"The Way of Saint James" has existed for over a thousand years, and it was one of the most important pilgrimages during medievil times. It was thought to be one of three pilgrimages where all your sins could be forgiven. Legends say that St. James remains are buried there. During the middle-ages it was a highly traveled route. Up until the 1980's, only a few pilgrims showed up to Santiago annually. But, since then, the passage has attracted a increasing number of pilgrims from around the world. The route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in Oct. 1987. Today, there are routes you can take traveling on the same passage the midievil pilgrims used. The El Camino de Santiago is in Europe and is still widely used for pilgrims. American students might want to visit it to see exactly what the pilgrims had to walk, and how strenuous it could be. They might want to do it for religious or cultural reasons, or maybe just to see what it's like.