Routes4U: Via Francigena in the Alpine macro-region
The European Association of the Via Francigena Ways contributes to the Alpine macro-region development via the Routes4U project.
The Routes4U, joint programme of the European Commission (DG Regio) and the Council of Europe, is a 30-months project (2017-20) which aims to foster regional development through the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme in the four European macro-regions: the Baltic Sea, the Danube, the Adriatic and Ionian and the Alpine Region. The EU Macro-Regions encompass 27 countries with more than 340 million people.
The project submitted by the EAVF is focused on the diffusion of the governance system and of the best practices of the Via Francigena. It aims to facilitate the replicability and capacity building in the entire Alpine macro-region and to ensure the valorization of the environment and sustainability. The project started in May 2019 and has a duration of 6 months.
Seven regions of the Via Francigena of the Alpine macro-region: Bourgogne/ Franche-Comté FR; Vaud, Valais CH; Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria IT are included in this cooperation project and will represent the benchmark of the sustainable tourism development in the framework of the European macro-regional policies.
Among the foreseen actions, it is important to mention the positioning of information panels in strategic points of the crossroads of the Via Francigena in the macro-region, a larger involvement of private sector operating along the Via Francigena (hostels, hotels, bars, restaurants, etc. …), development of affiliate programmes in relation to the pilgrim passport and involvement of tour operators in order to create thematic packages of the Via in the macro-region.
The project will also facilitate increase of active participation of local institutions with regard to actions and project planning and will result in improved knowledge of the Via Francigena in the relevant areas as well as in the interconnection with other projects carried out in the alpine macro-region.
More information:
Routes4U Meeting for the Alpine Region (EUSALP)
The video interview with Sami Tawfik (EAVF Project Manager) made during the Routes4U meeting in Bard (Credit: Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme):
Final results on the Council of Europe website https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/cultural-routes-and-regional-development
Â
Graphic material produced:
Panels placed in – Champlitte (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, FR) – Romainmôtier-Envy (Canton de Vaud, CH) – Pont-Saint-Martin (Valle d’Aosta, IT) – Sarzana (Liguria, IT)
Maps of the French and Suisse section and the italian section of the Via Francigena
Â
Publications:
Dossier “Production touristique de la Via Francigena sur le territoire français” by the University of Toulouse
Magazine n.47 – Article “The Project Routes4U”
Â
Organized tours in the Alpine macro-region:
https://www.sloways.eu/via-francigena-from-lausanne-to-grand-st-bernard
https://www.sloways.eu/the-complete-italian-via-francigena-
https://www.sloways.eu/cycling-the-complete-italian-via-francigena:-from-aosta-to-rome-en
https://www.sloways.eu/walking-via-francigena-aosta-ivrea
https://www.sloways.eu/walking-on-via-francigena,-from-grand-st-bernard-to-ivrea-en?
https://www.sloways.eu/cycling-on-via-francigena-from-aosta-to-parmaÂ
Â
 This project is carried out with funding of Routes4U, joint programme between the Council of Europe and European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the European Association of the Via Francigena Ways and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Routes4U joint programme
