WDEC 2026 in Lithuania

Highlights from the guided walks at historic cemeteries in Lithuania that were held as part of Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2026.

About the Event

As part of the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2026, the Cultural Heritage Department under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania organized several educational guided walks across Lithuanian cemeteries. Aligned with this year's global emphasis on quality education, these initiatives successfully highlighted Lithuania's historic burial grounds not merely as places of mourning, but as open-air museums rich in architectural, historical, and regional heritage.

Guided Walks at the Historic Cemeteries of Vilnius

In the capital city of Vilnius, the public was invited to explore some of the country's most significant historic cemeteries. Led by historian Vida Girininkienė, a series of three specialized educational walks took place at Rasos Cemetery and Antakalnis Cemetery:

• 27 May 2026 | Educational walk “Historical Rasos”
• 28 May 2026 | Educational walk “Artistic Rasos”
• 29 May 2026 | Educational walk “Antakalnis Cemetery: Historical Cross-Sections”

Guided Walk at Panevėžys Old Cemetery

In northern Lithuania, an educational event took place in Panevėžys on 28 May 2026. The event began in the education hall of the Panevėžys Local Lore Museum, featuring introductory greetings from the head of the division, Rasuolė Kerbedienė, and specialized presentations by cultural heritage experts Indrė Baliulytė and Rasa Visockaitė.

Following the presentations, museum historians Dr. Arūnas Astramskas and Jūratė Gaidelienė led an interactive educational walk at the Panevėžys Old Cemetery (also known as the St. Peter and Paul Parish Cemetery) entitled “Memory in Cemeteries: Personal or Public?” During the walk, they guided participants through the distinctive local funerary art and regional history of the site.

Event Highlights

For more details, visit the organizers' website.

Some highlights from the guided walks at Panevėžys Old Cemetery and Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius can be seen in the videos below.

WDEC 2026 tour and performance at the Monumental Cemetery of Turin

Highlights of the WDEC 2026 guided tour and live student performance honoring civilian war victims at the Monumental Cemetery of Turin on 5 June 2026.

About the event

On Friday, 5 June 2026, the Monumental Cemetery of Turin hosted a special event as part of the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC) 2026 and Archivissima 2026. The event was organised by AFC Torino S.p.A. in collaboration with the National Association of Civilian War Victims (ANVCG) and the Historical Archive and Cultural Heritage Office of the Waldensian Board.

Guided Tour

Starting at 5:30 PM, the programme featured a guided tour titled “La ______ mancante. Perdite e lacune nelle storie delle vittime civili di guerra” (“The Missing ______. Losses and gaps in the stories of civilian war victims”). Led by Federica Tammarazio, a prominent art historian and archivist, the tour explored themes of memory, archival gaps and the stories of civilian victims of war, in line with Archivissima’s 2026 core topic, “Quello che non c’è” (“What is not there”).

Live Performance

The historical exploration concluded with a powerful emotional impact at the Campo della Gloria (Field of Glory). Students from the Liceo Coreutico Teatrale Germana Erba delivered a moving live performance. Using the universal languages of dance and theater, the young artists brought the archival narratives to life, giving voice to those who could no longer speak and transforming historical memory into a vibrant call for peace.

You can watch the full performance in the video below.

WDEC 2026 in Slovenia

The Chamber of Public Utilities of Slovenia (ZKGS), in cooperation with ASCE, launched a new nationwide initiative – the Slovenian Cemeteries Route project.

About the Slovenian Cemeteries Route project

The 2026 Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC) centered its activities on the theme of Quality Education, aligning with Goal 4 of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Within this framework, the Chamber of Public Utilities of Slovenia (ZKGS), in cooperation with ASCE, launched a new nationwide initiative – the Slovenian Cemeteries Route Project.

Inspired by the internationally recognised European Cemeteries Route, the project aims to connect Slovenian cemeteries into a unique cultural and tourist network that preserves memory, promotes heritage, and opens cemetery spaces to a wider public. By bringing together sites from across the country, the route creates a single platform for discovering and learning about Slovenia’s cultural, historical, and funerary heritage.

As part of the initiative, cemetery managers across Slovenia were invited to identify three key points of cultural or historical significance at their cemeteries. This collaborative effort brought together more than 40 points of interest across the country, showcasing notable individuals, unique monuments, and distinctive landscape features of Slovenian cemeteries.

The Slovenian Cemeteries Route app

The Slovenian Cemeteries Route has been fully integrated into a dedicated mobile application hosted on the ARTOUR platform, a network that also supports the European Cemeteries Route. The digital platform allows visitors to explore the nationwide heritage map dynamically.

To enhance the educational experience, the application incorporates innovative features, including:

• Interactive map navigation: Providing optimized routes and real-time navigation across the mapped locations.
• AI-powered interaction: An integrated AI system allows users to engage in virtual dialogues to learn more about specific historical figures and monuments.
• Customized audio descriptions: Tailored audio narratives allow visitors to listen to local history seamlessly while walking through the physical sites rather than relying solely on screen reading.

You can access the Slovenian Cemeteries Route app HERE.

