ASCE President at the Cultural Routes meeting in Slovenia

On September 14–15, 2026, representatives of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe met on the Slovenian coast to discuss cooperation, sustainable tourism and the future development of Cultural Routes.

Cultural Routes and Sustainable Tourism

The Cultural Routes meeting was organised within the Interreg Euro-MED ECO-SEAROUTES project, which promotes more sustainable tourism models and a more balanced distribution of tourism flows in the Mediterranean. It began on 14 September with a visit to the Gramona organic olive farm in Seča near Portorož and continued on 15 September at Palazzo Manzioli in Izola, where participants discussed the role and future cooperation of Cultural Routes.

The meeting was joined by Rui Gomes, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes. Dr Maja Turnšek from the University of Maribor, Faculty of Tourism, presented the ECO-SEAROUTES project and moderated the discussion.

Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies Week

The meeting took place as a parallel event to the 11th Mediterranean Coast and Macro-Regional Strategies Week, held in Izola from 15–17 September. As part of the official programme, Rui Gomes also participated in the session “Cultural Routes in Action: Vision for the Future”, focusing on the contribution of Cultural Routes to sustainable tourism and European cooperation.

Representing the European Cemeteries Route

The European Cemeteries Route, established by the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (ASCE) and certified as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe in 2010, was represented by ASCE President Lidija Pliberšek.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the Cultural Routes with network members in Slovenia to exchange experiences, strengthen cooperation and explore their role in sustainable tourism and the promotion of European cultural heritage.

Event Highlights

V Meeting of Managers of Cultural Itineraries of the Council of Europe

The event took place from March 23 to 25, 2026, in Paraje de la Rábida, Huelva, Spain.

About the event

Miquel Trepat, general director of Cementiris de Barcelona, participated in the V Meeting of Managers of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, held from March 23 to 25, 2026, in Huelva, Spain, where he also represented the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe and the European Cemeteries Route.

The discussions focused on research, knowledge networks, scientific committees, and the exchange of information between cultural itineraries, with the aim of promoting a shared approach to European cultural heritage. Mr. Trepat highlighted that the European Cemeteries Route exemplifies the potential of cultural itineraries as knowledge infrastructures, with the capacity to integrate multidisciplinary research, specialized training, and social participation – essential elements for their sustainability and legitimacy in the European context.

The workshop was also attended by Rui Gomes, director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes.

ASCE President at the all-Slovenian Cultural Routes meeting

On October 10, 2024, ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, participated at the all-Slovenian meeting of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, organized by the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Maribor.

34th Days of European Cultural Heritage

Between September 28 and October 12, 2024, a series of events took place in numerous locations throughout Slovenia and its neighboring regions as part of the 34th Days of European Cultural Heritage and the 12th Cultural Heritage Week. This year's theme was "Heritage of Cultural Routes, Networking, and Connections."

Roundtable discussion: Connecting for Peace and Intercultural Cooperation

As part of these events, the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Maribor, a member of the Academic Network of Cultural Routes, organized an all-Slovenian meeting of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. This event was held on October 10, 2024, in Ljubljana, and featured a roundtable discussion titled "Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe – Connecting for Peace and Intercultural Cooperation." The meeting was also intended for discussions about the knowledge and competencies needed for cultural and thematic routes in Slovenia.

At the round table, Mrs Irena Marš from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia was joined by representatives of two Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe coordinated from Slovenia: Mrs Lidija Pliberšek from the European Cemeteries Route, and Mrs Andreja Rihter from the Women Writers' Route. The fourth participant was Mr Edvard Kovač, representing the Saint Martin of Tours Route, the first Slovenian route to receive the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe certification.

You can find the official PR statement about the event (in Slovenian) at this LINK.

European Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe

Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, president of the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (ASCE), spoke about the importance of cemeteries in building peace. Military cemeteries play a central role in this by reminding us of the tragedies, horrors, and suffering caused by wars. Additionally, cemeteries serve as a reminder of equality in death, emphasizing the respect for diversity, and the European Cemeteries Route plays an active role in this context.

ASCE president also introduced the Significant Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe initiative, launched by the Association in 2024 to support the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As part of the initiative, the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2024 focused on environmental sustainability and climate change, with events and activities showcasing how cemeteries and visitors can contribute to reducing environmental impact. Furthermore, this project received the Best Practice Award 2024, granted by the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in September 2024.

Event highlights:

*The content is partially excerpted from the PR statement by Dr. Maja Turnšek.

30th EAA Annual Meeting: Call for papers

The Iron Age Danube Route invites you to participate in their session at the 30th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in Rome, Italy.

About the event

The Iron Age Danube Route is organizing a session in the scope of the 30th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists, taking place from 28 to 31 August 2024 in Rome, Italy.

The session's theme is "The Living Heritage: Archaeological Cultural Routes in the Context of Cultural Tourism Network".

The purpose of the session is to discuss the potential of archaeological heritage in fostering cultural tourism and creating sustainable cultural resources for local communities. It will highlight the challenges in effectively integrating archaeological sites into tourism, emphasizing the need for long-term sustainability at the local level. Furthermore, the session aims to explore ways in which archaeological cultural routes, particularly those under the Council of Europe, can contribute to long-term partner and stakeholder networks. 

Experts from diverse fields are expected to share theoretical models, approaches, and examples of good practices in developing cultural tourism products based on archaeological heritage.

Details about the session are available HERE.

Call for papers

Anyone who would like to participate in the session is invited to submit their presentation abstract at the EAA website.

Deadline for abstract submission is 8 February 2024.

For any additional questions please contact Mrs. Marta Rakvin at ironagedanuberoute@gmail.com.

*Photo source: www.e-a-a.org/eaa2024

The Meeting of Heritage Cemeteries 2019

Between November 11 and 16, 2019, the XX Ibero-American Meeting of Heritage Cemeteries will be held in Malaga (Spain).

The main objective of the meeting is to create a space for discussion and reflection on the cultural, touristic and educational use of cemeteries, which will allow new visions and proposals to be obtained in this regard. At the same time, contributions, proposals or personal experiences about history, iconography, art, architecture and urbanism, anthropology, rituals, educational use of cemeteries, etc. are welcome.

Call for papers

Those interested to participate should send their application before Sunday, June 16, 2019, to the email address redcementeriospatrimoniales@gmail.com (Permanent Secretariat Ibero-American Network for the Assessment and Management of Cemeteries).

Details about the meeting and conditions of participation
Registration form for exhibitors

More information

For more information, contact:
Francisco José Rodríguez Marín
fjrodriguez@uma.es
Dptº. de Hª. del Arte
Facultad de Fª. y Letras desp. 211 tfno. 952131738
Facultad de Turismo desp. 31 tfno. 952133244 fjrodriguez@uma.es

or visit the website http://redcementeriospatrimoniales.blogspot.com/

XVI National Symposium of the Funeral Sector (Granada, Spain)

On 30th September and 1st October 2015, the XVI National Symposium of the Funeral Sector will be held in Granada (Spain).