The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Resolution CM/Res(2013)66 confirming the establishment of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA), defines a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe as:

     a cultural, educational heritage and tourism co-operation project aiming at the development and promotion of an itinerary or a series of itineraries based on a historic route, a cultural concept, figure or phenomenon with a transnational importance and significance for the understanding and respect of common European values.     

By means of a journey through space and time, the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe demonstrate how heritage and cultures of different and distant regions of Europe contribute to a shared cultural heritage. From this definition, a Cultural Route is not to be understood only as a physical pathway. The term is used in a more conceptual and general sense, referring to a network of sites or geographical areas that share a common theme and that connect community-based actions into bigger transnational networks.

Since 1987, the Council of Europe awards the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” certification to routes complying with the criteria established in Committee of Ministers Resolution CM Res(2023)2.

Certified Cultural Routes are recognized by the use of the official certification logo:

The certification is a quality-label recognised across Europe and beyond by visitors, tourism operators and public authorities alike, whose prestige is based on:

• Being awarded by a renowned international organisation.
• A rigorous evaluation and certification process, followed by regular evaluations and monitoring.
• A guarantee of excellence, innovation and high-quality standards
• International recognition.
• A methodology applied for more than 35 years in over 60 countries.
• Financial and political support of an increasing number of Council of Europe member States.
• A strong commitment towards the enhancement and promotion of shared European heritage, history and memory.