The Camino Podolico, Ukraine’s Podolian Way of St. James, has wrapped up the 2025 season with a genuine tourism boom. The long-distance route, which stretches across the Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi regions, has not only grown in popularity but also begun to attract a more diverse community of travellers from both Ukraine and abroad.
One of the clearest indicators of this rise is the number of completion certificates issued to those who finish the full route. In 2025, organisers recorded 568 certificates, a sharp increase of 267 compared to the previous year. Even more telling is the number of pilgrim passports distributed at the start of the journey. This season, 662 pilgrims received them, nearly double the 324 issued in 2024. For organisers, this rapid growth shows how quickly awareness of the route is spreading.
The collected data paints a detailed portrait of this year’s hikers. Women made up the majority with 371 participants, compared to 197 men. The trail proved especially popular with younger travellers: the largest group was aged 21 to 30, accounting for nearly 39 percent of all pilgrims, followed by the 31 to 40 group at 27 percent. Altogether, those between 21 and 40 years old represented almost two thirds of all participants, underscoring the route’s appeal to a new generation of hikers.
Most people completed the route on foot, although cycling also gained traction. About one in seven pilgrims – roughly 14 percent – crossed Camino Podolico by bike, demonstrating the route’s versatility for various types of active travellers.
Kyiv region residents formed the largest share of pilgrims, with 245 participants, almost 43 percent of the total. They were followed by travellers from Lviv region, Vinnytsia, Dnipro and Odesa. Notably, 31 pilgrims came from front-line regions including Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk, a testament to the resilience of domestic tourism even amid ongoing challenges.
Interest from abroad also grew, with four international pilgrims completing the route this year, arriving from Canada, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Organisers remind travellers that the official Camino Podolico season runs from 25 April to 25 October. During this window, they can guarantee accommodation options and ensure that pilgrim passports can be stamped along the way. Those wishing to complete the route outside the official season are welcome to do so but are encouraged to contact all overnight points, cafés and museums in advance to confirm operating hours. All relevant contacts are available on the official website caminopodolico.net in the Route section.
As the 2025 season statistics show, Camino Podolico is quickly becoming one of Ukraine’s most dynamic long-distance trails, driven by the energy of young hikers, growing national interest and the allure of exploring Podillia’s landscapes step by step.
