WDEC 2025 in Lisbon

Explore the legacy of the Portuguese press and help children reflect on life and death through captivating activities at Alto de São João Cemetery during WDEC 2025.

Guided Tour: Figures from the Portuguese Press

On 24 May 2025, at 11:00 AM, a themed guided tour will take place at the Alto de São João Cemetery, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of journalist João Chagas - a prominent figure in the Portuguese press and political life of the early 20th century.

The tour will explore the lives and careers of influential journalists buried at this cemetery, tracing the evolution of the Portuguese press through their stories. Visitors will gain insight into the history behind some of the most widely read newspapers of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Diário de Notícias, O Século, and A Capital, and develop a deeper understanding of the social and political impact of the press in Portugal’s recent history.

Workshop: The skeleton responds

On 25 May 2025, at 11:00 AM, a special philosophy workshop for children will take place at the Alto de São João Cemetery. Designed for children aged 7 to 11 (accompanied by an adult), this engaging session invites participants to explore some of life’s biggest questions, starting with one of the hardest - death.

Part of a series of philosophy workshops for children, this "vital workshop on fatal matters" will take as its starting point the questions collected in previous workshops to seek answers in the cemetery. After visiting the cemetery and observing their surroundings, children and adults will be encouraged to reflect, share their thoughts, and discuss the topic together.

Led by Joana Rita Sousa, the workshop will be conducted in Portuguese and offers a thoughtful, age-appropriate introduction to philosophical inquiry.

Additional information

For any questions regarding the guided tour or the workshop, please contact cemiterios.visitas@cm-lisboa.pt.

New Guillotière Cemetery at WorldSkills Lyon 2024

As part of the WorldSkills 2024 event, the Municipality of Lyon will host two workshops at the New Guillotière Cemetery in Lyon, France.

About the WorldSkills event

WorldSkills is an international competition that brings together young professionals from around the globe to showcase their expertise in a variety of skilled trades and vocational disciplines. It serves as a platform to promote global standards in education and industry skills. This year, the event will take place in Lyon, France, from September 10 to 15, 2024, featuring competitions, workshops, and exhibitions that highlight technical and vocational skills.

Workshops at the New Guillotière Cemetery

As part of the WorldSkills 2024 event and the company open days on September 13 and 14, the Municipality of Lyon, a member of ASCE, will host two unique workshops at the New Guillotière Cemetery in Lyon, France.

The first workshop invites attendees to stroll through the cemetery's tranquil paths, where they will discover famous tombs, renaturation efforts, and various traces of history with the help of a dedicated guide using the mobile app ARtour.

While the cemetery itself is a place of beauty and history, the work behind the scenes is equally vital. The second workshop focuses on the administrative side of cemetery management, offering a rare glimpse into the services and professions that are sometimes hidden from public view.

For additional information, please contact vincent.tripier@mairie-lyon.fr.

Cemeteries as versatile places of learning

The Guillotière Nouveau Cemetery’s participation in WorldSkills Lyon 2024 is a testament to the diverse educational opportunities cemeteries offer. Beyond their traditional role, cemeteries serve as valuable resources for learning about art, history, architecture, flora, and fauna. Additionally, they provide insights into various professions and skills and demonstrate how modern technology can be effectively used to enrich the learning experience.

WDEC 2024 at the Vienna Central Cemetery

Discover some of the many activities related to environmental sustainability taking place at the Vienna's Central Cemetery in Austria.

Celebrations of nature and biodiversity, along with recognition of cemeteries' significant impact on the urban environment, are present throughout the year at the Vienna Central Cemetery. Here are some of the events centered around environmental sustainability happening at the cemetery during the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2024 and beyond:

➤Photography Exhibitions
Admire photographs capturing the wildlife at cemeteries.

➤Bee-Friendly Initiatives
Learn about the role of bees and how cemeteries can support bee populations.
25.5.2024, at 10.00 am and 12.00 am

➤ Wildlife Photography Workshop
Participate in a photography workshop focused on capturing wildlife at the cemetery.
8.6.2024, at 9.00 am

➤ Biodiversity at the Cemetery
Explore the biodiversity present on cemeteries.
6.6.2024 and 14.6.2024, at 3.00 pm

➤ Urban gardening
Visit the workshop to learn more about gardening.
15.6.2024, at 4.00 pm

➤ Nature Experience for Children
Children can join a special guided tour that introduces them to nature on the cemetery grounds. It’s a great opportunity for exploration and learning!
22.6.2024, at 2.00 pm

For more information and more events visit the website of Friedhöfe Wien and celebrate with us.

2° Cultural Routes Academic Workshop

We invite you to attend the 2° Cultural Routes Academic Workshop, which will take place online on 7th December 2023.

About the workshop

Following a successful first edition in 2021, the European Institute of Cultural Routes (Technical Agency of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme) in cooperation with the University Network for Cultural Routes Studies is organising its second academic workshop with the purpose of bringing together scholars, researchers, and students to exchange and share their research outcomes in the field of Cultural Routes studies.

The workshop will be held entirely online on Thursday, 7th December 2023, via the Zoom platform and streamed through the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Facebook page @CultureRoutes.

Program

The program will feature the presentation of theoretical perspectives, state of the art research reports, case studies and research work relating to Cultural Routes from a variety of disciplines and universities across Europe. Presentations and discussions will revolve around four main themes:

1. Redefining cultural routes: exploring dynamic narratives of religious heritage and cultural assets.
2. A holistic approach to sustainable tourism and community engagement along cultural routes.
3. Cultural routes for all: digitalization and accessibility for an inclusive cultural experience.
4. Addressing challenges and shaping the future of cultural routes through cooperation and innovative approaches.

A preliminary programme of the workshop can be found HERE.

Further details are available at https://www.coe.int/en/web/cultural-routes/academic-workshop-2023. 

We are pleased that, among other things, the results of the workshop "Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Tourism" will also be presented. A project from 2022 in which the European Cemeteries Route also participated. 

Participation at the workshop

European Cemeteries Route has been a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe since 2010. Therefore, we would like our representatives to attend the workshop with some interesting presentation topics.

We invite anyone who would like to participate in the workshop to send their presentation proposal in English to ioanna@significantcemeteries.org till 9th November 2023, so that we can review it before the official submission of the abstract to the organizers of the event.

You can find the entire call for papers HERE and the abstract template HERE.

Lisbon's 2nd Cultural Week in Cemeteries

Between 7th and 15th October 2023, guided tours, concerts, photo exhibitions, workshops, virtual lectures, and other activities will take place at Lisbon's cemeteries.

About the 2nd Cultural Week in Cemeteries

Lisbon City Council's Cemetery Management Division, in partnership with various entities and associations linked to cemetery art and heritage, is organising the 2nd edition of Cultural Week in Cemeteries, to be held between 7th and 15th October 2023. This edition will be extended to the municipalities of Loures, Setúbal and Vila Franca de Xira, which have also joined the initiative.

Program

As in the previous year, there will be guided tours of Lisbon's cemeteries, including the British and German cemeteries. The highlight of this edition will be five new themed tours, comprising one for pre-school children.

The program will also include concerts, photographic exhibitions and workshops, virtual lectures, night visits and other activities. There will be Open Days, where participants will be able to go inside mausoleums and other cemetery buildings that are not usually accessible to the public. 

Overall, there will be more than 30 different activities, all free of charge but require prior registration by email. The program of all events can be found HERE.

For any further information, please contact cemiterios.visitas@cm-lisboa.pt.