We have a dream of a worldwide network of national pilgrimage trails connected together by shared values and some basic rites and symbols. A modern pilgrimage independent of a religion. We have written a charter to state our case:
The beginning success of a new pilgrimage tradition
In 2015 we opened a pioneer trail of 136 kilometres around Nijmegen in the Netherlands. This pioneer trail is a beginning success with enthusiastic feedback from +- 6.500 pilgrims since the opening in mid 2015.
We now hope to inspire people abroad to grow a Walk of Wisdom pilgrimage in their own country based on this charter. Organizations that qualify receive a sublicense of our pilgrimage symbol designed by Huub and Adelheid Kortekaas on a non commercial basis.
https://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_20200320_165239.png8061314Redactie Walk of Wisdomhttps://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/walk-of-wisdom-logo-main-156.pngRedactie Walk of Wisdom2020-09-19 23:29:052020-09-20 19:56:23Walk of Wisdom – a modern pilgrimage
We are making our starter kit for the pilgrimage more sustainable. Developer Manja Bente found an alternative for the leather we use now and looks as nice.
Manja abhors the chemicals that are used with making leather and the bad working conditions for labourers. Being a vegan herself was an extra motivation. Quite some years passed when she originally designed the lace, fond of the natural look of leather and its seasoning in time…
Manja didn’t like fake leather, because it is, well, fake, and the production is very pollutant. Her daughter suggested to use corque and after several months of research and experiment corque it will be.
Pilgrim’s lace Walk of wisdom
We ordered our first 1001 meter of corque laces and our volunteers will start to work diligently to turn them into pilgrim laces (gratitude for that!). We import the corque laces from Portugal via the Dutch small company called Corque.nl who also sells other products made from corque.
Next step: a sustainable alternative for our steel pin of our symbool Pelgrim . Tot be continued!
https://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20191121_114501.jpg25601920Redactie Walk of Wisdomhttps://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/walk-of-wisdom-logo-main-156.pngRedactie Walk of Wisdom2020-01-07 13:27:492020-01-07 13:38:08In 2020 our pilgrim lace will be made from corque
Our volunteer starter kit team merrily packed our 5.000th starter kit. Pilgrims come from all over the Netherlands and increasingly Flanders. We did not yet succeed in attracting pilgrims further away, apart from our native Englishman and signposter Stuart, who translated the routeguide, and our two American pilgrims who tested the translation (and approved it).
https://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_20191213_122509.jpg14432560Redactie Walk of Wisdomhttps://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/walk-of-wisdom-logo-main-156.pngRedactie Walk of Wisdom2019-12-19 17:16:172019-12-22 18:33:18We packed our 5.000th starter kit!
On Saturday 28 September we will start with the third “Walk of Wisdom in a year around”: a series of guided silent walks in which we walk the Walk of Wisdom in ten stages in a year time. An average stage is between 12 and 16 kilometers. We walk in silence, and during the breaks there is room for exchange.
The dates are already known, always on the fourth Saturday of the month (see below). The guidance is always in different hands. The first walk goes from Nijmegen to Beek and is approximately 14 kilometers. The guidance is in the hands of Manja Bente, co-developer of the Walk of Wisdom, with Anja van Wegen, volunteer.
Note: The guidance is in Dutch, but with pleasure we do our best to translate where possible.
The start is at the special starting point: the face of Nijmegen – the Stevenskerk. This is also the end point of the entire series and the pilgrim route itself. So in the end you don’t get a step further, but that’s not the point of a pilgrimage anyway.
On Saturday 28 September we will start with the third “Walk of Wisdom in a year around”: a series of guided silent walks in which we walk the Walk of Wisdom in ten stages in a year time. An average stage is between 12 and 16 kilometers. We walk in silence, and during the breaks there is room for exchange.
The dates are already known, always on the fourth Saturday of the month (see below). The guidance is always in different hands. The first walk goes from Nijmegen to Beek and is approximately 14 kilometers. The guidance is in the hands of Manja Bente, co-developer of the Walk of Wisdom, with Anja van Wegen, volunteer.
Note: The guidance is in Dutch, but with pleasure we do our best to translate where possible.
The start is at the special starting point: the face of Nijmegen – the Stevenskerk. This is also the end point of the entire series and the pilgrim route itself. So in the end you don’t get a step further, but that’s not the point of a pilgrimage anyway.
