Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage
Who was Hildegard of Bingen?
And why are folks still intrigued by her life over 800 years after she passed away?
Mystic. Musician. Doctor. These are just a few of the descriptors used for Hildegard of Bingen, a medieval saint and gifted woman (1098-1179), who’s impact on theology, music, botany, and medicine is still felt today. Join us for a guided experience on the Hildegard of Bingen pilgrimage to the Rhine Valley June 7-17 2026. This 70 mile route will be broken up into six days of walking, through places of significance in the life of Hildegard. The trip will conclude with an overnight stay in St. Hildegard’s Abbey (space pending). Participants will meet and prepare together online in the months leading up to their pilgrimage, with an approach that integrates the practical and spiritual considerations of such an experience.
Let Hildegard come to life by discovering her writings, compositions, and ideas as you walk in and through the very places she walked.
Trip Dates: June 7-17, 2026
Cost: $2,400 double occupancy; $2,700 single occupancy*
Application Deadline: October 1, 2025
See below for more details.
*Credit card transactions will incur a 3.5% fee
Trip Details
Arrival
Pilgrims will likely fly into Frankfurt and take the train to Kirn, Germany to arrive for the afternoon of June 7, 2026. Pilgrims should arrive into Germany no later than one day before the trip begins to allow ample time to make the ground journey to Kirn.
Departure
The pilgrimage ends in Rudesheim, Germany on June 17, 2026. Pilgrims should either make travel arrangements to depart from there or continue their travels.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Kirn
Day 2 Visit Neiderhosenbach, likely birthplace of Hildegard, via bus; optional walk to Kirn (10km/6.2mi)
Day 3 Walk from Kirn to Monzingen (18.5 km/11.5 mi)
Day 4 Walk from Monzingen to Disibodenberg; (13.6 km/8.5 mi)
Day 5 Walk from Disibodenberg to Schloßböckelheim (15.5 km/9.6 mi)
Day 6 Walk from Schloßböckelheim to Braunweiler (15.9 km/9.9 mi)
Day 7 Walk from Braunweiler to Stromberg (19.3 km/12 mi)
Day 8 Walk from Stromberg to Bingen am Rhein (19.5 km/12.1 mi)
Day 9 Explore Bingen; walk from Bingen to Rüdesheim am Rhein
Day 10 Explore Rüdesheim am Rhein & Hildegard Abbey
Day 11 Depart Rudesheim
Trail Conditions
We will be walking 8-12 miles per day for six consecutive days, in addition to two days of shorter walks of 4-8 miles. The route includes steep inclines and declines each day for some duration. We will begin walking between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. Pilgrims are not expected to walk as a group for each day’s journey, and encouraged to find the pace that works best for their bodies. Generally, pilgrims will arrive in the next lodging location before or around 4:00 PM (including a lunch stop).
Cost
The cost for this experience includes hotels (with private bathrooms), breakfast for the entire experience, lunch on walking days, luggage transfers, and entrance to the Museum am Strom. It also includes orientation meetings prior to the experience, and guidance throughout the trip by pilgrimage guide, Jen Manglos. All pilgrims will receive a copy of Jen’s book, “The Way Back: Reflections, Practices & Rituals to Help You Bring Home the Wisdom of Your Pilgrimage”, and meet for a final debrief after the trip.
Additional Details
Group orientation meetings will begin in Winter 2026, meeting 4-5 times before the trip and once afterwards. These 90 minute sessions will provide important logistical information on the trip, as well as a space to begin to prepare for both the practical and spiritual aspects of pilgrimage, and begin to connect as a group. In our group times we will also begin to learn about the life and ministry of Hildegard of Bingen.