8,500 Kilometers for Hope: The International Peace Pilgrimage “Peacewalk 2026” Reaches Austria
From Spain to Jerusalem: This summer, Austria will become the hub of a global solidarity movement. Starting in late June, hundreds of people will hike across Austria to send a powerful message of dialogue and reconciliation amid global crises. The project is also led by people affected by the Middle East conflict.
An international peace pilgrimage from Spain to Jerusalem will also make a stop in Austria this summer. / Picture: © Vindobona.org
It is an ambitious undertaking in times of deep geopolitical divisions: an 8,500-kilometer-long peace trail—known as the “Jerusalem Trail”—stretching from Finisterre in northwestern Spain to Jerusalem. From June 25 to August 13, 2026, the heart of this mammoth project will beat in Austria. Over a distance of about 850 kilometers, the initiative combines athletic excellence with civil society peace work.
A rolling festival and a “school of peace”
The organizers emphasize that this is not a purely political demonstration, but rather an invitation to practice peace in concrete, everyday interactions. More than 1,000 participants from 19 different nations have already registered for individual sections or the entire Austrian route.
The “red-white-red” stage is coordinated by the Vienna-based Civil Action Network (CAN), an organization dedicated to strengthening civil society. A packed program of events awaits the hikers along the way: in addition to the daily walks averaging about 20 kilometers, the schedule includes film screenings, panel discussions, and workshops.
The Route Through Austria (June 25 – August 13)
The official kickoff on Austrian soil will take place in Vorarlberg. On June 25, as the procession crosses the border from Switzerland near Meiningen, a pilgrim’s staff will be handed over to the Austrian group in a joint ritual, accompanied by international songs of peace. The pilgrimage will then proceed eastward in scheduled stages:
- July 4–6: Innsbruck
- July 14–16: Salzburg
- July 24–27: Linz and the Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial
- August 6–9: Vienna (followed by a continuation of the march to the Hungarian border)
Even before the official start, regional segments will take place in Upper Austria, such as the march from Laussa to St. Ulrich near Steyr in early June, as well as other planned marches on June 20 (from Gleink Abbey to St. Florian Abbey) and on June 27 (from Asten via Mauthausen to Enns).
Pain as a Bridge: Prominent Figures from Israel and Palestine
The initiative’s participants are receiving particular media and public attention. The overall project was initiated by Dutch theologian Rikko Voorberg, with support from prominent figures such as South African peace activist Mpho Tutu and former UN diplomat Jan Pronk.
However, two individuals embody the march’s core message with particular poignancy: the Israeli Maoz Inon and the Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah. Both have lost close relatives in the long-standing conflict—Inon lost his parents in the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and Abu Sarah lost his brother as a result of military detention. Instead of seeking retribution, the two entrepreneurs and activists are committed to radical reconciliation. They recently published their joint book, “The Future Is Peace,” in which they describe how hope is not a state one finds, but one that must be created together.
“We do not see ourselves as Palestinians and Israelis, or as Jews and Arabs, but as human beings who believe in a culture of dialogue, forgiveness, and peace,” say Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon.
Remembrance and Fundraising for Change
A central highlight of the Austrian leg of the journey is the peace dialogues at the former concentration camp memorial sites in Mauthausen and Melk, aimed at bridging the gap between historical responsibility and the present.
In addition, the Peacewalk serves as a fundraising campaign. The funds raised will go into a specially established “Peace Fund” as well as directly to renowned, cross-border peace initiatives in the Middle East, including Women Wage Peace, Combatants for Peace, and the Parents Circle.
The major milestone of Jerusalem is finally set to be reached in May 2027, after crossing Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Until then, the Austrian participants will be guided by the Civil Action Network’s motto: Every step counts.