Jacobspad Groningen

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Uithuizen (Groningen) → Hasselt (Overijssel)
• Length: approx. 206 km
• Elevation gain: approx. 230 m of ascent (GPS track of the route) — just over one metre per kilometre: it doesn’t get flatter
• Stages: 12 daily stages according to the standard classification (10–21 km)
• Duration: 9–12 days
• Regions: Netherlands — Provinces of Groningen, Drenthe, and Overijssel
• Terrain: completely flat—only the Hondsrug in Drenthe is a real ridge
• Waymarking: Scallops on tags and stickers — starting January 1, 2025, only from north to south
• Organisation: Stichting Jacobspad Groningen Drenthe, a member of the Nederlands Genootschap van Sint Jacob since 2025
• Connection: from Hasselt eastward to the Jakobsweg Nijmegen–Maastricht or westward via Breda to the Via Brabantica

Overview

The Jacobspad Groningen is the northernmost Way of St. James in the Netherlands: a good 206 Kilometers by Uithuizen, twelve kilometers from the Wadden Sea, through three provinces, all the way to the small Hanseatic city Hasselt on the Zwarte Water. The organizer summed up the route’s design principle in a single sentence—the path “gaat zo veel mogelijk van kerk naar kerk” reconstructed along old church routes. This is to be taken literally: Four churches along the route are dedicated to St. James, and four of the six stamp stations are St. James churches—the other two are a village café and a tourist information center. A pilgrimage route could not be more authentically depicted.

The trail was opened on May 17, 2008 by Cardinal Simonis, since January 1, 2025 It is now under the jurisdiction of the Nederlands Genootschap van Sint Jacob—and since then, there has been a peculiarity you need to know about: It is now marked only from north to south. If you walk in the opposite direction, you won’t find any more scallop shells past Hasselt, just the guide. The surrounding landscape: Groningen clay with wierde villages and freestanding bell towers—one pilgrim dubbed the high fields behind Uithuizen the “Groningen Meseta”—then Drenthe’s heathland, junipers, and es villages across the Hondsrug, most recently the IJssel Delta. Flat, vast, quiet. If you're counting elevation gain, this isn't the place for you; if you're counting towers, you'll be in your element.

1219: The Beer Mug, 1590: The Demolition, 1892: The Repurchase

At the end of this journey lies a pilgrimage with a sensational founding myth: 1219 It is said that a drunken Frisian warrior struck a priest in the hand with a beer mug, knocking the ciborium out of his grasp; the consecrated hosts fell into the dirt—and as an act of penance, Hasselt the “Holy Place,” for centuries the destination of processions with its own indulgence. However, historian Jaap van Moolenbroek has demonstrated that this account—which originates from Caesarius of Heisterbach—does not refer to Hasselt at all, but rather to territory under the Diocese of Münster: the Groningen region. A chaplain claimed it for Hasselt in the 19th century; a pastor needed a suitable history for his diaspora congregation. The legend belongs to Hasselt, the scene of the event lies in Groningen—and this path connects the two. Anyone walking the Jacobspad follows the legend from its presumed setting to its adopted home.

The rest of the chain of documents is also delightfully irreverently honest: The oldest letter of indulgence from 1328 is now considered a forgery; the first reliable evidence is the document issued by Bishop Jan van Arkel in the year 1355. One 1576 the pilgrimages were banned, 1590 The chapel was torn down, and the site became a dump. And then the revival in slow motion: 1891 Pastor van Groeningen bought the property back, 1892 the pilgrimage was reinstated, 1898 Pope Leo XIII reinstated the indulgence—and in the meantime, Catholic seasonal workers from Germany kept the tradition alive. A place of pilgrimage that has survived forgery, prohibition, and being turned into a garbage dump is, in the end, more credible than any flawless chronicle.

And on the way? It's in Rolde the site along the route with the richest historical layers: the Gothic Jacobuskerk, built between 1400 and 1427, featuring tombstones carved with scallop shells — all the way to 1791 The Etstoel, the highest court in the province of Drenthe, sat here—and directly behind the churchyard stand the hunebeds D17 and D18, megalithic tombs dating from around 3400–3200 B.C. On a single plot of land: five thousand years of burial, prayer, and judgment. In Groningen founded 1405 Solleder of Bern and his son Albert built an inn specifically for pilgrims. However, to this day, there is no record of any medieval pilgrim to Santiago from Groningen or Drenthe—whoever passed through here left no written account. But we do know who opened the door for them.

