On 10-12 June, a Training for cultural routes applying for the "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" certification was held as an online seminar. The Training was organised by the Secretariat of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) and the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR).

This 2-days Training seminar was delivered in French and English and provided an overview of the main characteristics of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme, serving as an essential reference for representatives of cultural routes interested in applying for the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” certification within the upcoming Certification Cycle 2020-2021. It addressed aspects concerning the Cultural Routes certification cycle, certification criteria and preparation of applications for certification.

On 10 and 12 June, the Training also included bilateral advisory meetings between the EPA Secretariat / EICR staff and each candidate route, in order to assess the state of development of their projects, and provide advice on aspects to be improved before submission of an application.

The Training seminar was delivered by Mr. Stefano DOMINIONI, EPA Executive Secretary and EICR Director, Mrs. Constanze METZGER, Senior Project Manager of Routes4U Project, and Mrs. Carolina CLARK, EICR Project Manager. The online event saw the participation of more than 70 participants representing 17 cultural routes candidate networks.

The following candidate networks attended the Training seminar:

1. European Route of Olympic and Sports Heritage
2. European Atlantic Geotourism Route
3. Routes of St. Michael
4. Route of the Templars
5. European Route d’Artagnan
6. European Network of Places of Peace - The Places of Peace Route
7. Iron Age Danube Route
8. Via Eurasia
9. Women Writers Route
10. Aeneas Route
11. Castle Road
12. Forte Cultura
13. Via Molina - The European Mill Route
14. Cyril and Methodius Route
15. In the Footsteps of St.Paul, the Apostle of the Nations Cultural Route
16. European Route of Knowledge - Francesco's Ways
17. Nikolaos Route - La Via Nicolaiana (European Route Nicholas of Myra)

The advisory meetings with the EPA Secretariat / EICR staff will continue throughout the month of June. A further training will be held in November 2020.