Europe strives in numerous ways to honour both the history and heritage of its different peoples and to unite in a common community for the good of all. The European Institute of Cultural Routes, established in 1998, is developing cultural routes that assist both Europeans and visitors alike to appreciate the interconnectivity of what may seem like separate histories, and increase cross-cultural understanding.
Trace the development of early cities astride the Rhine in Alsace and the Black Forest, through the legacy of Heinrich Schickhardt. Schickhardt, nicknamed “the Swabian Leonardo da Vinci”, was a prolific Renaissance architect, and also an important urban planner and inventor. See his works in the fairytale towns of Montbeliard and Riquewihr. See Schickhardt’s signature in Stuttgart’s lovely Schillerplatz. Fruedenstadt, featuring one of the biggest market squares in Germany, and a great place for hiking and spa holidays in the nearby health resort of Baiersbronn.
We often associate architects with buildings, yet some of Europe’s’ most important architects turned their talents to parks and gardens. Andre Le Notre is the genius behind many fabulous gardens in France, including those at Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte, and Chantilly. Another important garden architect is Capability Brown, who helped make Britain the garden capital it is today, with his works at Blenheim Palace and Warwick Castle, for example. In Italy the vast gardens of the Medicis are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Belgium has a treasury of gardens at its many châteaux, well worth a visit! Not to be missed are the lovely Moorish-influenced patios and pools gracing the gardens of Andalusia in Spain. Gardens aren’t just historical souvenirs, they’re still being built: On both banks of the Rhine is the Jardin des Deux Rives, an ultra-modern park opened in 2004 to promote unity between Strasbourg, and Kehl, Germany.
One of the most famous religious routes is the Way of St. James, or in Spanish, el Camino de Santiago. This is more accurately a collection of routes leading from numerous destinations in Europe to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The cathedral is the focus of this important pilgrimage because it is believed that the remains of the apostle St James are buried there.
Over 800 years old and still in use, these Walking routes have fostered cultural exchange of incalculable importance and provide a unifying perspective for all of Europe; the Camino de Santiago is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a European Cultural Route because of its great historical and cultural value.
A large proportion of the pilgrims en route to Compostela came through France, which has an enormous network of routes studded with hundreds of religious sites, many of them on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Shrine Towns of France, if not on The Way of St. James, were often reason for a detour, being important pilgrimage sites in their own rite.
In the eastern Mediterranean, you can follow the footsteps of Paul the Apostle: Beginning in Antioch, (now Antakya, Turkey), sail to Cyprus, venturing next to modern-day Turkey and further westward to Greece. Here, following his route will bring you to Kavala, Filippi, Thessalonica, Veria, Athens-Piraeus, Corinth, and to the isle of Kefalonia before you conclude in Rome , where St. Paul brought the gospel to Europe.
Jewish heritage sites in Europe compose religious routes of history and remembrance. The early history of the Jewish people in Europe makes for fascinating travel on the Caminos de Sefarad of Spain. The Alsace region has teamed up with Spain and other organizations to develop the European Jewish Heritage Cultural Route. Belgium received waves of Jewish immigration for centuries, from Roman times through the Ottoman Empire and into the 20th century.
It’s well-known that the Romans were great builders; in Europe they constructed an immense network of roads (approximately 100,000 km, more than 62,000 miles) during the 800 years of the Empire, and sprinkled Europe with cities and monuments that still attract great numbers of visitors today, often in the heart of areas rich in other tourist attractions.
Some 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire needed a way to maintain a firm hold on its conquests: it was imperative to build a main road for military use that would allow communication among the provinces.
Originally a military route, the Via Domitia, the first road to be built in Gaul (France), rapidly became a conduit for communication and commerce, facilitating the settlement of all of southern Gaul. The road begins in Italy, crosses the south of France and over the Pyrenees all the way to Spain, where the Via Augusta takes over and continues on into Andalucía.