How do you register?
You can sign up for a single walk or for the entire series. If you sign up for the entire series, you can order a starter package with discount, so that you are also registered as a pilgrim. In that case you will receive the route guide, pilgrim lace and pin with our symbol (more).
All options in a row:
Participation in a separate guided walk (€ 10).
Participation in the entire series (€ 50).
Participation in the entire series plus registration as a pilgrim with start package with our pin, pilgrim lace and route guide (€ 65 + € 3.95 postage).
Free participation for volunteers from the Walk of Wisdom or sponsors who donated more than € 50 this year.
There is room for a maximum of 25 participants! Register: link
Landscape contribution
Part of the inlay goes to the landscape on the route, probably to flower seeds for flowering verges or a pedestrian bench.
The first stage
On Saturday 28 September we will walk the first stage: from the Stevenskerk in Nijmegen to Beek. The walk is about 14 kilometers and goes into nature (the Ooijpolder) from the center of Nijmegen towards the moraine. There we end via the Elyzeese Velden into the village of Beek and we take the bus back to Nijmegen at around 4 pm / 4.30 pm (+ – 20 minutes).
Collecting: at 10.30 am in the Stevenskerk at the coffee table for coffee and tea. You don’t have to pay an entrance fee at the desk if you say you are coming for the Walk of Wisdom.
Along the way we pause at least twice, among other things to drink coffee at Oortjeshekken. Take your own bread and maybe something tasty to share if you like!
Elyzeese Velden, Jan Alers
All data in a row
(1) Nijmegen – Beek, Saturday the 28th of September
(2) Beek – Kranenburg, Saturday thh 26th of October
(3) Kranenburg – Plasmolen, Saturday the 23rd of November
(4) Plasmolen – Malden, Saturday the 25th of January
(5) Malden – Nederasselt, Saturday the 22th of Februari
(6) Nederasselt – Ravenstein, Saturday the 28th of March
(7) Ravenstein – Wijchen, Saturday the 25th of April
(8) Wijchen – Afferden, Saturday the the 23rd of May
(9) Afferden – Beuningen, Saturday the 27th of June
(10) Beuningen – Nijmegen, Saturday the 26th of September
Sign in: link (The guidance is in Dutch, but with pleasure we do our best to translate where possible.)
https://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/image00016.jpeg30244032Damiaan Messinghttps://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/walk-of-wisdom-logo-main-156.pngDamiaan Messing2019-09-01 20:23:452019-12-22 18:30:41New series of silent walks: the Walk of Wisdom one year around
Landscape contribution: thanks to all the pilgrims who recently registered, we have just transferred with much pleasure € 150 to ‘Vereniging Nederlands Cultuurlandschap (the Dutch Cultural Landscape Association). Specially for their: “Delta Plan for the Landscape”.
In this delta plan, 200,000 kilometers of Dutch fields, grass and ditch edges are designated as a green zone. Think of hedges and flowery strips that are good for insects and birds. Farmers get paid to manage the zone and everyone can enjoy the beauty through new walking and cycling paths. There is a model area of the plan in the Ooijpolder – the Walk of Wisdom walks past it (route maps 3 and 4).
Pollard willows Ooijpolder, model area Delta Plan for the Landscape
The clever thing about the plan is that nature lovers and farmers are not opposed to each other. They work together. The plan puts 12 billion euros into a fund once. The farmers are paid out of the annual revenue of 600 million euros. Thanks to this construction the plan is independent of uncertain subsidies “into eternity”.
FIVE times around the world
In an extensive analysis in ‘Vrij Nederland’, creator Jaap Dirkmaat states that we can restore the cultural landscape of the Netherlands with 80% of its biodiversity: the diversity of plants and animals that the Netherlands has to offer. It would create a green ribbon that goes around the earth five times. A blessing in a time of massive extinction of species due to the disappearance of their habitats and the use of poison. In combination with organic farmers without poison, the profit is even greater.
Top sport
“We must turn biodiversity into a top sport,” concludes Jaap Dirkmaat. That sounds good. Because even in top sport the impossible dream is the basis. Real Olympians cycle against the same mountain every day if necessary. And ultimately realize their dream – to the satisfaction of an entire country.
