The Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) awarded the "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" certification to the European Paganini Route, the Singing Heritage Route and Via Querinissima at its 2026 meeting (5-7 May, Luxembourg), bringing the number of certified Cultural Routes to 52.

The European Paganini Route highlights the legacy of Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840), the famous Genovese violinist. This legendary musician performed more than 460 concerts in major capitals and several cities across Europe.

The Singing Heritage Route connects traditional community singing practices in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway.

Via Querinissima is a cultural route that retraces Pietro Querini and his crew’s historic journey across land and sea from Candia (today, Heraklion, Crete) in 1431.

The representatives of the 43 member states of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) held their annual meeting as Governing Board on 5-7 May 2026 in Luxembourg.

It was an opportunity to discuss the current state of the Cultural Routes programme as well as addressing ongoing elements pertaining to the 2026 programme of activities.

Among the topics reviewed, the Governing Board examined the 2025–2026 certification cycle, encompassing eight regular evaluations and six new candidate routes, and granted certification to three new Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. Ireland was also welcomed as the EPA's newest member state. The Board members also discussed the situation of cultural routes in Ukraine and exchanged ways to support them. They re-elected the representative of Italy, Maria Giusi Luprano, for a two-year term as a member of the Board and decided that the 2027 Advisory Forum will be held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

At the meeting of the EPA Governing Board, held in Luxembourg in May 2026, Rui GOMES, EPA Executive Secretary, and Alfred KOCHARYAN, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their respective commitments and expectations for organising the upcoming 15th Advisory Forum to be held in September 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia.

The Advisory Forum is a yearly event that brings together representatives of the 43 EPA member states, Cultural Routes and candidate routes representatives, international organisations, local and regional authorities, and other heritage and tourism organisations and platforms.

The Forum is co-organised through a partnership between the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, the European Institute of Cultural Routes, the ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Armenia, and the Foundation for the Development of Culture, with the support of the Municipality of Yerevan.

This year's Forum will be held under the theme of Education for Sustainable Heritage.  Education has become a cornerstone of the international cultural and heritage normative landscape, playing a pivotal role in shaping norms, policies, and practices.

The Activity Report presents the main activities and achievements of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme in 2025. It covers the work of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA), including the accession of two new member states and the certification of three new Cultural Routes, the proceedings of the 14th Advisory Forum held in Cappadocia, Türkiye, the 12th Training Academy in Torres Vedras, Portugal, and the activities of the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR) and the University Network.

It also features a selection of activities and projects carried out by EPA member states and certified Cultural Routes throughout 2025.

On 29 May 2026, the ministry of Culture of Italy hosted the First Plenary Assembly of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe active in Italy in Rome, bringing together institutional representatives, Cultural Routes operators, experts and key stakeholders.

As the first national gathering of its kind, the Assembly aimed to strengthen coordination among institutions, local authorities and cultural networks involved in the Cultural Routes programme. The event provided a platform to exchange experiences, share good practices and discuss future development prospects, with a particular focus on governance and management, access to funding opportunities, and enhanced cooperation among Routes.

Key strategic objectives included the development of a national network of Cultural Routes, the promotion of shared cultural heritage, the enhancement of intercultural dialogue and support for sustainable tourism initiatives.

Discussions highlighted successful experiences from certified Cultural Routes and underlined the importance of sustainability, partnership development and coordinated action at national and European levels.

Italy is a member state of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe since 2011 and is currently crossed by 40 certified Cultural Routes.

On 6 May, the town of Bougival, in the Île-de-France region, officially opened the exhibition "Impressionist Walks... In the Footsteps of Monet, Morisot and Hoschedé" at the Maison Berthe Morisot, as part of the commemorations marking the centenary of Claude Monet's death. The opening was attended by local elected officials and by Georges Lucenet, Vice-President and General Manager of the Impressionisms Routes network.

Conceived as a sensory stroll through Impressionist landscapes, the exhibition brings together the works of Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot and Blanche Hoschedé, exploring how each artist captured light, movement and emotion in the open air. It also shines a spotlight on the contribution of women to Impressionism, placing Berthe Morisot and Blanche Hoschedé alongside their better-known male contemporaries as figures equally essential to the movement.

The Impressionisms Routes network, which supported the exhibition, is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe since 2018.

In April, the Universitat de València signed a general framework cooperation agreement with the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR) and joined the over 40 other universities in the programme’s University Network. 

The university specialises in a range of disciplines, including heritage, tourism, territorial management, local development, cultural cooperation, history, and new technologies.

The institution is already an active and committed partner of the Cultural Routes Programme, particularly in relation to the European Route of Historic Pharmacies and Medicinal Gardens, and has organised conferences, congresses, and seminars on the subject.

On 21 June, the summer solstice, Camino Europa Compostela is organising a simultaneous walk along Camino routes across Europe in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and in support of its Ukrainian member associations, including the Camino Podolico, the Ukrainian section of Saint James Way and a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. Each participating association is invited to organise a walk of 10 to 15 km along a Camino route in its own country, all beginning at the same hour with a shared opening ritual. Participants are encouraged to wear blue and yellow as a gesture of solidarity.

Associations wishing to take part are asked to confirm their participation by 10 June. A full organisers' kit, including press release templates, a coordinator briefing document and printable pilgrim certificates, will be provided upon registration.