GPX ViewNetherlands
Pelgrimspad
The old Dutch pilgrim route, from Amsterdam to the Belgian border — the start of the long road to Santiago, as seen from the Netherlands.
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60 m · 0.0 km
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- Distance
- 462.8 km
- Elevation gain
- 761 m
- Elevation loss
- 826 m
- Highest point
- 210 m
- Walking time
- 117 h · ~20 d
Estimated walking time (DIN 33466 standard) — breaks, meals and overnight stays not included.
Tracks derived from OpenStreetMap data, under the ODbL license.
The terrain
Flat like the rest of the country, on dike paths, riverbanks and farmland trails. The route avoids tarmac wherever it can and passes through a string of old villages, abbeys and river crossings. Walking is easy; it's the daily distances that make up the effort.
When to go
Year-round. Spring is the favourite season, when the Brabant orchards bloom and the ferries run a full service again — some river crossings cut their hours in winter, which is the one thing worth checking before setting off out of season.
Access and stages
The start is in Amsterdam, the finish at Visé in Belgium, from where Maastricht and Liège are within reach. Allow about twenty stages. Like the Pieterpad, it splits up very easily thanks to the rail network, and many people walk it in successive sections.
Take the track into the field
The downloaded file opens in GPX View, which shows the route, the remaining elevation and your position on it — with no network once the map is saved.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this GPX free?
- Yes, no account or sign-up needed. The track is derived from OpenStreetMap and stays under the ODbL license: reusable, provided you credit the source.
- Do you have to be a pilgrim to walk it?
- No, it's a hiking trail like any other, waymarked and open to everyone. Its route follows old pilgrimage roads, which explains the abbeys and chapels along the way, but nothing is asked of the walker.
- Are the ferry crossings included in the track?
- Water crossings show up as breaks in the track: a ferry isn't a path. Check their schedules, especially out of season — it's the only real logistical constraint on this route.