Via Eurasia

[Deleted member 76633]

Just pottering around trying to find the best route through Turkey and came across the Via Eurasia. It appears to be an extension of the Via Francigena using the Via Egnatia (hat tip @timr ) and then through Turkey to Demre in the south of Turkey. The sort of official map looks like this.



The interesting point is that the route has the support of EVAF and there was a meeting earlier this year to push forward on the infrastructure.

Anyone know anything else?

 

[timr]

That looks very interesting! And would suit me very well next year.....

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Just pottering around trying to find the best route through Turkey and came across the Via Eurasia. It appears to be an extension of the Via Francigena using the Via Egnatia (hat tip @timr ) and then through Turkey to Demre in the south of Turkey. The sort of official map looks like this.

View attachment 67536

The interesting point is that the route has the support of EVAF and there was a meeting earlier this year to push forward on the infrastructure.

Anyone know anything else?

Hmm...intriguing & another possibility for The List.
What is the significance of Demre as a destination? Or does the trail extend further from there?

 

[stratophile]

My guess is it goes to Demre due to the excellent Myra ruins there (ancient Lycian city). It's a notable stop on the Lycian Way long-distance trail in that region. Demre itself doesn't really have much of interest, other than the Church of Saint Nicholas (yes, the Santa Clause St Nick according to the Turks). The church is a major destination for Russian tourists since good ol' Nick is the patron saint of Russia.

 

[timr]

My guess is it goes to Demre due to the excellent Myra ruins there (ancient Lycian city). It's a notable stop on the Lycian Way long-distance trail in that region. Demre itself doesn't really have much of interest, other than the Church of Saint Nicholas (yes, the Santa Clause St Nick according to the Turks). The church is a major destination for Russian tourists since good ol' Nick is the patron saint of Russia.

Could be busy today then as it is the feast of St Nicholas TODAY (as least in western Christian churches)!!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Looks like one of the variants of the Jerusalem Way.

On the Italian side it should traditionally be Brindisi rather than Bari, except that nowadays there are not that many destinations out of Brindisi ...

As for St Nicholas, his major relics and so the most important church dedicated to him are in Bari, not Demre.

 

[Deleted member 76633]

Doing a bit more digging

Looks like one of the variants of the Jerusalem Way.

I think the modern term is "rebranding".

 

[Deleted member 76633]

It seems "rebranding" was correct. In reply to my question about the VEu, I've had this

Via Eurasia mainly uses existing individual routes and from Istanbul southwards it runs over and also combines the following routes: the Tolerance Way, The Evliya Çelebi Way, The Phrygian Way, the St Paul Trail and the Lycian Way. Each of these has a guidebook and a map, and at the moment we are working on updating the viaeurasia.org website which is ‘work in progress’. We are also working on updating the smart phone app called Trekking in Turkey, which will eventually have most of the individual routes along Via Eurasia.

You haven’t told us when you want to continue your trip but if you won’t start before next spring, then you should be able to use the maps/info on our website and app, which will then be ready more or less.

If you start before then, we have the GPS tracks for nearly all of the route. (1-2 gaps at present).

You can also consider getting the guidebooks/maps of each route on www.trekkinginturkey.com

There is a Turkish NGO called the CultureRoutesSociety which appears to coordinate the development of the different routes and the Via Eurasia "super route". Pilgrimages for whatever religion you belong too, seems to be a growing area that tourist authorities have picked up on.

Hopefully it will lead to more signposting and better accommodation.