Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain


World Heritage Identification Number: 669

World Heritage since: 1993

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇪🇸 Spain

Continent: Europe

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

Map

Exploring the Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain

The Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain is a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the beautiful country of Spain. Inscribed in 1993, this extensive network of pilgrimage routes stretches nearly 1,500 kilometers across northern Spain, serving as an extension of the original Route of Santiago de Compostela. The designation was further expanded and renamed in 2015 to reflect the inclusion of additional routes.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

A network of four Christian pilgrimage routes in northern Spain, the site is an extension of the Route of Santiago de Compostela, a serial site inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The extension represents a network of almost 1,500 km: coastal, interior of the Basque Country–La Rioja, Liébana and primitive routes. It includes a built heritage of historical importance created to meet the needs of pilgrims, including cathedrals, churches, hospitals, hostels and even bridges. The extension encompasses some of the earliest pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, following the discovery in the 9thcentury of a tomb believed to be that of St. James the Greater.

Encyclopedia Record: Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain

The Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Spain. It was designated in 1993, and later expanded and renamed in 2015. The complete site includes a network of five traditional pilgrimage routes of the Way of Saint James as it passes through Northern Spain: the popular French Way, the Primitive Way, the Northern or Coastal Way, the Interior Way and the Liébana Route; as well as 16 of the most "culturally significant" individual structures, including religious and civil buildings.

Read more on Wikipedia

Additional Site Details

Area: Not available

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions

Coordinates: 43.335 , -6.4147222222

Image

Image of Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain

© José Antonio Gil Martínez from Vigo, Spain, CC BY 2.0 Resized from original.

About World Heritage Explorer

World Heritage Explorer is an independent educational project designed to uncover and share the richness of our world’s cultural and natural heritage. Dive into detailed site profiles, immersive imagery, interactive maps, and tools that help you explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the globe. Drawing extensively on open data sources, the project delivers authoritative, well-structured information for learners, educators, travelers, and younger explorers alike.

Learn more

Nearby World Heritage Sites

Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias
46 km — Spain
Roman Walls of Lugo
99 km — Spain
Las Médulas
101 km — Spain
Tower of Hercules
161 km — Spain
Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)
180 km — Spain

Country Information: Spain

Flag of Spain

Official Name: Kingdom of Spain

Capital: Madrid

Continent: Europe

Population (2024): 48,807,137

Population (2023): 48,347,910

Population (2022): 47,786,102

Land Area: 499,730 sq km

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

Open Data for an Open World