Sustainable Mini Pilgrimage in Urban Spaces

Abstract

Calvaries are firmly rooted in Christianity and refer to the depiction of the scenes of the Passion of Christ. This chapter examines suburban calvaries and their potential role within the context of urban tourism, by widening the horizon of pilgrimage tourism while also challenging the notion of city tourism, by taking tourists to the fringe of the city. The research site is the capital of Hungary, Budapest that boasts some fine religious buildings which are inundated with tourists all-year-around, causing overcrowding, mobility challenges and conflicts with locals. The ethnographic account gives a descriptive analysis of six suburban calvaries that are dissected in terms of cultural, sustainable, and niche tourism, and explains how they can contribute to urban tourism. It does not deal with the inner city calvaries because they do not fit the purpose of making urban tourism more sustainable, thus, pushing tourists away from the crowded core of the city. The study concludes that including calvaries into urban tourism would be beneficial for locals, visitors, and the environment alike.