A new exhibition showcasing the Council of Europe’s 33 Cultural Routes across France will be presented at the Maison de l’Europe in Paris from 1 September 2025. Structured around 34 kakemonos, it will enable visitors to discover the heritage sites, routes and partners involved in the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes programme.
In addition, five kakemonos will highlight French sites distinguished by the European Heritage Label, awarded by the European Commission, emphasising their link with European history and construction.
Spread across all regions, particularly those that are less frequented, these different sites offer a different form of tourism, one that is meaningful and values-driven, promoting soft mobility and showcasing local expertise in all European countries.
Two events will be organised alongside this exhibition:
1. A conference open to the general public on Saturday 20 September, as part of European Heritage Days: ‘Learning more about our shared European heritage through the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes and European Heritage Label sites’.
2. A two-day meeting on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 September with representatives of all the Council of Europe Cultural Routes crossing France, European Heritage Label sites, European institutions (Council of Europe, European Commission), civil society and experts to discuss three key themes: existing European funding programmes for heritage; the European values promoted by certified routes and labelled sites; sustainable and responsible heritage tourism.
France has been a member of the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA) since 2011 and is one of its founding states. Today, France is the European country with the largest number of Council of Europe Cultural Routes, with more than 30 Cultural Routes crossing the country and 14 Cultural Routes based in France.
M. Bruno FAVEL, Chef de la Mission du patrimoine mondial, Direction générale du patrimoine et de l’architecture, Ministère de la Culture, et Mme Orane PROISY, Cheffe de l’Unité des projets et réseaux du patrimoine européen, Ministère de la Culture, sont les représentants nationaux de la France au sein de l’APE sur les Itinéraires culturels.