Bach loved to walk. He was known to have taken many long journeys throughout his native Germany on foot.
While still a teenager, Bach walked the 200 miles from Lüneburg to Ohrdruf to hear the accomplished organist, Georg Bohm. This practice of setting out on foot for the chance to hear and meet more experienced musicians became a theme with Bach. He regularly walked the thirty miles from Lüneburg to Hamburg to hear other great organists.
The walk that is most recounted was probably Bach’s longest walk. At the age of 20, he made the journey from Arnstadt to Lübeck, a trip of nearly 260 miles, to hear the famous organist, Dietrich Buxtehude. It was winter, no less.
It’s #NationalWalkingDay. Get out there and walk!