Slovenian Cemeteries Route as a long-term initiative

The Slovenian Cemeteries Route Project does not conclude with this year’s edition. Instead, it lays the foundation for a long-term initiative. Through the mobile application, cemetery managers will be able to continue adding new content in the future, presenting important individuals, monuments, and memorials, developing thematic routes, and bringing visitors closer to stories that reflect the history, culture, and identity of local cemeteries.

By linking individual contributions into a shared national system, the project strengthens cross-border visibility and facilitates integration into broader European heritage initiatives. It also creates opportunities for professional exchange among public utility providers and cemetery managers, supporting the sharing of methodologies in heritage interpretation and digital documentation.

Through this collaborative model, the Slovenian Cemeteries Route is positioned to expand steadily, deepening its role as a reference point for cultural memory and reinforcing the long-term preservation and interpretation of cemetery heritage in Slovenia.

WDEC 2026 at Pobrežje Cemetery

As part of WDEC 2026, Pogrebno podjetje Maribor, the presiding member of ASCE, has prepared several educational and socially important activities at Pobrežje Cemetery in Maribor, Slovenia.

Cultural Days for Elementary School Students

On 18 May, a cultural day was held at Pobrežje Cemetery for pupils of OŠ Ludvika Pliberška Maribor, followed by a second cultural day on 26 May for pupils of OŠ Toneta Čufarja Maribor. Both events offered students an alternative learning environment in which they explored the history of the city and its inhabitants through commemorative narratives and heritage interpretation, with the help of the mobile app Artour.

The activities enabled pupils to engage with Maribor’s past in a direct and experiential way. They strengthened understanding of cultural heritage, fostered respectful attitudes towards memorial spaces, and encouraged reflection on memory, tradition, and intergenerational connection. The cemetery was presented as a place of learning, calm, and cultural diversity, reinforcing its role within the city’s historical identity.

Bereavement Support Project

On 26 May, the first group meeting within the project “Grief does not heal in isolation; together it is easier to bear” was held in the multipurpose hall of Pogrebno podjetje Maribor at Pobrežje Cemetery, marking the launch of a new series of monthly bereavement support sessions.

The initiative addressed the continuing need for structured support for individuals coping with the loss of a loved one, extending care beyond the funeral period when grief often becomes most intense. It was emphasized that grief should not be understood as something to be “fixed,” but rather as a natural process requiring time, understanding, and a supportive environment.

The programme created a safe space for sharing experiences and emotions and promoted a more open societal understanding of bereavement. The sessions were facilitated by internationally accredited coach and mentor Ana Kordeš, who highlighted the importance of time, space, and compassionate presence in the grieving process.

Slovenian Cemeteries Route Project

The WDEC 2026 focused on the theme Quality Education, in alignment with Goal 4 of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Within this framework, the Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe, under the presidency of Lidija Pliberšek, Director of Pogrebno podjetje Maribor, together with the Chamber of Public Utilities of Slovenia (ZKGS), launched a joint initiative – the Slovenian Cemeteries Route project.

Inspired by the internationally recognised European Cemeteries Route, the project aims to connect Slovenian cemeteries into a unique cultural and tourist network that preserves memory, promotes heritage, and opens cemetery spaces to a wider public.

As part of the initiative, cemetery managers across Slovenia were invited to identify three key points of cultural or historical significance at each site, including notable individuals, monuments, or distinctive landscape features. The collected contributions will form the basis for a nationwide map of cemeteries interpreted through cultural and historical heritage.

You can find more information about the Slovenian Cemeteries Route project HERE or explore the route through the dedicated application.

Highlights from the WDEC 2026 in Krakow

Highlights and photographs from the guided walk held on 27 May 2026 at the New Cemetery of Podgórze in Kraków, Poland.

About the event

More than 30 people attended the guided walk “In the Footsteps of Famous People”, held on 27 May 2026 at the New Cemetery of Podgórze in Kraków. The event was organised by the Association PODGORZE.PL as part of this year’s Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC).

Following a short introduction to the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (ASCE) and the idea behind WDEC, participants were presented with a brief history of the cemetery. The walk then continued with visits to eight graves of notable individuals buried there, including scouts, painters, and soldiers.

The tour was guided by members of the Association PODGORZE.PL together with invited guests.

More information about the event is available at: https://podgorze.pl/kolejny-spacer-po-nowym-cmentarzu-podgorskim-za-nami/

Photos from the event

WDEC 2026 at Piran Municipal Cemetery

On 29 May 2026, a special guided tour “Stories of Piran Carved in Stone” took place at the Piran Municipal Cemetery in Piran, Slovenia.

Discovering the Stories of Piran

As part of the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2026, the Public Company Okolje Piran, in cooperation with the Italian Community of Piran, organized a guided tour of the Piran Municipal Cemetery, one of the most significant cultural heritage sites in the Slovenian coastal region.

The event was inspired by the publication of the new brochure “Piran Cemetery – A Journey Through Memory, Art and Local Identity”, prepared by historians Kristjan Knez and Marina Paoletić. Their research and dedication to preserving local heritage formed the basis of this activity, which aimed to reveal the cemetery not only as a place of remembrance but also as a unique open-air museum reflecting the history of Piran and its people.

