This work is both a travel book and a treasure of popular Christian spirituality. The simplicity of its content, the moderation of its tone, the beauty of its descriptions, and the faithfulness to the experiences of this nineteenth-century traveller are noteworthy. The pilgrim, more than its author, is the main character of this exciting book. It condenses in a well-known Russian figure (the staretz) the experiences of many Christians, those Christians whose faith forces them to travel all the way to Jerusalem, the eternal city. The prayer of the heart, deepened by his reading of the Philokalia, is a basic tool for this pilgrim in his journey