# Camino de Santiago, Germany: what it is and when to go

> A Bavarian branch of the Way of St James that starts in Munich and heads west, towards Lake Constance and Switzerland. It crosses the pre-Alpine plateau through villages with Baroque churches, lakes and forest. It's waymarked with the scallop shell and walked in stages. The best time to visit is April to October. In June there are 15 h 47 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 12. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip.

- Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/munchner-jakobsweg/
- Reviewed on: 2026-10-02
- Language: en

## In a nutshell

- **What it is:** Catholic pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain · Hiking
- **Local name:** Münchner Jakobsweg
- **Where:** Germany
- **Best time:** April to October.
- **Nearest airport:** MUC Munich, 99 km as the crow flies
- **Trail network:** National
- **Coordinates:** 47.8423, 10.69968

## What you will see here

- The start from Munich's old town
- Baroque churches and monasteries along the pre-Alpine route
- The lakes and peat bogs of Upper Bavaria
- Views of the Alps to the south on clear days

> The first stages have a good suburban rail network from Munich, so you can do separate sections and return the same day.

## What it is and where

Camino de Santiago is a Catholic pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain (Münchner Jakobsweg) in Germany (Ruderatshofen).

It is in [Ruderatshofen](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/ruderatshofen/), where this site lists 19 more places to see, 12 km from the centre.

Its coordinates are 47.8423, 10.69968; the nearest main airport is Munich Airport (MUC, Munich), 99 km as the crow flies. How to get around Germany (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/#moverse).

- [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=47.842303%2C10.699676)
- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=47.842303%2C10.699676)

- **Trail network:** National

It is one of the [Hiking](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/senderismo/) places in Germany. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap.

## When to go

The best time to visit Camino de Santiago is **April to October**.

May to October. In winter there's snow and mud on the forest stretches.

| Mes | Época | Hours of daylight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Possible | 8 h 36 |
| February | Possible | 9 h 59 |
| March | Possible | 11 h 35 |
| April | Best time | 13 h 24 |
| May | Best time | 14 h 57 |
| June | Best time | 15 h 47 |
| July | Best time | 15 h 26 |
| August | Best time | 14 h 06 |
| September | Best time | 12 h 20 |
| October | Best time | 10 h 34 |
| November | Possible | 9 h |
| December | Possible | 8 h 12 |

In June there are 15 h 47 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 12. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather.

When to go to Germany in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/#cuando-ir).

## Before you go to Germany

To enter Germany there are 6 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Valid ID card (DNI) or passport”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Germany checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Euro (EUR); plugs: Type C and F · 230 V · 50 Hz; emergencies: 112 · 110 police.

In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it.

## What is nearby

- [Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/kunsthaus/): Art museum in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria, Germany · 7.2 km
- [Via Sancti Martini HW-34-x1 Kaufbeuren - Marktoberdorf](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/via-sancti-martini-hw-34-x1-kaufbeuren-marktoberdorf/): Hiking · 7.3 km
- [Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/aktienbrauerei-kaufbeuren/): Public company · 7.3 km
- [Feuerwehrmuseum Kaufbeuren-Ostallgäu](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/feuerwehrmuseum-kaufbeuren-ostallgau/): Museum in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria, Germany · 7.8 km
- [LechErlebnisWeg](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/lecherlebnisweg/): Hiking · 9.0 km

Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Germany guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/).

## More in Germany: Hiking

- [Camino de Santiago](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/camino-de-santiago/): Catholic pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- [E3 European long distance path](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/ruta-europea-caminar-e3/): walking path
- [E9 European long distance path](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/europaischer-fernwanderweg-e9-deutschland-schleswig-holstein/): walking path, Europe
- [E1 European long distance path](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/european-long-distance-path-e1/): walking path
- [Via Alpina](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/via-alpina/): hiking route across the Alps from Trieste to Monaco
- [Dreisesselberg](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/dreisessel/)

Every Germany place under Hiking, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/senderismo/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Camino de Santiago?

It is a Catholic pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain (Münchner Jakobsweg in the local language) in Germany.

### When is the best time to visit Camino de Santiago?

April to October. In June there are 15 h 47 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 12.

### How do you get to Camino de Santiago?

The nearest main airport is Munich Airport (MUC), 99 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=47.842303%2C10.699676) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Germany is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/#moverse).

### How do I add it to my trip?

With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Germany map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby.

### What else is around here?

Nearby you have [Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/kunsthaus/), [Via Sancti Martini HW-34-x1 Kaufbeuren - Marktoberdorf](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/via-sancti-martini-hw-34-x1-kaufbeuren-marktoberdorf/), [Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/aktienbrauerei-kaufbeuren/). The rest is in [the Germany guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/alemania/).

Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/1075081), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41150), CC0. More about Camino de Santiago on [Wikipedia](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakobsweg). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).

