follows the curve of the church behind and which is adorned with statues that loom over the visitor imposingly, almost requesting a reason for the intrusion.
I leave with the yearning of seeing the monastery’s silhouette properly cut against blue skies, but also with the conviction that the fog and the snow are where this place is truly at home.
And remember...…
Find out more about a different Camino route or dive into the reckoning of an Irishman’s past while walking The Way here.
If you prefer a different destination, listen to a few tips on the capital of Spain, Madrid, on our latest podcast with author Roy Lotz.
Thanks for reading!
