Via Postumia

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Aquileia — Genoa (typical route from Trieste)
• Length: approx. 956 km
• Elevation gain: ↗ approx. 7,200 m / ↘ approx. 7,300 m
• Duration: Approx. 38–45 days (42 official stages)
• Marking: Yellow Arrows (Flèches)
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate (Po Valley) — challenging (Apennines)
• Best time to visit: Spring (April–June) and Fall (September–October)
• Connection: Via Aurelia from Genoa

Overview

The Via Postumia is one of Italy's oldest pilgrimage routes — and one of the least well-known. Over a distance of 956 kilometers, it follows a Roman road built in 148 B.C. under Consul Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus: from Aquileia on the Adriatic Sea to Genoa on the Ligurian Sea. Those who walk this route traverse the entire width of northern Italy — Six regions, two millennia of history, and a cultural richness that is second to none.

As a Way of St. James, the Via Postumia is marked with yellow arrows and divided into 42 stages. Six regions lie along the route: Friuli, Veneto, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, and Liguria. Less traveled than the major Caminos in Spain, the Via Postumia offers something that has become rare: silence, unspoiled nature, and the special intimacy of a route where, as a stranger, you still stand out.

Other Names

The route is named after its builder: Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus. In pilgrim parlance, it is simply referred to as the“The Via Postumia Trail” or, in short, Via Postumia. The section from Trieste to Aquileia, which many pilgrims walk as a prelude, follows the ancient Your Flavia dating from the year 78 A.D. — a Roman coastal road along the Adriatic Sea. Those who make the pilgrimage from Budapest also know the entire route as Budapest Walk — Land's End, of which the Via Postumia is the central Italian section.

Who It's Ideal For — and Who It's Not So Ideal For

The Via Postumia is ideal for you if you want to experience Italy’s cultural landscape away from the crowds of mass tourism. The route takes you through UNESCO World Heritage sites, past the workshops of Cremona’s violin makers, and through Mantua, perhaps the most beautiful Renaissance cityscape in Italy. If you want to travel without the crowds of pilgrims, or if you’re seeking the tranquility of the Po Valley and the wild beauty of the Apennines, the Via Postumia is the perfect choice.

The Via Postumia is less suitable for pilgrims who expect a dense network of hostels. Unlike in Spain or France, there are hardly any specialized pilgrim accommodations along long stretches of the route. — You'll stay at guesthouses, agritourism farms, and occasionally monasteries. This requires more planning, but it also offers direct contact with the local people and the chance to experience northern Italian cuisine in all its regional diversity.

Route & Landscape

The route begins in Aquileia, one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire—today a small town with a stunning heritage: the early Christian basilica, with its 4th-century floor mosaics, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From here, the route leads through the broad Friulian plain: Palmanova with its perfect star-shaped fortress, Udine, then on to Veneto with its Prosecco hills, and finally to Verona — the city of the arena and Shakespeare's favorite setting.

From Verona, the route enters the Po Valley—a flat, agricultural expanse of cornfields, poplars, and waterways. Mantua with its lakes, Cremona with his violins, Piacenza with its cathedral: This is where the Via Postumia crosses the Via Francigena, the great medieval pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. In the final stretch, the landscape changes completely: the Apennines loom closer, and the stages become shorter and steeper, until Genoa — the City of the Doges — glows on the horizon.

Stages, Terrain & Difficulty

At 956 km and 42 stages, the Via Postumia is a long route, but not a technically difficult one. Most of the route runs through the flat Po Valley — Easy to hike, but mentally challenging due to its length. The first sections through Friuli and Veneto are varied and rich in culture. The real physical challenge awaits at the end: the crossing of the Apennines from Tortona to Genoa, with mountain trails reaching altitudes of up to 900 m, is the most physically demanding section of the entire route.

1. Aquileia — Sacile (approx. 210 km) — Friuli Plain, UNESCO-listed Aquileia, Palmanova Star Fortress, Friuli Wine Region
2. Sacile — Verona (approx. 190 km) — Veneto, Prosecco Hills, Vicenza, Arena di Verona (UNESCO)
3. Verona — Cremona (approx. 180 km) — Mantua, a UNESCO World Heritage City; the Mincio River landscape; Cremona, the city of violin makers
4. Cremona — Tortona (approx. 220 km) — Po Valley, intersection with the Via Francigena near Piacenza, Oltrepò Pavese
5. Tortona — Genoa (approx. 120 km) — Crossing the Apennines, mountain trails up to 900 m, descent to the Ligurian Sea

In the Footsteps of the Romans

Hardly any other route along the Way of St. James has such a direct connection to its historical origins as the Via Postumia. In 148 B.C., Consul Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus had a road built to secure control over northern Italy: from Aquileia, the eastern gateway to the empire, across the Po Valley to Genoa, the western port. Where pilgrims walk today, legions and trade goods once rolled.

