Across the Pyrenees to freedom

Along sun-drenched wine terraces, colourful paths full of flowers and herbs and an endless Mediterranean Sea runs one of the most impressive hiking routes in Europe – not only for its scenery, but especially for its story. The Chemin Walter Benjamin is a former escape route through the Pyrenees, used by countless refugees to flee Nazi-occupied Europe. Among them was the German-Jewish thinker Walter Benjamin, whose name this route bears today.

The trek from Banyuls-sur-Mer station in France to Portbou in Spain takes you literally across the line between occupation and freedom. Today it is a breathtakingly beautiful day trip, but in 1940 this path was a dangerous escape route – a narrow strip of hope for people on the run.

Route full of symbolism

The walk is about 12.5 kilometres long and takes you from the French town past wine terraces, along winding mountain paths and rugged hillsides to the Catalan coast. Technically, it’s not a tough route, but the heat, steep sections and sometimes parts with loose stones make it a hike to be taken seriously.

The path largely follows the ‘smuggling routes’ over which many Jews, dissidents, artists and intellectuals fled to Spain at the beginning of World War II, hoping for freedom. They included writers such as Heinrich Mann and Franz Werfel, composer Alma Mahler, Nobel laureate Otto Meyerhof, singer Lotte Leonard, and philosophers such as Hannah Arendt and Walter Benjamin. Benjamin is the best known of them, mainly because of the tragic circumstances of his death.

In the footsteps of a thinker

Born in Berlin, of Jewish descent, Walter Benjamin was a prominent thinker, philosopher, literary critic, essayist and translator. When Hitler came to power in 1933, he left for France. There he lived in uncertainty for many years. When Nazi Germany invaded France in 1940, he decided to flee. His plan was to travel via Spain and Portugal to the United States, where he would be safe.

In September 1940, he and several others ventured across the Pyrenees. Although he had a visa for transit to Portugal, Spanish border guards detained him at Portbou – his border crossing papers were not fully in order. Exhausted, ill and desperate about his possible return to France – which would almost certainly mean deportation to Germany – he overdosed on morphine in a simple hotel, hostal Francia, near the railway station. He died on the night of 26 September 1940. The next day, the rest of his group was allowed to pass through. At the end point of this walk, you will find an impressive memorial to Walter Benjamin. Although he never received much public attention during his lifetime, his life and work brought him posthumous fame.

The climb begins

We start our day trip at the small station of Banyules-sur-Mer, where regional trains stop from the directions of Perpignan and Cerbère – Portbou. The morning sun is already high above the hills and the sea shines in the background. After a coffee on one of the beachfront terraces and a quick stop at the local Franprix – baguette, brie and fresh orange juice in the backpack – we set off from the Hôtel de Ville, where information about the route and the first clear signpost ‘Chemin Walter Benjamin’, hangs. This sends us along the Avenue Gén. de Gaulle, along a canal towards the former wine village of Puig del Mas.

At Puig del Mas, we find a monument in memory of resistance fighter Lisa Fittko, who with her husband Hans helped many refugees cross the border in 1940 and 1941, including Walter Benjamin. Fittko knew the secret mountain paths towards Spain. Thanks to her memoirs, the stories about this route exist, and the path can be followed today as a living memorial to those who fled – as well as those who helped them.

According to Fittko, the trek was a huge task for Walter Benjamin. Ten minutes of walking, one minute of rest – this is how Walter Benjamin made the trek through the mountains from Banyuls-sur-Mer to Portbou in September 1940. While most people take six to eight hours, Walter Benjamin took no less than two days. Lisa Fittko reportedly nicknamed him ‘Old Benjamin’ because of his poor health, despite his young age.

Flower Paradise

Down a narrow path we leave Banyules-sur-Mer, leaving the built-up area behind. Soon we find ourselves among vineyards, terraced against the hills. The path winds between colourful flowers, rosemary and wild thyme, always with the Mediterranean Sea as a shimmering backdrop. It is pure enjoyment, especially in spring with many flowers in many colours that continue to accompany us on the entire route.

To the highest point

As we get higher, the path becomes rockier and the vegetation more sparse. Along the way, Benjamin and his companions made a rest stop at the Font del Bana, a natural spring along the path. This spot offered not only refreshment but also a moment of reflection amid the strenuous climb. We too make a brief pit stop here, before climbing further to the highest point of the route, the Col de Rumpissa mountain pass.

On the Col de Rumpissa, at about 600 metres, a wide view of the mountains as well as the border opens up. We try to imagine what those who fled must have been thinking. Here lay the symbolic border between freedom and oppression, between life and death – between hope and despair.