A Journey Through Art, Architecture, and History

During the guided tour, visitors discovered the architectural and artistic value of eight remarkable family tombs belonging to some of the most influential Piran families. Each monument tells a story about the individuals buried there while also reflecting the artistic styles, social status, cultural influences, and values of the period in which it was created.

Among the highlights were the Bartole family tomb, known for its exceptional stone craftsmanship and symbolic motifs, and the Rota family tomb, inspired by ancient sarcophagi and dedicated to historian, musician, and archivist Stefano Rota. Visitors also explored the monumental Zarotti tomb, the elegant symbolism of the Cicogna tomb, and the artistic significance of the Fonda tomb, one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau funerary sculpture in the region.

A special part of the programme focused on the Neo-Gothic Church of Saints Hermagoras and Fortunatus, which has stood at the heart of the cemetery for more than 150 years. Participants learned about its history and the recently completed restoration of the church surroundings, including conservation work on the forecourt, stairways, and historic burial sites.

The tour concluded at the de Castro family chapel, whose distinctive architecture contributes to the visual and cultural identity of the cemetery complex.

Preserving Memory and Local Identity

Through this activity, visitors were invited to experience the cemetery as an open-air gallery, where art, architecture, history, and personal stories intertwine. The event highlighted the role of cemeteries as places of cultural memory and sustainable heritage, helping preserve local identity while fostering public appreciation of historical landscapes for future generations.

You can read more about the event HERE.

Photos from the event:

WDEC 2026 in Barcelona Cemeteries

As part of the WDEC 2026, Cementiris de Barcelona is showcasing its educational programme “Life Lessons: Cemeteries as Educational Heritage”.

About the programme

One of the pillars of Cementiris de Barcelona is its educational service, which works to promote Barcelona’s cemeteries as cultural assets of exceptional importance, fostering public knowledge and helping to normalize death. This mission is reflected in the programme "Life Lessons: Cemeteries as Educational Heritage". Although featured during WDEC 2026, the programme is not limited to this one week. Educational activities are conducted throughout the year across several Barcelona cemeteries, demonstrating the organisation’s long-term commitment to learning, cultural heritage, and community engagement.

The educational activities, tailored to various learning stages, offer a unique opportunity to explore the rich funerary heritage of the Poblenou and Montjuïc cemeteries—both classified as monumental by the Council of Europe—as well as the Funeral Carriage Collection, the Funerary Library, and other cemeteries in Barcelona. Together, these sites represent a significant cultural legacy and a collective memory shared by society.

This initiative is led by the team at Cementiris de Barcelona: highly qualified professionals committed to continuous improvement, who balance compassionate care for families during the farewell process with excellence in educational outreach. By engaging students in meaningful educational experiences, the educators foster deep respect for heritage preservation while working to normalise death as an essential, natural part of life.

By addressing a fundamental topic that remains taboo for many, these activities provide a supportive space for reflection. The subject of mortality is approached with the utmost respect for diverse beliefs, religions, and cultural traditions, allowing participants to fully appreciate the rich symbolic expressions that define Barcelona’s funerary heritage.

You can read more about the programme HERE.

WDEC 2026 at the Lower Cemetery of Volintiri

On 26 May 2026, a special guided walk for local students took place at the Lower Cemetery of Volintiri (Moldova), focusing on education, memory and local history.

A guided walk for local pupils

As part of WDEC 2026, the Volintiri Municipality and the “Maria Biesu” local school organised a special guided walk for students at the Lower Cemetery of Volintiri on 26 May 2026. Bringing together education, local heritage and community memory, the activity invited pupils to explore the graves of local teachers and reflect on the lasting role of educators in shaping local identity, values and history.

At the cemetery, pupils discovered that local heritage is not only preserved in books, but also in places that keep the community’s memory alive. Guided by two local teachers—Ms Angela Tih (school director) and Mr Stepan Efremov (history teacher)—the group walked from one grave to another, focusing on the resting places of educators and school staff who shaped generations in Volintiri.

The visit was designed as a learning journey. At each stop, pupils were encouraged to listen, ask questions and reflect: What does a teacher leave behind? How do schools and families carry values forward? How does a village remember those who served it? These discussions naturally connected education with identity and civic responsibility, showing that “quality education” is also about respect, gratitude and continuity.

From remembrance to action

A key moment of the activity focused on preserving memory. We talked about the importance of maintaining teachers’ graves, especially those who no longer have relatives able to care for them, as well as renewing a local tradition of visiting these places with pupils to clean and maintain them. In this way, remembrance becomes action and offers pupils a practical lesson in community responsibility.

To extend learning beyond the cemetery visit, pupils were encouraged to continue the conversation at home by starting with a simple question: “What does the word cemetery mean?” This helped connect school learning with family dialogue, strengthening intergenerational understanding of local history and heritage.

Through this activity, the Lower Cemetery became more than a place of remembrance—it became a meaningful learning space where education meets memory, and where pupils can see how local history is preserved through people, places and shared responsibility.

Photos from the event

*Photos source: www.facebook.com/PrimariaVolintiri