Other Names

In Dutch, the name of the path is simply the Way of St. James — and because that's pretty vague, almost every source adds something to it: St. James' Way: Groningen-Drenthe after the two main provinces, St. James' Way: Uithuizen–Hasselt by destination, in the route overview of the sponsoring organization The Way of St. James in Groningen; in German, you'll find it as The Way of St. James in Groningen. There are three common misconceptions worth knowing about: The Jabikspaad is its Frisian counterpart—it starts in Sint Jacobiparochie, features a blue square with a yellow seashell, and also ends in Hasselt. The Jacobspad Limburg is located 250 kilometers further south—here, it runs as Jakobsweg Nijmegen–Maastricht. And Hasselt This is not the Belgian city in Limburg, but the small Hanseatic town in Overijssel, twelve kilometers from Zwolle—a mistake that has already cost many a train ticket. Your route also forms the northern half of a longer axis that continues as the Jacobsweg from Amsvorde to Antwerp.

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

Ideal if you like long distances and don’t need much elevation gain: 206 kilometers between the Wadden Sea and the IJssel Delta, following old church paths—you literally walk from tower to tower. It’s also ideal for beginners and stage pilgrims: the daily distances range from 10 to 21 kilometers; Uithuizen, Loppersum, Groningen, and Beilen all have train stations; and you can tackle the route over the course of several years in weekend segments without ever running into any logistical problems.

To be honest, though, this isn’t for you if you’re looking for mountains, panoramic views, or Spanish hostel culture. There’s no network of pilgrim hostels—you book a B&B, a hotel, or a place to stay through “Vrienden op de Fiets,” and you have to book in advance. The churches aren’t staffed around the clock; one pilgrim’s account mentions a stamp that wasn’t available because the priest was sick. You need to plan around such gaps in advance, not while you’re on the road. And if you like to go against the flow, you should know: As of January 1, 2025, the route is marked only from north to south—north of Hasselt, there’s no longer a scallop shell symbol; only the guidebook.

Route & Landscape

You'll start in Uithuizen at the Catholic Jacobus de Meerdere Church—incidentally, a few streets away stands a second St. James Church, the patronage of which has been disputed since 1664. What follows is the Groningen Klei in its purest form: high-lying fields, wierde villages on artificial hills, freestanding bell towers, and farms visible from three kilometers away—the “Groningen Meseta.” Via Eenum, Wirdum, and the Jacobuskerk of Zeerijp you can reach Ten Boer, the official alternate start for the short-distance race, then Groningen: The University, the Martinikerk, and the inn on Peperstraat, which was built in 1405 specifically for pilgrims.

South of Groningen, the soil changes from clay to sand—and with it, the entire landscape. Passing through the Peizermaden and the villages around Roderwolde, Norg, and Vries, you’ll climb up to the Hondsrug, the only real wave along the way. Starting at Rolde Are you into the classic style? Drenthe: Heath, juniper, Esdörfer, the Balloërveld, then at the Dwingelderveld past the ruins. You'll leave Drenthe via De Wijk and Punthorst, walking through the linear village Staphorst and finally flows into the IJssel Delta, until Hasselt on the Zwarte Water lies ahead of you. Three provinces, three types of terrain, one route—and not a single hill worth mentioning.

Stages, Terrain & Difficulty

According to the standard classification, you go twelve daily stages between 10 and 21 kilometers—the guidebook itself does not specify stages, but describes the route continuously in both directions; one pilgrim even completed the entire route in eight days. Nothing here is particularly difficult: there are no climbs that require a break, but you’ll encounter the usual Dutch “price” in the form of patches of asphalt and clinker—good soles are more important than walking sticks. The scallop shell on signs, stickers, and route markers serves as a guide; since early 2025, it has conformed to international standards and is now only readable heading northward—that is, from north to south. All stage distances are rounded figures—the total length of 206 km is the official figure.

