A TASTE of outdoor Spain is coming to Reading’s Broad Street this month with the ‘Walk the Spanish Way / Primavera no Camino’ Fair.
The ‘Walk the Spanish Way’ Fair will bring the experience of walking the Camino Inglés to Santiago and its continuation to Fisterra-Muxia closer to a UK audience.
Reading residents are invited to ‘Walk the Spanish Way’ to find out how to walk the Camino in Spain or the St James’ Way from Reading.
They can also enjoy live performances of traditional Galician music, and experience a taste of the region of Spain.
Throughout the day, visitors will be able to take part in a Galician cultural and tourism experience, with exhibition spaces dedicated to the different Camino routes.
There will also be screenings of audiovisual content about Galicia and its walking routes, as well as food samples from the region.
There will be a chance to talk to representatives from the Camino Inglés, the English camino route, which links A Coruña and Ferrol with Santiago de Compostela, as well as representatives of the Camino Fisterra-Muxia.
The route starts in Santiago and covers 115km to the Spanish coast on the Costa da Morte, as originally walked by medieval pilgrims, and which dates back possibly as early as the 1150s.
It later became better established during the Hundred Years War in the late 1300s.
In modern times, more than 20,000 people complete the route–more than 50% of whom are generally Spanish.
Reading has been linked to northwest Spain since medieval times; Reading Abbey was an important pilgrimage site from the 12th century, with pilgrims coming to see the Hand of St James and other religious relics held at the Abbey.
Devout pilgrims would then continue their pilgrimage south to the English coast, before crossing to Spain to the final holy destination of Santiago.
The modern-day St James’ Way recreates this historic pilgrim route from Reading to Southampton and is an accredited part of the Camino de Santiago.
Last year saw the unveiling of a milestone marker on the St James’ Way in Reading.
The marker, a gift from Galicia and known as a “mouteira,” is part of deepening tourism and economic relationships between the two destinations.
The milestone marker marks the official start of the St James’ Way in Reading.
With Reading becoming part of the route’s extension last year, the Finchale Camino Inglés now reaches as far as Hull.
The event is brought to Reading by the Provincial Council of A Coruña, in collaboration with Turismo de Galicia, the Spanish Embassy in London, with the support of Reading’s Economic and Destination Agency.
It is also in association with the municipalities of the Camino Inglés and the Camino Fisterra-Muxía, and the Confraternity of Saint James.
REDA are also supporting the development of the St James’ Way in the UK as a major tourism project.
Alex Brannen of REDA, said: “With an ever-growing interest in outdoor and walking tourism, Reading is indeed fortunate to be linked to the most famous pilgrimage route in the world.
“As part of our work to promote the St James’ Way walking route here, REDA is delighted that our sister destination at the end point of the walk is coming to Reading to share the experience of travelling in Galicia.
“This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in walking one of the famous Spanish caminos, visiting Galicia or walking the St James’ Way here in the UK, to find out more and get inspired for their next holiday.”
The Walk The Spanish Way Fair comes to Broad Street on Saturday, April 25.
