I - The CaravanSerai Silk Road: Europe to Morocco

A Walkable Journey Following Historic Trade Routes

This journey is not a tour.It is a living route, walked in the footsteps of merchants, pilgrims, and caravans who moved goods,

ideas, and crafts across centuries.

Every step, town, and market follows documented trade corridors, living faith traditions,

and craft practices that still exist today.

The route is experienced at walking pace - where distance is measured less by kilometres than by effort,

waiting, carrying, and exchange.

Overview

Total Duration: 4-5 weeks (flexible, stage-based)
Walking: 5-16 km per day, depending on terrain
Transport: Train, bus, shared taxi, ferry (historic corridor-aligned)
Focus: Craft, textiles, trade, ritual, observation
Spirit: Non-touristic, slow, immersive

Best Time to Travel

Spring (April-May) - Mild weather, active markets, dye and weaving cycles begin

Autumn (September-October) - Comfortable temperatures, cultural festivals, quieter medinas

Avoid:

July-August (heat in Spain & Morocco)
December-February (limited mountain access)

THE ROUTE

Stage I - Northern Italy: Venice → Genoa

The Gateway to Europe

Here, movement is horizontal.Goods arrive by water, then spread slowly inland.

Day 1 - Arrival in Venice

Walking: 6-10 km (canals, Rialto, guild streets)
Historical Note: From c. 200 BCE, Venice became Europe’s primary intake port for Silk Road goods arriving via Constantinople and the Levant
Short Story: An apprentice learned to judge silk by touch alone, understanding that trust weighed more than coin
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Spice-resin bundles, glass oil vessels, cloth wraps

Day 2 - Venice Trade Quarters

Walking: 6-8 km (Cannaregio, Dorsoduro)
Historical Note: Merchant quarters functioned as storage, exchange, and social hubs
Short Story: Candles burned low as contracts were sealed at dawn
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Beeswax candles, ritual oils

Day 3 - Venice → Bologna

Transport: Regional train (~1h30)
Walking Bologna: 6-8 km (porticoes, markets)
Historical Note: Bologna redistributed imported goods inland; its porticoes protected traders and wares
Short Story: A mule driver waited out rain beneath stone arches, knowing delay preserved value
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Herbal resins, travel tins

Day 4 - Bologna → Florence

Transport: Train (~40 min)
Walking Florence: 8-12 km (Oltrarno, artisan streets)
Historical Note: Florence refined raw imports into luxury textiles, oils, and leather
Short Story: A dyer tested colour in candlelight, patient as the process demanded
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Textile wraps, infused oils

Day 5 - Florence → Pisa

Transport: Train (~1h)
Walking Pisa: 6-8 km (river, port quarter)
Historical Note: Pisa connected inland trade back to the sea
Short Story: Goods were weighed again, never assumed unchanged
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Compact vessels, protective cloths

Day 6 - Pisa → Genoa

Transport: Train (~2h30)
Walking Genoa: 6-10 km (harbour, storage streets)
Historical Note: Genoa rivalled Venice as a maritime republic and Silk Road intake port
Short Story: Sailors and merchants shared bread, each carrying different risks
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Sealed oils, resin bundles

Stage II - Southern France: Nice → Carcassonne

Mediterranean Corridors, Monastic Roads

Day 7 - Genoa → Nice

Transport: Train (~3h)
Walking Nice: 6-8 km (old port, markets)
Historical Note: Nice marked the shift from maritime to inland trade
Short Story: Barrels were repacked for land - lighter, more precise
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Olive oils, herbal resins

Day 8 - Nice → Grasse

Transport: Walk (15-18 km) or regional bus
Walking Grasse: 6-9 km
Historical Note: Grasse specialised in transforming imported resins and herbs into perfumes
Short Story: Rose petals and myrrh were blended slowly, teaching restraint
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Essential oils, rose blends

Day 9 - Grasse → Aix-en-Provence

Transport: Bus or train (~2h)
Walking: 6-10 km (courtyards, markets)
Historical Note: Aix linked agricultural producers with trade routes
Short Story: Olive oil met incense, each altering the other
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Beeswax, herbal incense

Day 10 - Aix-en-Provence (Rest Day)

Walking: Minimal, observational
Historical Note: Caravans paused here to exchange knowledge
Short Story: Watching became more valuable than buying
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Travel-ready oils

Caravans that did not pause here arrived poorer than they left.

