Kolumbansweg Schweiz The European Columban Way Health country Flee the fast pace of life

The 6000 km long European Columban route passes Since the early Middle Ages and originally from the through 9 countries. It runs from Ireland via England, monasteries, sustainable naturopathic medicine has France, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, developed in Switzerland until today. The St. Gallen , the Principality of Liechtenstein and back Abbey Library, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has again through Switzerland to . In addition to the one of the world‘s largest collections of medical reflection of the cultural, spiritual and monastic literature. With its platform, Health Land Switzerland heritage, the Columban path also emphasizes a offers a unique overview of the diverse and extraor- message of peace and brotherhood among the dinary possibilities of natural health and naturopathic peoples of Europe. medicine in Switzerland. www.gesundheitsland.ch Association IG Kolombansweg

The purpose of this non-profit association is to create, organize, mediate and communicate the Columban route in Switzerland. It works together with associations with the same or a similar purpose and is part of the Columban Way international network.

Goals of the association

- Integration of the Swiss section into the European cultural route

- Promotion of the European Culture Path, which shows the importance of the Irish monks for cultural development on the European continent

- Creation of a path of deceleration and encounter

- Promotion of the awareness of the topic „Natural health for body-mind-soul“

Natural and legal persons who support the purpose of the association can become members of the association. www.kolumbansweg.ch [email protected]

Bank details St. Gallische Kantonalbank IBAN: CH42 0078 1622 3270 7200 0

Trace the tracks of the Irish monks and discover and experience their cultural, spiritual and natural healing heritage 6 1 3 4 5 4 7 2 1 2 3 16 18 8 5 17 13 15 12 Basel with Cathedral and Market Square 1 Basel with Cathedral and Market Square 14 11 19 2 Augusta Raurica 10 14b 6 3 Rheinfelden 13 14a 4 Stein-Säckingen wooden bridge 5 Laufenburg 6 Koblenz, the confluence of the Aare and rivers 9 7 Klingnau artificial lake 12 15b 20 8 Monastery and Gasthof Sternen Wettingen 8a 9 Islands of Ufenau and Lützelau 9 10 Wooden footbridge on Lake near Richterswil 10 15a 7 8b 11 Gallus Fountain in Tuggen 11 12 Jakobus Chapel in Neuhaus 13 Town of Lichtensteig The European long-distance hiking and pilgrimage 14 Magdenau Monastery 21 route “Via Columbani” leads from Bangor in Northern 15 St. Gallen with Cathedral and Abbey Library Ireland to Bobbio in Northern Italy, part of which also 16 Arbon Gallus Chapel 22 16a passes through Switzerland. Overview of stages 17 Rhine delta 16b 23 18 Churches of Columban and Gallus in Bregenz The Swiss part of the international cultural route “Via Columba- 1 Basel – Rheinfelden, 19km, 4.45h, +260m/-250m 19 Dornbirn with the Rappenloch Gorge and Karren ni” comprises 21 stages and 500 km from Basel to Castasegna 2 Rheinfelden – Laufenburg, 29km, 7.15h, +260m/-225m 25 20 Church of Our Lady in Rankweil near . The Kolumbansweg can be described as a uni- 3 Laufenburg – Koblenz, 21km, 6.15h, +290m/-280m 24 21 Vaduz Castle que way of remembering the Irish monks Columban († 615) and 4 Koblenz – Baden, 24km, 6.00h, +265m/-200m 22 Castle Gallus († around 640/645) and their companions. From the late 5 Baden – Zürich, 27km, 6.45h, +260m/-235m 23 St. Luzisteig Fortress 6th century onwards, they and their successors gave important 6 Zürich – Wädenswil, 23km, 5.45h, +0m/-0m 24 Bad Ragaz and Pfäfers impulses to Christianity and thereby to culture, art and monas- 7 a Wädenswil – Rapperswil, 15km, 3.45h, +0m/-0m 25 Bündner Herrschaft tic medicine on the European continent. Around one hundred 7 b Wädenswil – Tuggen, 26km, 6.45h, +530m/-530m 26 , the oldest city in Switzerland monasteries associated with Columban and his students were 8 a Rapperswil – Wattwil, 27km, 7.30h, +915m/-710m 26 27 Rabiosa Gorge near Passugg founded. These monks were also pioneers of the European 8 b Tuggen – Wattwil, 24km, 6.30h, +835m/-635m 17 27 28 St. Peter Mistail Church movement. In a letter to Pope Gregory the Great in around 600, 9 Wattwil – Magdenau/Flawil, 19km, 5.30h, +720m/-770m 29 Alp Flix and artificial lake Columban first testified to the idea of an all-encompassing 10 Magdenau/Flawil- St. Gallen, 22km, 6.00h, +440m/-500m 30 with triple watershed Christian Europe including the north. 11 St. Gallen – Rorschach, 22km, 5.30h, +140m/-415m 18 31 Lake Columban 12 Rorschach – Bregenz, 31km, 8.00h, +60m/-60m 32 Giacometti family of artists in Borgonovo The Kolumbansweg Switzerland leads along hiking trails 13 Bregenz – Hohenems, 24km, 6.00h, +120m/-95m 33 Soglio sun terrace through the most beautiful landscapes such as the Linth Plain, 14 a Hohenems – Feldkirch, 23km, 5.45h, +390m/-270m Toggenburg, Fürstenland, Rhine Valley, and the 14 b Hohenems – Haag, 28km, 7.00h, +70m/-65m 28 region, along rivers such as the Rhine, Aare and Limmat 15 a Feldkirch – Balzers, 25km, 6.15h, +450m/-435m and along lakes such as Lake Zurich and Lake Constance as 15 b Haag – Sargans, 28km, 7.00h, +370m/-330m well as through many places of historical interest. 16 a Balzers – Chur, 31km, 8.00h, +540m/-420m 19 16 b Sargans – Chur, 34km, 8.30h, +145m/-35m 17 Chur – , 20km, 6.00h, +1205m/-425m 29 Pilgrim pass 18 Lenzerheide – , 23km, 6.45h, +880m/-1145m 19 Savognin – , 21km, 7.15h, +1350m/-780m 20 Bivio – Vicosoprano, 20km, 6.30h, +620m/-1325m A separate Kolumbansweg pilgrimage pass is available for 20 CHF 15.00 against invoice from: [email protected] 21 Vicosoprano – Castasegna, 12km, 3.00h, +115m/-485m or at www.kolumbansweg.ch. 31 30

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