There are several UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the route: Aquileia with its early Christian mosaics, Palmanova as a prime example of an ideal Renaissance city plan, Verona with its Arena and historic center, Mantua as a Renaissance metropolis, and Genoa with its Baroque“The New Roads”. Then there's Cremona, with its unique tradition of violin making — Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati were born here — and Piacenza, where two major European pilgrimage routes—the Via Postumia and the Via Francigena—intersect.

The Via Postumia is thus not merely a pilgrimage route through the present. It is a journey through two thousand years of urban history, art history, and commercial history. Each stop along the way tells a different story. Those who keep their eyes open can see the layers of time in the mosaics, cathedral facades, and palace courtyards.

Highlights Along the Way

• Aquileia — an early Christian basilica featuring the world's largest surviving floor mosaic (UNESCO)
• Palmanova — Renaissance fortress in a perfect star shape (UNESCO, Defensive Works of the Serenissima)
• Verona — Arena di Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, medieval old town (UNESCO)
• Mantua — UNESCO World Heritage City on Lake Mincio, Palazzo Ducale, Palazzo Te
• Cremona — The world capital of violin making, the cathedral with its baptistery, the Stradivari Museum
• Piacenza — Intersection with the Via Francigena, Romanesque cathedral, Piazza dei Cavalli
• Crossing the Apennines — Mountain trails up to an elevation of 900 m, first glimpses of the Ligurian Sea
• Genoa — UNESCO-designated historic district “Le Strade Nuove,” birthplace of Columbus, starting point of the Via Aurelia

How Pilgrims Reach the Via Postumia

For many pilgrims, the Via Postumia is the Italian heart of a long journey from Eastern Europe. Those setting out from Budapest, Vienna, or Graz travel through Austria to Trieste — Easily accessible by train today — and starts from there on the ancient Your Flavia to Aquileia, the official starting point of the Via Postumia. Together, they form a corridor that once connected pilgrims from the Byzantine East with Western Europe.

Pilgrims from Germany often travel directly to Trieste or Aquileia by train via Munich and Innsbruck. Those who take the Via Francigena is on the way — the great pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome — You can cross the Via Postumia near Piacenza and use it as a cross-country route to the west. Starting the pilgrimage in Verona or Piacenza is logistically feasible and quite common among pilgrims.

Continue the pilgrimage?

The Via Postumia ends in Genoa — and begins the Via Aurelia, which runs along the Ligurian coast, the Côte d'Azur, and the Camargue all the way to Arles. There, the Toulouse Road About: One of the four historic Routes of St. James in France, which leads through Toulouse and over the Col du Somport to Spain. Anyone who walks all three routes in succession covers about 2,600 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea to the Pyrenees. — one of Europe's great cross-country journeys. And if you don't want to wait until Genoa: as early as Piacenza, the Via Domitia branches off and leads via Turin and the Col de Montgenèvre straight to Arles.

Preparation & Practical Information

The best time to visit is in the spring (April through June) and fall (September through October). In the summer, the Po Valley can get very hot. — Temperatures of 35°C and higher are possible in July and August. Crossing the Apennines in the fall is especially beautiful when the vineyards are ablaze with color. You’ll stay in guesthouses, agriturismos, and occasionally monasteries. — There are very few specialized pilgrim hostels. This means you should book in advance, especially in popular cities like Verona and Genoa.

A pilgrim's passport ( ID Card) is what you need to collect your stamps. It’s less standardized than on the Spanish Caminos, but churches, tourist information offices, and individual lodging facilities are happy to provide stamps. At the end of your journey, you’ll receive the Testimony — The Via Postumia Pilgrim Certificate. It's best to plan your stages and overnight stays in advance using the Camino Ninja app.

What the journey will cost you

Plan on a daily budget of 45–70 € per person — slightly more than on the established Caminos in Spain, but often with greater comfort. Guesthouses typically cost 40–60 € for a single room, and simple restaurant meals cost 12–18 €. Prices are higher in major cities such as Verona, Mantua, and Genoa. Those who book early and consistently shop at supermarkets can get by on 45–55 € per day (as of August 2026).

Getting There

According to Sad You can easily reach it by train from Germany and Austria: from Munich via Innsbruck and Villach to Trieste (about 5–6 hours, with a transfer in Villach or Klagenfurt). There are direct connections to Trieste from Vienna. Aquileia It doesn't have its own train station — The next one is in Cervignano del Friuli (about 8 km away), accessible by regional train from Trieste.

For the return trip from Genoa You can travel by plane or train. Genoa is well connected to Milan, Turin, and Rome by high-speed trains. If you want to go directly to Germany, take a train via Milan and Switzerland to Munich or Zurich, or fly directly from Genoa to many German cities.

• Cervignano del Friuli Train Station: Stop near Aquileia; trains to Trieste and Venice
• Trieste Central Station: Well connected to Germany and Austria via Villach and Klagenfurt
• Trieste Airport (TRS): Direct flights from several German and Austrian cities
• Genoa Brignole / Principe Station: High-speed trains to Milan (about 1.5 hours) and Rome
• Genoa Airport (GOA): Close to the city center, with connections to Munich, Frankfurt, and other cities