Footsteps of Saint Paul
Von Tarsus nach Rom – die Missionsreisen des Apostels
Diese Route folgt den Missionsreisen des Paulus von Tarsus durch die Türkei und Griechenland bis nach Rom und berührt dabei die bedeutendsten Stätten der paulinischen Mission. Über 14 Tage führt der Weg von der Geburtsstadt des Apostels über die Gemeinden Anatoliens, die griechischen Städte und schließlich zu den Basiliken Roms.
Paulus war das größte Missionsgenie des frühen Christentums. Auf drei Missionsreisen legte er tausende Kilometer zurück, gründete Gemeinden in der gesamten griechisch-römischen Welt und schrieb die Briefe, die heute das Fundament der christlichen Theologie bilden.
Beste Reisezeit
April-May and September-October are ideal — Aegean and Mediterranean weather sits at 20-25°C, the Roman shoulder season is manageable, and the great Pauline feasts (Conversion 25 January, Saints Peter and Paul 29 June) fall outside the worst summer heat. Avoid July-August at Ephesus and Rome (35-40°C; the marble at Ephesus reflects sun like a furnace). For maximum effect, time the Rome arrival to the 29 June vigil — fireworks over Saint Peter's Square and a full pontifical Mass at Saint Paul Outside the Walls.
Budgetschätzung
| Category | Budget | Mid-Range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights (Europe origin) | €350 | €600 | €1500 |
| Accommodation per night | €40-60 | €100-150 | €250-400 |
| Food per day | €20-30 | €50-70 | €100+ |
| In-country transport (14 days) | €200 | €450 | €900 |
| Sites, guides and tours | €100 | €250 | €500 |
Packliste
💡 Packliste
- Modest layered clothing — basilica dress code requires shoulders and knees covered
- Comfortable walking shoes (broken in — Ephesus marble destroys new soles)
- Lightweight scarf or shawl for entering Orthodox and Catholic churches
- Refillable 1L water bottle
- Pocket New Testament with Acts and the Pauline epistles
- Universal power adapter (Type C used in Turkey, Greece and Italy)
- Small daypack — large bags refused at the Vatican
- Sun hat and high-SPF sunscreen
- Portable phone charger
- Cash in TRY and EUR (small Turkish sites are cash-only)
- Light rain jacket for spring or autumn
- Travel insurance documents and copies of passport
Empfohlene Lektüre
| Title / Reference | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Acts of the Apostles (NT) | Read the whole Book of Acts before departure. Chapters 13-28 trace Paul's three missionary journeys and his voyage to Rome — the canonical itinerary of this pilgrimage. |
| Paul: A Biography (N. T. Wright) | The most readable and historically literate modern biography of Paul. Wright's mastery of the 1st-century Greco-Roman and Jewish world makes the apostle and his context come alive. |
| In the Steps of Saint Paul (H. V. Morton) | A 1936 travel classic, still in print. Morton walked the route in the 1930s; his observations of the sites and the texts remain unmatched as a pilgrimage companion. |
| Paul: His Life and Teachings (Helmut Koester) | Academic but accessible — strong on Greco-Roman context of each city. Essential for understanding why Paul did what he did in Athens, Corinth and Ephesus specifically. |
Frequently asked questions
Empfohlene Route
A 14-day standard itinerary: Day 1-2 Tarsus and Adana; Day 3 Antakya (verify current advisory); Day 4-6 Ephesus and Selcuk; Day 7-8 Athens; Day 9 Corinth; Day 10-11 Thessaloniki; Day 12 fly to Rome; Day 13-14 the Four Papal Basilicas, the catacombs, and the Tomb of Saint Paul at Saint Paul Outside the Walls.
Stationen dieser Route
Tarsus
Birthplace of Saint Paul the Apostle
Tarsus, in ancient Cilicia, was the birthplace of Saul of Tarsus - Paul the Apostle, Roman citizen, tribe of Benjamin (Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5). It was a major Hellenistic city, home of one of the leading philosophical schools of the Roman world, and Paul returned here several times across his life (Acts 9:30, 11:25, 21:39).
Antakya / Antioch
Where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26)
Antioch on the Orontes - modern Antakya - is the place where, according to Acts 11:26, 'the disciples were first called Christians.' From here Paul and Barnabas were commissioned for the first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3); here Paul publicly rebuked Peter over the inclusion of Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-14); and here the first major Gentile Christian community took shape after the Hellenist refugees of Acts 11:19-20.
Ephesus
House of the Virgin Mary, Basilica of St John and the First Church of Revelation
Paul lived and preached at Ephesus from 53-56 AD (Acts 18-20), wrote Ephesians from prison, and the city is Church number one of the Seven Churches (Revelation 2:1-7). The Apostle John brought Mary here according to a tradition rooted in John 19:26-27.
Athens
Paul on the Areopagus and the Byzantine heart of Greece
Athens is where Paul reasoned daily in the Agora and was invited up onto the Areopagus to address the philosophers (Acts 17:16-34). His speech, quoting the Greek poets Aratus and Epimenides, is one of the great early Christian engagements with classical thought. The recorded converts were Dionysius the Areopagite (later venerated as the first Bishop of Athens) and Damaris.
Corinth
The Bema where Paul stood before Gallio
Corinth was Paul's home base for 18 months around AD 50-52, living and working with Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1-18). He wrote 1 and 2 Corinthians; Romans was dispatched from Corinth on a later visit. The Apostle was brought before the proconsul Gallio at the Bema (judgment seat) - and Gallio's proconsulship is precisely dated by the Delphi inscription to 51-52 AD, providing the firmest chronological anchor in the whole New Testament.
Thessaloniki
Paul's first European church and the city of Saint Demetrios
Thessaloniki was Paul's first major stop after Philippi on his second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9). 1 and 2 Thessalonians, written from Corinth around AD 50-51, are the earliest surviving documents of the New Testament. The Thessalonian congregation receives Paul's first written words on the Second Coming.
Rome
The See of Peter and the four Papal Basilicas
Rome is the See of Peter. Saints Peter and Paul were martyred here around 64-67 AD - Peter crucified upside down on the Vatican Hill, Paul beheaded at Tre Fontane on the Ostian Way. Their tombs lie beneath Saint Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls respectively.
Biblischer Bogen
- Acts 9:1-31 - Conversion and call
- Acts 13 - First missionary journey from Antioch
- Acts 14 - Lystra, Iconium, Derbe
- Acts 15:35-41 - Paul and Barnabas part ways
- Acts 16-18 - Second journey: Macedonia, Greece, Corinth
- Acts 19-20 - Third journey: Ephesus
- Acts 27-28 - Voyage to Rome, shipwreck, Malta, Rome