In grandpa's footsteps - Stefan Fecke's special cycling pilgrimage to Rome

A good 1,500 kilometres lie between Paderborn and Rome. Over the past four years, Catholic Stefan Fecke has travelled this long distance in four stages as a pilgrim by bike. However, he was not the first person to take on this arduous journey: Exactly 100 years before Stefan Fecke, his grandfather Albert Fecke had also made the pilgrimage from Paderborn to Rome by bike, so his grandson was effectively following in his footsteps. In this interview, Stefan Fecke talks about his grandfather's pilgrimage in 1925, the reasons for his own journey to Rome and his experiences along the way.

Question: Mr Fecke, your grandfather made a pilgrimage to Rome by bike from his home in East Westphalia in 1925. Now, 100 years later, you have also travelled the same route by bike. What motivated you to do this?

Fecke: First and foremost, of course, my grandad himself. He died 40 years ago, but my memories of him are still very vivid today. I always had a very close relationship with my grandad - I was a real "grandad's kid", so to speak. As a little boy, I spent a lot of time with him and always loved it when he told me stories from the past. I don't remember whether he told me about his trip to Rome back then. But I found his handwritten report about the trip after my grandma died in 1989 at the latest.

Question: As you say, your grandad left behind a detailed account of his pilgrimage. How exactly did you find it?

Fecke: When my grandma passed away, we were breaking up my grandparents' household and naturally looked to see what mementos we wanted to keep. If I remember correctly, the travelogue fell into my hands. It was immediately clear to me that I wanted to keep it - even though it was written in Sütterlin and I couldn't easily read it. A few years later - I think in the early 2000s - I gradually typed up the report and read it at my leisure. My grandad's descriptions quickly captivated me and awakened in me the desire to cycle his journey.

Question: But it took a few more years before you actually set off. Why?

Fecke: I think the decision to really set off had to mature first. And of course I also had to reconcile the trip with my work and my family's holiday plans. In the end, the 100th anniversary of my grandfather's journey and the fact that 2025 is a Holy Year, just like 1925, certainly played a role.

Question: Can you tell us a bit about what is in your grandad's travelogue?

Fecke: The report is very nice to read because my grandad doesn't just list dry facts, but vividly describes everything he and his friend, with whom he travelled, experienced. Among other things, he writes about the landscapes and cities they travelled through - he was obviously particularly fascinated by Venice and the Grand Canal. He also tells us where they spent the night en route: up to South Tyrol, they mostly stayed in Kolping houses because my grandad was a journeyman and a Kolping son himself, as it was called back then. Later, they sometimes camped out in the open or spent the night in hay barns. The report is full of little stories: Once, for example, a winegrower invited them to his home, where they drank wine and helped the winegrower's daughter with her schoolwork.

Question: And what does your grandad write about Rome?

Fecke: He was obviously particularly impressed by St Peter's Basilica. Among other things, he describes how they went into the church and the effect the interior had on them. And how many steps it takes to walk round one of the pillars of the dome. His writing style is often very vivid; you can tell that my grandad had an artistic streak. That makes the report really worth reading.

Question: Do you know why your grandad travelled to Rome in the first place? Under the conditions of the time, the journey must have been quite an ordeal.

Fecke: The Holy Year certainly played an important role. My grandfather was a devout believer, deeply rooted in the church and later also active in our parish. According to his report, the trip to Rome was actually a pilgrimage for him. For example, he also describes how he recited the profession of faith at the tomb of St Peter the Apostle - this was obviously important to him. His life situation at the time was certainly also important: he was in his mid-20s, not yet married and, as a journeyman, was probably also affected by the economic problems of the time. So perhaps it was just the right time for him to set out on his journey.

Question: How long was your grandad's journey back then?

Fecke: I counted 53 days in his report for the entire journey - that is, for the outward and return journeys. So they travelled pretty quickly - and that was in the middle of a hot summer, even though they stayed in Rome for six days alone and made repeated stops along the way. This was an extraordinary achievement, especially given the conditions at the time.

