One of the extremely strong factors for which the inhabitants of the countries of Central Europe are culturally and mentally so close to each other is the rich common history as well as the common historical background of experiencing religiosity. Common features of experiencing religiosity can already be found in ancient historical contexts – that is, from the 9th century. It is the time of the arrival of St. Cyril and Methodius to our territories. These holy Thessalonica brothers brought writing, education, culture and, above all, Christianity to our nations.
For Central Europeans, the culture of pilgrimage and wandering is still very close today. Through pilgrimages, national and Christian identity is strengthened, togetherness and communities are built, and the original culture of each country is built. In many places, pilgrimages are still accompanied by a rich cultural program, folk music or period clothing of the pilgrims.
Although during the recent communist regime, which lasted up to 40 years, expressions of any kind of piety were brutally suppressed, pilgrimages and pilgrimages did not disappear. They transformed into other conditions: people traveled in small groups. People went to the national shrines en masse – despite the threat of reprisals from the communist regime. Pilgrimages even became a symbol of resistance to the regime (e.g. the memorial pilgrimage to Velehrad in 1985, which for Slovaks and Czechs heralded the fall of the then regime).
The project is the result of cooperation between Central European universities and travel enthusiasts.
