This Collection reveals the Via Postumia – a long-distance route through idyllic natural landscapes and spectacular cities in northern Italy where history abounds. The route is part of a project that links the capital of Hungary, Budapest, to the city of Santiago de Compostela, in the north-west of Spain.

The Via Postumia is an ancient Roman road that was commissioned in 148 BC to connect the two most important ports of Cisalpine Gaul, a historical region of northern Italy. While it was built for military purposes, the Via Postumia soon became an important trading route between the Adriatic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Today, the Via Postumia trail is part of a project to connect Budapest and Santiago over more than 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) of route and a solid network of hospitality. Each step is a journey through European history, passing through territories that were once the scene of clashes between municipalities and lordships.

The Via Postumia can be travelled on foot, by bike – check out the bike Collection here komoot.com/collection/2160933 – or on horseback. The unique route takes you across plains, beside rivers, over hills and into the Apennines mountain range. From the beautiful Friuli Venezia Giulia region to the more mountainous Liguria region, the route reveals the splendour of the cities, palaces and villas of the Veneto region, the Po Valley and the hills of Oltrepò.

Along the way, you can admire fascinating towns, mediaeval castles, and Palladian wonders that testify to the rich history of the area. These areas of northern Italy were travelled by millions of pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, Rome and Jerusalem. The Via Postumia became a fundamental pilgrimage route from the Middle Ages onwards, as demonstrated by the number of churches dedicated to St James and St Roch.

You can undertake this route year-round but the best periods are autumn and spring. The stretch from Piacenza is enchanting in autumn due to the changing colours of the vineyards. Winter is possible if you don’t mind morning mists, a few days of rain and colder weather. In summer, I recommend shortening some stages, especially those in the Friuli and Veneto regions.

The Via Postumia is waymarked with hand-drawn yellow arrows, blue stickers with yellow arrows, wooden posts or even plastic arrows. With accommodation and hospitality roughly every 10 kilometres (6 mi), logistics are fairly straightforward. That said, you should plan the stages carefully and book accommodation in advance. You can view accommodation options here shorturl.at/jmFS5 (in Italian).

The Pilgrim's Passport helps to keep the tradition of the Way alive and you’ll need it to access conventions in accommodation facilities and to affix the stamps of passage in the various areas of the Via Postumia. For further information and constant updates on the route, visit the official Via Postumia page at viapostumia.eu.

Resupplying en route is fairly easy; you’ll find drinking fountains and bars in every town you encounter. Plus, crossing Italy from east to west means you’re treated to an incredible variety of culinary traditions.

The route is connected by public transport. You can reach the starting point, Aquileia, by train at the Cervignano-Aquileia-Grado railway station and continue by public transport (SAF or APT bus service) to Aquileia and get off at Aquileia Centro. For the return journey from Genoa, the route ends at the Principe railway station.

The eight Tours in this Collection are long routes designed for you to edit into your own itinerary. For each Tour presented, following Andrea's recommendations (the official route planner and the first promoter of the route), I also outline the suggested stages, for 42 routes over 940 kilometres (584 mi), which you can think about combining if you have a faster pace or breaking up further if you want to travel at a leisurely pace.

I hope you enjoy the Via Postumia on foot.