1. Uithuizen → Zeerijp (approx. 11 km) — Start at the Jacobus de Meerdere Church, through Eenum and Wirdum across the high fields of the Hogeland to the Jacobus Church in Zeerijp.
2. Zeerijp → Ten Boer (approx. 18 km) — Vast clay fields, polder villages, and maars; Ten Boer is the official alternate starting point for those taking the shorter route.
3. Ten Boer → Groningen (approx. 20 km) — Through Thesinge and along the Damsterdiep into the university town; along the way, the Pepergasthuis, built in 1405.
4. Groningen → Altena (approx. 18 km) — From the city to Peizermaden and Wolden, transitioning from clay to sand.
5. Altena → Vries (approx. 21 km) — Longest stage; Roderwolde, Norg, and the first foothills of the Hondsrug.
6. Vries → Rolde (approx. 15 km) — Across the Hondsrug to Rolde: Jacobuskerk and the hunebeds D17 and D18 right behind it.
7. Rolde → Elp (approx. 19 km) — Balloërveld, Loon, and Amen: heathland, juniper, and Esdörfer—classic Drenthe.
8. Elp → Beilen (approx. 16 km) — Small villages in the Esdörfer region, wooded areas, rail connection in Beilen.
9. Beilen → Ruinen (approx. 20 km) — Past the Dwingelderveld to the stamp at Café Kuik in Ruinen.
10. Ruinen → Echten (about 10 km) — The shortest leg, perfect for a half-day hike or as an add-on.
11. Echten → Staphorst (approx. 21 km) — From Drenthe to Overijssel via De Wijk and Punthorst, to the linear village of Staphorst.
12. Staphorst → Hasselt (approx. 11 km) — Final leg through the IJssel Delta to the Hanseatic city on the Zwarte Water: Heilige Stede, Stephanuskerk, stamp at the tourist information office.

You collect the trail stamps in Uithuizen, Zeerijp, Roderwolde and Rolde (all in the church), in the Café Kuik in the ruins and at the tourist information office in Hasselt — Four of the six stamp stations are St. James churches. It’s part of the experience that a church might be closed from time to time: the stations are run by volunteers.

Highlights Along the Way

• St.-Jacobus-de-Meerdere-Kerk, Uithuizen — Kilometer zero and the first stamp; a few streets away, the Protestant St. James Church, built between 1225 and 1250, with an Arp Schnitger organ from 1701 — whose dedication to St. James has been disputed since 1664: The documents mention Dionysius.
• Jacobuskerk Zeerijp — A medieval cruciform church with a freestanding bell tower, the last church in Groningen built in the Romanesque-Gothic style; open daily from April through October.
• Pepergasthuis Groningen — Founded in 1405 by Solleder of Bern and his son Albert as a pilgrims' hostel, named after Gertrud of Nivelles, the patron saint of travelers.
• Hondsrug and Balloërveld — the only real ridge along the trail and the heath that has made Drenthe famous.
• Jacobuskerk in Rolde with Hunebed D17 and D18 — a Gothic building dating from 1400–1427 with shell-shaped tomb slabs; until 1791, it served as the seat of the Etstoel, the highest court in Drenthe; directly behind the churchyard are two of the most famous megalithic tombs in the Netherlands, erected around 3400–3200 B.C.
• Dwingelderveld — one of the largest wet heathland areas in Western Europe, through which the ninth stage passes.
• Staphorst — A linear village with its famous green-and-blue facades, the last stop before the IJssel Delta.
• Hasselt — A Hanseatic city since about 1367, granted city rights around 1252: the Stephanuskerk with its 49-bell carillon and the Heilige Stede, a place of pilgrimage to which people have made the journey themselves for centuries.

How Pilgrims Find Their Way onto This Path

First, the honest answer: No other marked pilgrimage route ends in Uithuizen—the route begins twelve kilometers from the Wadden Sea, and most people arrive by train. Uithuizen is located on the Groningen–Roodeschool rail line, a good half hour from Groningen; those with less time can get off at Ten Boer the officially designated alternative starting point. And those who prefer to break the journey into shorter segments can use the train stations in Loppersum, Groningen, and Beilen.

In the pilgrimage network, the Jacobspad is the northern half of a long route that continues as the Jacobsweg from Amsvorde through Zwolle, Amersfoort, and Breda to Antwerp. In Hasselt your path also crosses that of the Jabikspaad from Sint Jacobiparochie in Friesland — the Twin Trail marked with a blue square and a yellow shell. If you're traveling from Germany, take the train via Leer to Groningen.

