Launched in 1987 with the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Routes, which served initially as a source of inspiration and became the reference point for the development of future activities, the Cultural Routes Programme aims at demonstrating in a visible way, by means of a journey through space and time, how the heritage of the different countries of Europe represents a shared cultural heritage.
The Programme is a framework for cooperation for the 48 signatories of the European Cultural Convention; its rules are defined in the Resolution 2007(12).

The European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR), which has been created in 1997 in Luxembourg, is in charge of examining the new proposals of cultural routes, monitoring field activities and coordinating the partner organisations and disseminating and archiving information documents.
The Council of Europe adopts new themes and routes, approves networks, awards "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe".

In 2004, the Cultural Routes in South Eastern Europe have been integrated by the Council of Europe as a new theme to the programme of Cultural Routes.
The Council of Europe will certainly consider in the next years the close relations between the Cultural Routes, their partners and initiatives and the pilot Corridors in South Eastern Europe in order to give to all of them a certification as a “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.”

Mr. Michel Thomas-Penette, Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes, Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg