Via Querinissima – a cultural route that unites Europe

Cultural Routes is a programme of the Council of Europe, launched in 1987 when Santiago de Compostela became the first certified route. Today, there are more than 40 certified routes in Europe, seven of which pass through Sweden. Certification is renewed every three years and is a seal of quality. The routes are linked by history, geography or theme. The aim is to highlight common cultural heritage, strengthen local cultural life, promote intercultural dialogue and sustainable cultural tourism. In May 2026, Via Querinissima was certified by the Council of Europe as a European Cultural Route.

Via Querinissima is not a walking route in the traditional sense. Rather, the route is formed by the participating regions, all of which lie along the path travelled by Pietro Querini.

Via Querinissima – from myth to history

The starting point of the Cultural Route is the dramatic journey of the merchant Pietro Querini in 1431. After a shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of northern Norway, he returned to Venice after a long time, a journey that took him through present-day Västra Götaland. According to his travel diaries, he passed through Lödöse, the gateway to the continent at the time and the site of early Gothenburg. Querini’s story is highlighted through the programme activities at Lödöse Museum.

Västra Götaland has 1,000 kilometres of pilgrimage routes. With Lödöse, Skara and Varnhem as central destinations, Via Querinissima can become a valuable addition and be linked to the certified route in the footsteps of St Olav.

Pietro Querini – a cultural bridge between North and South 

In 1431, the Venetian merchant and nobleman Pietro Querini leaves Crete with 68 crew members. They are on their way to Flanders, one of Europe’s most important trading regions. On board they carry a precious cargo: Malvasia, an exclusive fortified sweet wine.

After just a few weeks, they are caught in a terrible storm that strikes with full force. Masts break, sails are torn apart, and the ship loses its ability to sail. After drifting at sea for several weeks, the men end up on the deserted island of Sandøya in the North Atlantic. By then, most of the crew have died of starvation and cold. Just as all hope seems lost, Querini and ten other survivors are rescued by a fisherman and his son from the northern Norwegian island of Røst.

It is winter and resources are scarce. Despite this, they are received with great hospitality in the small, remote fishing village. Here, the men recover and regain their health. The encounter between Venetian Renaissance culture and northern Norwegian coastal traditions is an early and remarkable example of intercultural exchange on the periphery of Europe. Three months later, Querini and the surviving crew begin their journey home. Packed among their belongings is stockfish, the dried fish that forms the basis of the local economy and way of life. This marks the beginning of its spread into Venetian, and later southern European, food culture.

Querini’s journey south takes him through Trondheim, Vadstena and the Swedish port town of Lödöse, then a bustling and colourful harbour town with a Dominican monastery, a royal castle and a vibrant commercial life. There are shelters for travellers and good opportunities to continue further into Europe. Three members of the crew arrange transport south via Rostock, while Querini and the remaining seven choose to travel towards London.

Via Querinissima follows the historic route of Pietro Querini. It connects geographical areas and identities, from the Mediterranean to the North Atlantic, where Querini’s legacy lives on to this day, not least through food traditions and cultural exchange.