Question: You yourself travelled longer - four years in total, because you completed the journey in four stages. Why did you do that?

Fecke: Mainly for practical reasons. If I had wanted to do the journey in one go, I would have had to take six to eight weeks off work - that would hardly have been feasible, especially professionally. However, I was able to combine the individual stages with normal holidays, during which my wife usually accompanied me and we saw a few things along the way. Of course, a pilgrimage is not a classic relaxing holiday - nevertheless, the journey should not only be a physical challenge, but also a holiday.

Question: How much was your grandad present for you on the journey? Were there any moments when you felt particularly close to him?

Fecke: It was particularly intense right at the beginning of the first stage, when I set off from home alone. I already had the feeling that I was close to him - even though I was travelling on an e-bike and today's roads are of course very different to those in his time. On the way, I kept visiting places where he had also been - for example churches where I attended church services like him. I also visited the Kolping houses where he stayed back then - as far as they still existed. That was sometimes a very personal search for traces.

Question: As you say, you were travelling on an e-bike on mostly well-maintained cycle paths and roads. Nevertheless, your journey was certainly no walk in the park. What were the biggest challenges?

Fecke: The train journeys to and from the individual stages were particularly challenging. It was sometimes difficult to get a place for the bike on the desired trains and to get to the respective destination as planned - especially when travelling with Deutsche Bahn. My wife and I therefore travelled to the starting point of the last stage by camper van. But I was lucky with my bike: apart from a few worn brake pads, I didn't have any major breakdowns on the way.

Question: And what special spiritual experiences did you have along the way?

Fecke: The church services I attended along the way were particularly impressive. For example in Marburg, where there happened to be a service for pilgrims. Although it was mainly pilgrims who were travelling along the Elisabeth Way, I still felt addressed. And of course, a particular highlight was arriving in Rome - on the day of Pope Leo XIV's inauguration, of all days.

Question: It was pure coincidence that you arrived in Rome on that very day, wasn't it? After all, you had probably planned your trip long before the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.

Fecke: Yes, it was actually pure coincidence. When I planned the last leg of the journey, Francis was already in poor health, but his death was not expected at that time. After he died on Easter Monday, I naturally followed the events in the Vatican very closely. I realised relatively quickly that I wouldn't make it to Rome in time for the conclave - but arriving on the day of the inauguration was a realistic goal, which I actually achieved. We arrived at a campsite just outside Rome the evening before and then drove straight into the city the next morning.

Question: On a normal day, you would certainly have been able to ride your bike all the way to St Peter's Square. But that probably wasn't possible on this particular day, was it?

Fecke: No, I had to park the bike outside the designated security zones. My wife and I then joined one of the many streams of pilgrims on foot, and we even got very close to the route that Pope Leo later travelled along in the Popemobile.

Question: The crowning finale of your pilgrimage. What impression did Leo XIV make on you as he drove past and during the inauguration?

Fecke: He seemed open and friendly. You could sense that he was particularly moved by the moment when the fisherman's ring was placed on his finger. My first impression of him was entirely positive.

Question: Did the pilgrimage change your view of your faith or the church?

Fecke: No, not fundamentally. But of course a journey like this always does something to you. Over the next few weeks, I want to start sorting through the photos from the trip and then create a photo book. That will certainly be a good opportunity to look back on the whole trip in peace and quiet.

Question: The trip to Rome was your first real pilgrimage. After this experience, can you imagine tackling the next trip of this kind soon?

Fecke: Definitely. I don't have any concrete plans yet, but I do have a few ideas. For example, I could imagine cycling back home from Rome at some point - and then actually doing it in one go. A friend of mine and my wife has also walked the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela. I could imagine doing that too.

Question: What do you think: will there be another Fecke in 100 years' time who will cycle to Rome - not only in your grandfather's footsteps, but also in yours?

Fecke: I wouldn't dare make a prediction. I would be delighted, of course, but I won't live to see it anyway (laughs).