Explore and boost Europe’s cultural heritage is a topic of high interest for AER and its member regions, which has been strongly approached on occasion of the 2018 Summer Academy in Maramures (Romania) where young people from various regions across Europe gathered to discuss and share experiences on cultural heritage for regional attractiveness.

Therefore, AER is pleased to share with its member regions this grant opportunity aimed to put in value the cultural heritage of the European macro-regions’ Cultural Routes.

Cultural Routes

Launched by the Council of Europe in 1987, the Cultural Routes demonstrate, by means of a journey through space and time, how the heritage of the different countries and cultures of Europe contributes to a shared and living cultural heritage.

European Cultural Route, is a certification awarded by the Council of Europe to networks promoting the European shared culture, history and memory.

A Cultural Route of the Council of Europe is not necessarily a physical path to be walked through and can be made up of cultural stakeholders such as museums, municipalities or local governments clustered into one umbrella association. Being awarded the title Cultural Route of the Council of Europe opens the way to larger visibility, a network of cultural stakeholders or even funding.

Routes4U Project

Routes4U Project aims to enhance regional development in the Adriatic-Ionian, the Alpine, the Baltic Sea and the Danube regions through the Cultural Routes. The 30-month project (2017-2020) has been launched in the framework of the joint programme between the Council of Europe (DGII – EPA on Cultural Routes) and the European Union (European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy). 

The four EU macro-regions, covering 27 countries (19 EU Member States and 8 non-EU countries), are crossed by 25 transnational networks certified “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” such as the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Routes, the Phoenicians’ Routes, the Hansa and the Olive Tree Routes. The Routes4U Project contributes to cultural cooperation and provides a transnational platform for regional and national stakeholders.

7 Calls for proposals for tourism products, services and Cultural Routes cards

The 7 Routes4U Project proposals with a maximum 10 000 euros per grant aim to produce an added value to the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Routes4U programme and to the macro-regional strategies.

• Calls for proposals for tourism products and services

The Routes4U grant will co-fund projects that aims at creating tourism products and services in the following macro-region: Adriatic-Ionian, Alpine, Baltic Sea or Danube Region. These products and services should display the heritage along the priority Cultural Routes and promote the macro-regional identity. The creation of specific tourism products must address the priorities of the macro-regional strategy concerned.

• Calls for proposals for Cultural Routes cards

The Routes4U Grant will co-fund the creation of a Cultural Route card in the following macro-regions Alpine, Baltic Sea or Danube Region. This card should provide discounts and advantages to the card-holder. It should be an incentive to travel along the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe/priority cultural route project in the macro-region concerned. The creation of a Cultural Route card must address the priorities of the macro-regional strategy concerned.

Apply now!

If you wish to apply, please complete carefully the  application form and budget table.

The application form needs to contain as an annexe a visibility and marketing plan and a table of indicators.

Deadline for application: 09 September 2019 (6 pm CET)
The application must be submitted to [email protected]

Online information session

An online information session will take place on Wednesday 28 August at 10 am (UTC+2).

The Routes4U Joint Programme will provide background information on the grant and answer questions on the call for proposals. Networks eligible for the grant (Cultural Routes certified by the Council of Europe and priority projects identified within the framework of Routes4U) will be invited via e-mail and are strongly recommended to take part in this information session.

E-learning platform

The Routes4U e-learning course addresses key issues for the Cultural Routes and for the stakeholders from the EU macro-regions working in the cultural heritage and tourism fields. Different modules on the Cultural Routes, regional development, cultural cooperation and social cohesion will be developed. The course will be made available on the Council of Europe platform and will be promoted also by selected universities and on the websites of different stakeholders of Routes4U Project.

You can access the modules through the  Routes4U e-learning course.

The course is hosted by the HELP Council of Europe platform: the access is free and unlimited, but registration is compulsory.

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