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Megan Quinn Faith Columnist

A spiritual journey is winding itself throughout Europe and the story of its well-worn path is coming to Boulder.

The story is about the Camino, a spiritual pilgrimage of about 500 miles from Saint Jean Pied de Port in France through most of Spain to the city of Santiago de Compostela.

The Camino is more than a trail. It is a religious and emotional journey. The Camino is a spiritual pilgrimage trail first used in the Middle Ages, when pilgrims sought forgiveness for their sins and a path to heaven. Sometimes called the Route of St. James, the Camino is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site that hosts thousands of visitors each year. In 2010, more than 270,000 people walked at least part of the path, according to UNESCO.

Documentary filmmaker Lydia Smith has walked the trail, and is now on a more local journey to share her Camino experiences. Smith will come to Boulder and there will be several screenings of her film, "Walking the Camino," and discussions starting March 19.

"The film isn't about getting people to walk the Camino, but to walk their own Camino, walk their own path," Smith said by phone from Arizona, where she was on a much shorter journey to walk her dog before a film screening.

Several Camino pilgrims will visit Boulder to talk about their experiences in the next few weeks. Smith will attend the Boulder International Film Series screening at 7:30 p.m. March 19 at IFS, 1801 Colorado Ave.

Annie O'Neil, an L.A.-based traveler who completed the Camino in 2009, will attend a screening of the film on March 28. The film will run March 28 through April 3 at the Boedecker Theater at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St.

"Walking the Camino" follows six strangers from around the world as they attempt to cross most of Spain on foot, each with just a backpack and a pair of hiking boots.

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Megan Quinn: European spiritual trail documentary comes to Boulder