Whilst in Spain recently, I noticed that, at a number of the sites/sights we visited, there were signs for "Cultural routes" of which I had not previously heard. Some appeared to be likely to be unique to Spain (E.g The Don Quixote route") but others could have a wider European dimension albeit with a Spanish dimension ("Route of the Castillan Language" first seen in Salamanca)) and others were generally European ("European Jewish Heritage Route" - first seen in Segovia). And all of them seemed to have a European flag on their signposts etc indicating a role for the EU in one of its many guises.

On my return I have followed this up - and indeed there is a an organisation titled "The European Institute of Cultural Routes" operating under the Council of Europe which has registered 29 Cultural routes to date. These divide into 2 categories -"Major Cultural Routes of Europe" and ....... wait for it ...... "Cultural Routes of Europe"!!! Here is a full list
1- Saint Martin of Tours, European figure, symbol of sharing (Certification Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2005)
2- Mozart Ways (Certification Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004)
3- Schickhardt itinerary (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004)
4- Don Quixote route (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2007)
5- The Phoenicians route(Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2007)
6- The Via Carolingia (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2007)
7- Transromanica – the Romanesque routes of European heritage (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2007)
8- The Via Regia (Certification Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2006)
9- The Santiago pilgrims routes (Certification Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004)
10- The Via Francigena (Certification Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004)
11- The ways of Saint Michael (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2007)
12- The St. Olav Ways (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe – 2010),
13- The network of Cluniac sites (Certification Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2006),
14- The European Route of Cistercian (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2010),
15- Vikings and Normans, European heritage (Certification Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004)
16 - Hanseatic sites, routes and monuments (Certification Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004),
17- The Pyrenean iron route (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004),
18- The Iron Road in Central Europe (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2007),
19- Parks and gardens, landscape (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004)
20- Fortified military architectures in Europe, Wenzel itinerary (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004), Vauban itinerary (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004)
21- The legacy of al-andalus (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004).
22- Castillan language and sefardic people in mediterranean areas (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2004)
23- European Jewish heritage route (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - 2005),
24- European routes of migration heritage (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe – 2007),
25- The routes of the olive tree (Certification Major Cultural - 2006)
26- Iter Vitis - The Ways of the Vineyards in Europe (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe – 2008),
27- Prehistoric Rock Art Trail (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe – 2010)
28- European Cemeteries Route (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe – 2010)
29- Thermal Heritage and Thermal Towns (Certification Cultural Route of the Council of Europe – 2010)

Most of these routes have Web sites -but all of them are in different formats and some of them even only act as portals to a variety of nationally based Web sites. Thsi link seems to provide the best list of Web sites http://www.via-regia.org/eng/kulturstrasse/laender.php

I notice that we already have a couple of European "Routes" as "Connections" but NEITHER is on this list (European Routes of Brick Gothic and Industrial Heritage) and so, I guess, they must have been created outwith the council of Europe scheme. We also have the Via Francigena identified as a "Connection" irrespective of its dual existence as a Cultural Route". Whilst the Santiago Route is a WHS in its own right.

How many of these 29 could generate further connections I don't know -c ertainly many of them include World Heritage Sites Cities/Towns and Buildings. In any case they might prove of interest.

The term "Route" seems to be taken quite loosely. They're more like our own connections.

Yes there seems to be a dual definition of "Routes" as
i. done by persons or groups in historical times
ii. created to link together a number of locations sharing a common historical aspect.
This list contains both. However, in both cases the Council of Europe regards their development as playing a "Unifying Role" in identifying and disseminating "Common European Values"!! The criteria adopted by the Council of Europe are listed here - https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=470017

I don't think the scheme is regarded as having been successful. See this presentation
http://www.pnts.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Council-of-Europe-Cultural-Routes.ppt
What amazes me are the costs and numbers of people involved as stated in the above presentation. But I must keep my anti-EU views in check!!

I realised I have encountered a lot of these as well without ever going through the effort of digging down into the detail. So thanks for doing the leg work. Also that Mozart Ways helps explain why I constantly see plaques saying "Mozart Lived here" everywhere I go in Western and Central Europe.