Continue the pilgrimage?

And Hasselt Your journey doesn't end here—this is where the Dutch pilgrimage network converges and immediately splits into two southern branches. To the east, the route leads through Doesburg and Nijmegen, where the Jakobsweg Nijmegen–Maastricht runs along the Jacobspad Limburg, featuring the relic of St. James’s arm from Roermond, all the way to the tomb of St. Servatius in Maastricht—and beyond that begins the Via Mosana Toward Namur. To the west, the second route runs through Zwolle, Amersfoort, Utrecht, and Breda to Antwerp; from Breda on, you’ve long been traveling on the Via Brabantica, which ends in Saint-Quentin after 363 kilometers.

From there, the network is continuous: from Saint-Quentin via the Via Campaniensis to Vézelay or via Paris to the Via Turonensis — and in the end, the one in Spain takes over Camino Francés. So the 206 kilometers from Groningen aren't just a stroll into nowhere: they are the first leg of a journey that stretches all the way to Santiago.

Preparation & Practical Information

The best time is April through October — The churches are open starting in April; in August and September, you’ll see both blooming heathland and harvest fields. Winter is also an option, but on the open clay plains between Uithuizen and Ten Boer, there’s nothing to block the wind. Use this as a guide: Route Guide published by the organization — 4th edition, 2019, 19.95 euros (as of August 2026) — describes the route in both directions. Since the trail marking changes in 2025, this has become more than just a convenience: there are no longer any trail markers north of Hasselt.

You should book accommodations in advance. There isn't a hostel network like the one in Spain; the backbone of the industry consists of B&Bs, small hotels, and places to stay at Vrienden op de Fiets — approximately 5,000 addresses, 27.50 euros per person including breakfast, annual membership fee of 7.50 euros or 10 euros for members from abroad (as of August 2026). The Pilgrim's Pass The event organized by the Nederlands Genootschap van Sint Jacob is reserved for members (free with registration, otherwise 3 euros); anyone planning to continue on to Santiago later should obtain their pilgrim’s passport well before reaching the border.

With the Camino Ninja App You're in good hands—she has the entire route on hand, and you can put together your own stages and plan suitable accommodations right along with them. On a trail where the stamp stations are staffed by volunteers, having a Plan B for a place to sleep is half the preparation anyway.

What the journey will cost you

The Netherlands isn't a cheap place for pilgrimages, but that's no surprise: Expect to 55 to 85 euros per day, if you stay in B&Bs and small hotels and eat lunch from the supermarket (estimate as of August 2026); double rooms usually cost between 60 and 110 euros. It gets significantly cheaper via Vrienden op de Fiets: 27.50 euros per person, including breakfast, plus the small annual membership fee. The fixed costs remain manageable—the Routegids for 19.95 euros, the Pelgrimspas free for members (as of August 2026)—and train travel is inexpensive: Uithuizen–Groningen, Groningen–Beilen, and Hasselt–Zwolle are all short distances. Those who camp or stay overnight in churches can keep costs even lower.

Getting Here

To get started: Uithuizen is located on the Groningen–Roodeschool rail line, a little over half an hour from Groningen; you can reach Groningen itself by Intercity from Amsterdam in about two hours, or from Zwolle in one hour. From Germany, the route goes via Leer to Groningen (Wunderline)—check the schedule before your trip. From the Uithuizen train station, it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the Jacobus de Meerdere Church, the “kilometer zero” marker.

From the finish line: Hasselt doesn't have a train station—a regional bus will take you the twelve kilometers to Zwolle, and Zwolle is one of the major Intercity hubs in the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Groningen, Leeuwarden, and on toward Germany via Deventer and Arnhem. Those continuing their journey directly will find it easier: the connection begins in Hasselt, not in Zwolle.

• Dutch Railways: Uithuizen (departure), Loppersum, Groningen, and Beilen (stopovers), Zwolle (return trip); schedules available at [ns.nl](https://www.ns.nl).
• From Germany: via Leer to Groningen (Wunderline) or via Amersfoort/Zwolle; timetables available at [bahn.de](https://www.bahn.de).
• About the goal: Regional bus Hasselt ↔ Zwolle (approx. 12 km).
• Flight: Amsterdam Schiphol, with a direct Intercity train to Groningen and Zwolle.