Path of Piece

A new, historical long distance hiking trail from Vienna to Istanbul

The Sultan’s Trail is an ancient Roman – Ottoman  road from Vienna to Istanbul symbolizing ages of relations between East and West. The path owes its name to Süleyman Kanuni, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who made the trip from Istanbul to Vienna for the first time in 1529, and then again in 1532, both times famously failing to penetrate the city of Vienna. He finally died on this very road in 1566, during his last field trip to Szigetvar. Part of his body was buried there. Recognizing the Ottoman leader’s role in connecting East and West, the Sultan’s Trail is an homage to the great sultan Süleyman.  

Almost 500 years later, the Sultan’s Trail has gained renewed relevance as an important link between East and West, in the light of the European Union’s recent and future eastward expansion. It directly connects Member States with candidate states, building on ages of cross-fertilization and a shared cultural heritage dating back to the old Ottoman days. Unlike then, the Sultan’s Trail nowadays constitutes a path of peace, a meeting place for people of all faiths and cultures. The trail starts at the Stephan’s Dom in the centre of Vienna. The clocks of this church are made of the remelted Ottoman canons. The path passes through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria and ends at the tomb of the Sultan, behind the Süleymaniye mosque, in Istanbul.



In addition to its historical and symbolic significance, the Sultan’s Trail also holds great economic potential. Often passing through secluded, rural areas, the exploitation of the path can contribute greatly to the opening up of such underdeveloped regions through the direct support of the host communities. The Sultan’s Trail Foundation builds on interregional and transnational cooperation in its aim to boost the development of the touristic sectors of the host countries. The emphasis herein will be on stimulating job creation combined with a limited impact on the local environment and culture. Since walking is the most natural form of moving over the planet, the Sultan’s Trail provides an opportunity par excellence for the development sustainable tourism.

While the Sultan’s Trail partly uses existing European long distance paths, including parts of the E8 and the Danube cycling path, other parts of the trail still have to be developed. The recently established NGO Sultan’s Trail Foundation, based in the Netherlands, has taken the lead in this, setting out the path and developing a network of accommodations along the route, in private houses, lodges and hotels.

Numerous experienced long distance hikers have already explored parts of the Sultan’s Trail between 2009 and 2012. They share the same opinion: "It was sometimes pioneering but the experience was full of authenticity. The many natural and historical highlights, the varied landscape and the hospitality of the local people contributed greatly to this experience."



For more information about the Sultan's Trail, see: www.sultanstrail.com 



 

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