POLAND is a country with great devotion to St James and the pilgrim route. Much of its national identity is linked to Catholicism and, although the visits of Polish Pope John Paul II to Compostela in 1982 and 1989, attracting throngs of devotees, greatly increased interest in the Jacobean phenomenon, the roots of this devotion are older and run deeper. Foundations dedicated to James the Apostle have been documented since the 13th century, and northern cities such as Gdansk are connected to the pilgrimage routes, via the High and Low Roads, popularised by the German pilgrim Hermann Künig von Vach in a famous guide published in the 15th century. Multiple journeys by Polish pilgrims are known, although the most famous may be that of Nicholas von Poplau, who in the 15th century visited Compostela and even reached Fisterra and Muxía; and especially that of Jakub Sobieski, father of the future King John III Sobieski, who visited the tomb in 1611 and wrote one of the most important pilgrim tales known. Although some of the medieval itineraries have lost their validity over time, in the first decades of the 21st century important sections of these roads are being restored. One of the newly renovated sections of this new Polish Route culminates in Toruń, before the statue of St James standing in front of the Gothic church of the same name, a temple built from 1309 onwards in several stages. In its interior, it conserves important 14th century collections of mural paintings, an image of Christ on the cross inserted in a Tree of Life from the end of the 14th century, and a baroque main altar restored between 2003 and 2005. In addition to the works to rehabilitate and boost pilgrim routes, other initiatives serve to promote Jacobean values and publicise it. Thus, the Chopin Centre in Szafarnia, a cultural institution in Cuyavia and Pomerania, holds, among its many activities, several informative events about the Way of St James, especially in schools, and pilgrims who arrive here can stay the night, access Jacobean publications and even acquire a pilgrim's passport or have one stamped.