The Most Distant Camino de Santiago Signs: Signposts to Santiago from Around the World

The journey begins right outside your front door

The Way of St. James has no single starting point. They say it begins at every person’s front door—and is far from over in Santiago, because the real journey only begins there. No wonder, then, that there are signposts pointing to Santiago all over Europe and far beyond, many of them wonderfully far away.

Pilgrims from the Camino Ninja community took photos of the signs located the farthest away and sent them to us. Here they are—listed from the greatest distance to the zero point in Finisterre.

Join in—send us your sign

This collection grows with the community. Have you taken a photo of a signpost for Santiago that’s particularly far away or beautiful while you were traveling? Send it to us by email atinfo@caminoninja.com– preferably with the location and, if possible, the kilometer marker. We'd be happy to add it and keep the collection up to date.

From Another Continent

8.013 km – Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). By far the farthest sign in our collection. Who can top that? Photo: Suzanne Keesing.

Over 3,000 kilometers

3,493 km – Malta. A gift for the island, in true Galician style—even if it means sailing all the way through Sicily and Sardinia to get to Barcelona. Photo: Louis van Dalen.

3,420 km – Hamar (Norway). Found on the Olav Trail. Photo: Armin Müller.

3,400 km – Greifswald. On the Baltic Sea. Photo: Burkhard Sonntag.

3,250 km – German-Danish border near Flensburg. On the military road from Viborg to Hamburg. Photo: Erwin Nissen.

3,000 km – Carinthia (Austria). The figure is probably a generous rounding. Photo: Gabriele Pogantisch.

2,500 to 3,000 kilometers

2,990 km – Waldviertel (Austria). Starting point of the Austrian Way of St. James. Photo: Emil Palme.

2,971 km – Berlin. At the main train station (there is a similar one at Potsdamer Platz measuring 2,968 km). Photo: Kerstin Prestin.

2,940 km – Erfurt. Probably in a garden; the route goes through Konstanz. Photo: Matthias Katze.

2,804 km – Nuremberg. At St. James' Church, the pilgrim has a choice: 2,750 km to the left, 2,804 km to the right. Photo: Karin Bepunkt.

2,800 km – Freising-Vötting. At St. James' Church, along the Freising Way of St. James.

2,771 km – Goldsteig (Bavarian Forest). A rock in the middle of the forest. Photo: Andrea Göb.

2,743 km – Randersacker near Würzburg. Photo: IchBinDannMalUnterwegs (The Spessart Pilgrim).

2,645 km – Koblenz. A boulder on the Rhine with pilgrim, shell and cathedral – the starting stone of the Jakobsweg Koblenz – Santiago de Compostela. Photo: Regina Kulpe von Eckardstein.

2,609 km – Mosel-Camino, Klickerterhof. Photo: Katrin Gebhard.

2,597 km – Mosel Camino, Maria Engelport Monastery. A hidden gem among the trails. Photo: Katrin Gebhard.

2,577 km – behind the Wieskirche (Bavaria). A sign in the ground. Photo: Michaela Makrai.

2,500 km – Giengen an der Brenz. One of several "round" 2,500s—apparently people like to round off numbers.

2,500 km – Lübeck. On the Via Baltica. Photo: Ann-Kristin Budde.

2,500 km – Hamburg. At St. Jakobi Church. Photo: Thomas Haul.

2,500 km – Renesse (Netherlands). Photo: Nicole Dolibog.

2,000 to 2,500 kilometers

Just under 2,500 km – the Munich Way of St. James near Schäftlarn. What makes it special: The tree is slowly swallowing the sign. Photo: Mel Messerschmidt.

2,454 km – Leipzig. Sign or tree? Found in the city's green lung. Photo: Melanie Ettzweiler.

2,427 km – The Way of St. James on the Left Bank of the Rhine. Photo: Regina Kulpe von Eckardstein

2,400 km – Nusbaumerhöhe (Eifel). On the Via Coloniensis, with shell and pilgrim pictogram on a garden fence – someone added the kilometres by hand. Photo: Regina Kulpe von Eckardstein.

2,395 km – Schweich on the Mosel Camino. Photo: Katrin Gebhard.

2,340 km – Konstanz on Lake Constance. This is where the Schwabenweg trail to Einsiedeln begins—every day, people stand here and think: one day…

2,334 km – Unterschwillach. Hubert has hung a scallop shell with a kilometer marker at the entrance to his yard: “The journey begins right here, on my doorstep.” Buen camino!

2,330 km – Unterperfuss (Tyrol). Between Innsbruck and St. Anton am Arlberg. Photo: Anja Wolmuth.

2,330 km – Märstetten (Switzerland). Photo: Montegazzo Outdoor.

2,300 km – beyond Vigy (Lorraine). On the Trier – Le Puy route, with “Compostelle” carved into the wood. Photo: Regina Kulpe von Eckardstein.

2,249 km – Long-distance run. Between Nuremberg and Rothenburg. Photo: Karin Bepunkt.

2,239 km – Freiburg im Breisgau. Reference to the Via Podiensis, the main route through France. Photo: Mel Eff.

2,200 km – beyond Montenach (Lorraine). A sandstone stele on the Trier – Le Puy route: shell at the top, pilgrim in the middle, signpost to Metz and Trier below. Photo: Regina Kulpe von Eckardstein.

2,173 km – Pfongau near Salzburg. Photo: Melanie Etzweiler.

2,155 km – Champagne (France). Photo: Carola.

2,150 km – Gois, near Salzburg. In front of St. James Church. Photo: Eva Nemec.

2.125 km – Old Monreal Trail. A beautiful column. Photo: Andrea Roberts.

2,076 km – Chablis (France). Photo: Carola.

Less than 2,000 kilometers

1,865 km – Swiss-French border. Switzerland bids farewell to its pilgrims with this sign. Photo: Oli Ver.

1,521 km – Le Puy-en-Velay (France). The start of the Via Podiensis. Photo: Nikko Gil.

998 km – Córdoba. Photo: Patricia Corthorn.

790 km – Roncesvalles. This is where “the classic” Camino Francés begins.

648 km – Madrid. On the rarely traveled Camino de Madrid. Photo: Mo Wa.

And at the finish line

30 centimeters—time for a coffee break. Some distances are pleasantly short. Photo: Kai Peter Jasny.

0 Kilometers – Finisterre. You've arrived. Just a few more steps, and you'll be standing in the Atlantic Ocean—at the end of the path and, at the same time, at the beginning of something new. Photo: Andreas Quiner.

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