Camino Podolico / St. James Way of Podillya
This is the first cultural, educational, and pilgrimage route in Ukraine, from Vinnytsia to Kamianets-Podilskyi through Bar, modeled after the St. James Ways that cross all of Europe and lead to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
Camino Podolico has been a member of the European Federation of St. James Way since June 2023 and has held the official status of a part of the European Cultural Route of the Council of Europe “Pilgrim Routes to Santiago de Compostela” / Camino de Santiago since May 2024, following the successful completion of the Council of Europe’s certification cycle.
More than 250 km on foot or by bike
Camino Podolico promotes the sacred, historical, and gastronomic heritage of the Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi regions, passing through the most picturesque landscapes of Eastern Podillya. In its first part, travelers walk or cycle along the banks of the South Buh and Riv rivers, while in the second part, they approach the Podilski Tovtry hills. Today, the route connects 14 points from Vinnytsia to Kamianets-Podilskyi, continuing to Panivtsi, where the only active church of St. James in Podillya is located.
The route currently connects 14 points in Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi regions. The route is more than 250 km long and can be completed in 14-16 days on foot or by bicycle with the necessary infrastructure for meals and overnight stays every 20-30 kilometers. An electronic track of the route, which is constantly being improved, is available on the route’s website. In addition, everyone who completes the route on foot or by bicycle receives a passport for marking at the beginning of the route and a certificate of completion at the end of it.
More than 1000 pilgrims in the first two years
The Camino Podolico route was launched in a pilot mode in 2021 with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation. However, due to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the official season began only in April 2024. That year, 301 travelers completed the route, and in the following 2025 season, the number increased to 568 (based on the number of certificates issued confirming completion of either the Vinnytsia – Bar section or the entire route to Kamianets-Podilskyi). Over the two years, a total of 1,000 pilgrim passports for collecting stamps were issued.
When should you walk the Ukrainian Camino?
The official Camino Podolico season runs from April 25 to October 25. During this period, the route coordinators can guarantee the availability of accommodation and stamping points. After October 25, the Camino Podolico can still be traveled, but it is recommended to contact all points along the route in advance to confirm whether they are open during that time.
All the necessary information about the route and how to prepare for it, as well as details about the most interesting places to visit in the communities along the way, and where to eat and stay overnight, can be found on the project’s website – caminopodolico.net – and on its social media pages: Facebook and Instagram.
Plan your journey too! And to make it even more exciting, we recommend exploring the Camino Podolico Gastronomic Catalogue, which features recipes for unique dishes you can taste along the route. Among them are white borscht prepared in Maliivtsi, Voroshylivka tripes made from young calf stomach in the Hnivan community, cabbage rolls with pork ribs from the times of Queen Bona in the Bar community, pickled cucumber stew in Brailiv, and many other fascinating dishes of the local Podillya cuisine.
You can download the publication in electronic format at this link.