Just in time for Easter, BBC Two and iPlayer are bringing back the Pilgrimage series. This year, Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps, features seven well-known personalities with different faiths and beliefs tackling a challenging 300km medieval Catholic route through the Austrian and Swiss Alps.
Here’s the Lowdown: The three-part series, airing next month, follows the celebrities as they walk from near Innsbruck, Austria, to near Lake Zurich, Switzerland. The pilgrims include Jay McGuiness (The Wanted), comedian Helen Lederer, The Traitors winner Harry Clark, comedian Daliso Chaponda, presenter Jeff Brazier, Paralympian Stef Reid, and journalist Nelufar Hedayat. Their journey starts in the village of Inzing.
What This Means Now: This is a chance to see a diverse group of celebrities tackle a physically and spiritually demanding journey. Viewers can expect stunning scenery, personal reflections, and likely some interpersonal friction as the group navigates the challenges of the pilgrimage.
The Bigger Picture: Over twelve days, the pilgrims will follow an ancient path, climbing high into the Alps, even reaching the snow line. They’ll stay in guest houses, a convent, and pilgrim hostels. Their final destination is Einsiedeln Abbey, a significant pilgrimage site inspired by St Meinrad, home to a venerated Black Madonna, and inhabited by Benedictine monks. The series will form part of a larger “Faith and Hope Season” on the BBC. The series airs on BBC Two next month.
