From 23 to 25 September 2026, the 15th Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe brought around 300 participants from across Europe and beyond to Yerevan, Armenia, to explore how education helps safeguard, interpret and transmit cultural heritage.

Through policy dialogue, thematic sessions and interactive workshops, participants examined topics such as digital tools, formal and non-formal learning, accessibility, lifelong learning and learning through travel. One clear message emerged: education should play a stronger and more systematic role in sustainable heritage management and in the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme. Breakout sessions turned discussions into practical proposals, calling for closer cooperation with the education sector, better sharing of resources and more inclusive approaches to heritage education. A dedicated panel also reflected on the future of the programme, with a focus on representativeness and youth participation.

The Forum celebrated the three newly certified Cultural Routes, the European Paganini Route, the Singing Heritage Route and Via Querinissima, as well as the 2026 Inspiring Practices. Spain was announced as host of the 16th Advisory Forum in 2027, the year of the programme's 40th anniversary.

The Forum was co-organised by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes and the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, in partnership with the European Institute of Cultural Routes, the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Armenia and the Foundation for the Development of Culture, with the support of the Municipality of Yerevan.

Forum presentations, pictures and recordings can be found online.

Three new Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe received their certification on 23 September 2026 during the 15th Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Yerevan, Armenia.

The European Paganini Route celebrates the legacy of Genoese violinist Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), fostering intercultural dialogue through music with a network of conservatories, music academies, universities, municipalities and other public and private organisations.

The Singing Heritage Route links traditional community singing practices in Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, traditions that long safeguarded language, culture and identity. Through museums, archives, libraries, festivals and traditional settlements, it supports their transmission via sustainable cultural tourism.

Via Querinissima follows Venetian merchant Pietro Querini's 1431 voyage from Crete to Bruges, which ended in shipwreck and a months-long stay with the fishermen of Norway's Lofoten Islands. His accounts inspired a lasting exchange between Northern and Southern Europe built on hospitality and solidarity.

With these additions, the programme now counts 52 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe crossing more than 60 countries.

During the meeting of the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe May 2026 in Luxembourg, Olga Milinchuk presented a study, commissioned by the European Institute of Cultural Routes, on the consequences of the armed aggression by the Russian Federation on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Ukraine. Based on interviews with European network coordinators and Ukrainian partners, it assesses the impact of the war on the thirteen Cultural Routes now active in Ukraine, up from three when the country joined the EPA in 2021.

While all thirteen routes have been affected, Ukrainian partners have continued to engage with European networks, maintain heritage activities and even launch new tourism initiatives. Camino Podolico, the first certified branch of the Saint James Way in Ukraine, welcomed 500 pilgrims in 2025, while other routes have faced significant disruption. The study also points to structural challenges, including the lack of national coordination, chronic underfunding, and staff losses due to mobilisation and displacement.

Its recommendations include establishing a national coordination body, targeted capacity-building, better access to European funding, stronger visibility, and a formal crisis response mechanism within the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme.

The travelling exhibition dedicated to the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in France made a stop in Bougival during the European Heritage Days, at the invitation of the Impressionisms Route. Made up of 35 roll-up banners, one for each of the 34 Cultural Routes present in France plus a general introduction to the programme, it invites visitors to discover the sites, routes and partners behind a meaningful, values-based form of tourism that champions sustainable mobility, traditional know-how and lesser-known destinations.

In Bougival, numerous school visits were organised with local schools to introduce children and young people to Europe's shared heritage. The town, an emblematic place of Impressionism in Île-de-France, also hosts an exhibition on Impressionist women and, to mark the centenary of Claude Monet's death, "Impressionist Walks: In the Footsteps of Monet, Morisot and Hoschedé" at the Maison Berthe Morisot until 31 December.

First presented at the Maison de l'Europe in Paris in late 2025, the exhibition has since travelled to Arras, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Brest and Firminy with the support of several Cultural Routes and partners. Its journey continues in Deauville in October with the Cluniac Sites in Europe, followed by the Aube department in November for the final event of the HIKE4ALL project led by the Via Francigena. The 2027 schedule is now in preparation.