Day 11 - Aix → Avignon

Transport: Train (~1h)
Walking: 5-8 km
Historical Note: Avignon functioned as a redistribution hub
Short Story: Measurements were checked twice, reputation preserved
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Saffron, sandalwood incense

Day 12 - Avignon → Nîmes

Transport: Train (~45 min)
Walking: 6-9 km
Historical Note: Nîmes sat on the Via Domitia, Rome’s first road into Gaul
Short Story: Apprentices learned patience following mule caravans
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Beeswax candles, resin oils

Day 13 - Nîmes → Carcassonne

Transport: Train (~2h)
Walking: 6-8 km
Historical Note: Carcassonne protected trade routes through inspection and storage
Short Story: Caravans rested beneath stone walls, preparing for mountains
CaravanSerai Product Connection: Small vessels, herbal blends

Stage III - Occitan Corridor: Carcassonne → Girona

Quiet Mountains, Trading Valleys

Here, trade narrows to what can be carried by foot.

Day 14 - Carcassonne → Limoux

Walking: ~18 km
Historical Note: Limoux redistributed inland goods
Short Story: Salt traded hand to hand for bread and wine
Product Connection: Wine-scented resins, wax candles

Day 15 - Limoux → Quillan

Walking: ~15 km
Historical Note: Mountain gateway for pack loads
Short Story: Herbs waited days to be gathered
Product Connection: Mountain herb blends

Day 16 - Quillan → Foix

Walking: ~18 km
Historical Note: Strategic crossing; trade monitored
Short Story: A courier memorised every bend
Product Connection: Protective incense

Day 17 - Foix → Prades

Transport: Bus/train (for safety)
Walking: 5-7 km
Historical Note: Orchard and herb exchange zone
Product Connection: Orchard-inspired oils

Day 18 - Prades → Perpignan

Walking: ~18 km or train
Historical Note: Inland meets coastal trade
Product Connection: Mixed incense blends

Day 19 - Perpignan → Girona

Transport: Train (~1h30)
Walking Girona: 6-8 km
Historical Note: Cultural transition into Catalonia
Product Connection: Apothecary-style oils

Stage IV - Al-Andalus: Girona → Seville

Knowledge, Craft, and Refinement

Transport: Train between cities; walking historic quarters
Key Cities: Barcelona, Zaragoza, Córdoba, Granada

Historical Note:

From 711-1492, Islamic Spain refined oils, textiles, and scientific knowledge

Knowledge here moved through courtyards, water channels, and workshops - absorbed by walking, listening, and repetition.

Product Connection: Layered incense, woven textiles

Stage V - The Crossing: Seville → Tangier

Seville → Tarifa

Transport: Bus/train (~3h), walking 5-7 km
Historical Note: Goods simplified before sea crossing
Product Connection: Travel cloths

Tarifa → Tangier

Transport: Ferry (~1h), walking 6-9 km
Historical Note: The Strait functioned as a corridor of ideas as much as goods
Product Connection: None - ritual arrival

Stage VI - Morocco: Tangier → Marrakech

The Woven Heart

Key Places: Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Middle Atlas villages, Marrakech

Trade Focus: Rugs as bedding, prayer, protection, and currency

Textiles here replace architecture - insulating, marking, protecting.

Product Connection: Rugs, poufs, heirloom textiles

Maps & Distances

Walking icons for walkable sections
Lines for trains and ferries
Dots for rest towns and caravanserais

Daily walking: 5-16 km

Philosophy of the Journey

Walk where life and craft happen. Pause in knowledge centres and medinas.

Observe how goods, faith, and ritual intersect.

The road remains. You are invited to walk it with care and attention.

CaravanSerai Gypsy