More about the contagiously ambitious “Delta Plan for the Dutch Landscape” on the website of ‘Nederlands Cultuurlandschap’ (it is in Dutch): link.
Landscape contribution Walk of Wisdom
We set aside at least € 1 of the registration fee for each pilgrim to pay for nature and landscape projects along the route. This year we hope to welcome around 1,500 new pilgrims. We are on schedule. More about registering: link
https://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2104-langstraat-940x360.jpg360940Damiaan Messinghttps://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/walk-of-wisdom-logo-main-156.pngDamiaan Messing2019-08-13 15:10:282019-08-17 15:14:03We support the Delta plan for the Landscape
Our start and end point the Stevenskerk will start a pilot with an entrance fee of €2 from the 1st of August. Pilgrims who start or finish their journey can enter for free. Note: this new situation will not be clear to all volunteers right away, but as a pilgrim you can refer to the information folder that is behind their counter.
Why an entrance fee? The Stevenskerk is facing major expenses on maintenance and sustainability. She receives a subsidy of 5.5 million euros from the government for this, providing that the church itself supplements the amount with 2.3 million euros. The foundation is given 10 years to do this. In order not to become too dependent on subsidy providers, the foundation wants to investigate with this pilot of asking entrance fee whether it can achieve a higher personal contribution for the planned projects.
After the pilot ends (1st of December), an evaluation will take place. Therefore it is not yet possible to say whether the entrance fee will become a permanent measure. The hope is that most visitors are willing to contribute to the preservation of the beautiful monument from 1273 with their visit.
As Walk of Wisdom, we pay for the minor maintenance of the church one day a year via the Steveniers contribution of € 365. As a thank you to the hospitality of the church for WoW pilgrims we have transferred €300 extra this week. If you can miss something when you walk past the donation column: all bits help!!
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Our Walk of Wisdom won the people’s award in the election of the Gelderland province for quality of landscape. The jury selected us to the top five, but awarded it’s jury prize to a smart city project in Arnhem resurfacing an old river in the inner city. The public voted Walk of Wisdom as no. 1 with 336 votes, a clear sign of approval from followers.
Pioneer Damiaan Messing: “We see this as a big thumbs up from pilgrims who walked our trail and took the rather tedious and elaborate effort to vote for us. We promise to invest the €10.000,- in the further development of a meaningful, ecological sensitive rite to inspire those who walk the talk of self realization and sustainability.”
Walk of Wisdom: ” a pearl “
From the press release of the province of Gelderland: “Out of 1712 votes for 15 projects the Walk of Wisdom came out strongest. The stunning diversity of landscapes around Nijmegen as mirror to the soul. With on the road a symbol as compass telling us man is not separate from nature, but part of it. ‘A pilgrimage to reconnect with life, nature and our surroundings: a pearl’ – one of the voters motivated.”
We can but blush… Thank you to all our supporters!
The prize was awarded by one the board members of the province Josan Meijers and former vice prime minister of the Netherlands Jan Terlouw.
Landscape – differently
The Gelderland Peize die quality of landscape his awarded every two year. This year’s theme – landscape, differently – fitted well with pilgrimage.
Sint Jansbeek: audacious city transformation
The winner of the juryprijs was het stedelijke beeklandschap de Sint Jansbeek, refiguring one of the old streams of Arnhem in the city and thus tranforming the public face.
With joy we donated €150,- for the Dutch conservation trust to maintain the Palland Valley. The valley is kept to demonstrate the original Dutch landschape with braided and wooded hedges. The trust campaigns for funds to restore this landscape. Our pilgrimage passes through the valley and we are glad to help our.
We donate €1,- for each pilgrim to the landschape on our pilgrimage.
https://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WOW_gedicht-frouke-pdf.jpg6801058Damiaan Messinghttps://walkofwisdom.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/walk-of-wisdom-logo-main-156.pngDamiaan Messing2018-06-20 18:04:072018-06-20 18:09:26Short practical guide for the modern pilgrim
Many thanks to our volunteers Stuart Harris and Daniëlle Slootjes who translated our routeguide. After months of work we were able to send the english edtion to the printer. We expect the guides mid June and hope to finish our website english ediiton by then to welcome from abroad!
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Walk of Wisdom