The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe took part in the Week of the Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies, organised by the EUSAIR Facility Point in Izola, Slovenia, from 15 to 17 September 2026. Held within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), the event focused on the future of EU Cohesion Policy and macro-regional cooperation.

Speaking in two panels, Rui Gomes, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes, showed how the programme, as an established model of European cooperation, supports sustainable tourism and effective joint investment, and could contribute to macro-regional objectives in the 2028-2034 programming period. He highlighted the routes' capacity to support local and regional heritage and initiatives, particularly in rural and lesser-known areas, driven by the grassroots actors who bring the Council of Europe's values to life.

According to the organisers, participants developed new partnerships and concrete project ideas and gained a clearer understanding of how Interreg programmes connect with the main EU programmes.

On 15 September, Rui Gomes also attended a meeting with Cultural Routes in Slovenia, where participants learned about recent developments in the programme, notably the upcoming 40th anniversary, and its connections with Slovenia and the wider region. The meeting was organised by Irena Marš, representative of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture to the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement, who will propose next steps.

On 25 September 2026, during the closing session of the 15th Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Yerevan, the EPA Governing Board recognised six Inspiring Practices by the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. Certificates were presented by Rui Gomes, Executive Secretary of the EPA and Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes. Selected from 33 submissions, the awarded initiatives show how the routes turn heritage into a driver of international cooperation, sustainable development and community engagement.

Co-operation in Research and Development: ATRIUM, "Students as Heritage Mediators"

50 Master's students from five European universities explored contested heritage sites linked to difficult pasts and developed proposals for their conservation and reuse.

Enhancement of Memory, History and European Culture: Impressionisms Routes, "Partnership with the National Gallery of Armenia"

An exhibition of 36 Armenian Impressionist paintings in Barbizon, France, accompanied by a conference in Yerevan and a publication.

Cultural and Educational Exchanges for Young Europeans: Réseau Art Nouveau Network, "Summer School: Bringing Art Nouveau Heritage Back to Life"

85 students and young professionals trained in conservation and restoration across three European cities.

European Cemeteries Route, "Life Lessons: Cemeteries as Educational Heritage"

 Cemeteries reimagined as spaces for lifelong learning and youth engagement.

Contemporary Cultural and Artistic Practice, Iron Age Danube Route, "Situlae Festival"

 A festival in Slovenia bringing the Hallstatt period to life through crafts, costumed interpretation and workshops for all ages.

Cultural Tourism and Sustainable Cultural Development, Via Francigena, "DETOUR"

A training platform helping tourism and cultural SMEs along four walking routes develop green, digital and inclusive tourism.

The full compilation of the 33 practices submitted is available online.

On 24 September 2026, the European Cemeteries Route, managed by the Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe (ASCE), won first place in the "Transnational Thematic Products" category of the European Cultural Tourism Network's "Destination for Sustainable Cultural Tourism 2026" awards, presented at the 19th ECTN Conference in Skiathos, Greece.

The award recognises its initiative "Significant Cemeteries for a Sustainable Europe", launched in Maribor in 2023, which links cemetery heritage with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from peace and inclusion to environmental protection.

ASCE President Lidija Pliberšek accepted the award on behalf of members in 169 cities across 28 European countries, highlighting cemeteries as places where the story of a city and its people can be discovered.

On 25 September 2026, the University Network for Cultural Routes Studies met in Yerevan during the 15th Advisory Forum.

Opened by Prof. Carla Martins, Chair of the Network and President of the Compostela Group of Universities, the meeting included an update on recent developments of the programme by Rui Gomes. Members discussed the Network's membership and welcomed new members, an updated application form for candidate universities, and the Network's new leaflet. Prof. Silvia De Ascaniis of the Università della Svizzera italiana presented the theme, objectives and programme of the 2nd International Conference to be held in November in Lugano, Switzerland.

Discussions also covered the Network's areas of expertise, closer cooperation with the Cultural Routes network, the 40th anniversary of the programme, and the host of the 2028 Conference of Universities, before members shared their own initiatives and projects.