Descent to freedom

The descent to Portbou is tougher than expected. The French signage stops abruptly, and from here you follow the GR signs – small posts with red and white markings. The ground gets rockier, and orientation requires a bit more attention here. But the sea approaches, the bay beckons, and Portbou stands out with its giant station canopy.

On arrival in Portbou, the path takes you unexpectedly through a long, cool tunnel under the railway line and ridge. The concrete walls and the hollow sound of your own footsteps make it an almost subterranean experience – a fittingly quiet transition to the border village by the sea.

Due to its location on the border with France, Portbou, like Cerbère, was a refuge for refugees on several occasions during the eventful 20th century. After Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War in 1939, more than 100,000 Spanish Republicans (Retirada) fled through the railway tunnel connecting Portbou and Cerbère to France to request exil. A memorial hangs at Cerbère station.

A station with history

Nestled between sea and mountains, right on the French-Spanish border, Portbou station exudes a sense of abandoned grandeur. On arrival, one immediately notices the immense dome that spans the tracks – a monumental canopy of glass and steel built in the 1920s. Even the bells from that era are still ticking. This was once a hub of international significance, with customs posts, railway modifications (due to the difference in gauge between France and Spain) and a constant flow of travellers and goods. Today, there is a hushed atmosphere and, despite the sharp twittering of birds, it is not hard to imagine what it was like here some 100 years ago.

More than a hike

The Chemin Walter Benjamin is no ordinary hike. It is a pilgrimage, a journey of remembrance and understanding. Along the way, there are panels with information about Walter Benjamin and other refugees who took this route. The hike reminds you that history is not something that takes place in books, but on paths, among mountains, in villages and towns. It is a journey in which the landscapes whisper stories and the present constantly resonates with the past.

Those who walk the route not only get spectacular views and a healthy physical challenge, but also an insight into a dark chapter of Europe – one that remains painfully relevant at a time when people are once again risking their lives in search of safety.

Walter Benjamin Monument

At the edge of the village, near the cemetery where Benjamin was anonymously buried, the impressive memorial by Israeli artist Dani Karavan has stood since 1994. It consists of a narrow staircase of rusty metal that literally descends into the mountainside, to just above the rocks and rippling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. At the end is a glass wall overlooking the waves – a place to be silent. The stairs symbolise Benjamin’s descent into Portbou, but also his existential journey: flight, hope, isolation, and ultimately death. A plaque features a quote from Benjamin himself, about the task of memory.

Practical: from station to station

The walk starts at Banyuls-sur-Mer station. From there, you descend briefly towards the coast, where a coffee or final shopping can be done. Then the climb begins. You walk into the old wine village of Puig del Mas – a rustic little neighbourhood with weathered walls and flowering facades. Here there is a small memorial to Lisa and Hans Fittko, who helped many refugees escape during the war.

From Puig del Mas, it climbs steadily. At first, the path is clearly marked with cream-coloured signs saying Chemin Walter Benjamin. You walk among fragrant bushes of rosemary, lavender and thyme, with the blue flash of the sea in the corner of your eye each time.

After a few kilometres you reach Coll del Bast, and a little further on the Font del Bana – a natural spring where Benjamin and his group probably rested. It is a place of peace and shade, with the gentle rustling of leaves and views of the slopes you came from. Occasionally, it takes careful attention to see the signs.

The climb continues to the mountain pass Coll de Rumpissa, at 528 metres the highest point of the route and the border between France and Spain. Make the short climb to the historic watchtower Tour de Querroig (670), for great views over the coastal strip, the full route with starting point Banyuls station and finishing point Portbou station.

The descent to Portbou is more erratic. The French signage stops abruptly, and now you follow small posts with red and white markings ‘Ruta Walter Benjamin’. The ground gets rockier, and orientation requires more attention here. But the sea approaches, the bay beckons.

Just before you reach Portbou, the path unexpectedly leads into a long tunnel – cool, concrete, silent. Your footsteps echo in the darkness. It feels like a passage: from a history you have walked through to a village waiting with memories.

Those who set out well prepared – with plenty of water (we needed 2 litres!), good shoes and possibly a GPS track or hiking app – can cover the route in five to six hours. And once you arrive in Portbou, the sea awaits, a refreshing drink and an impressive monument.

French trains connect Portbou with Banyules-sur-Mer several times a day. For train times and tickets, check the French Railways website.

We stayed several days in Portbou at both Hostal Juventus and Hotel Comodore, both ideally located near the train station and the beach.

Photos: Railtripping, Mikal de Bont