Cultural Route of the Council of Europe
Cyril and
Methodius Route
Discover a profound, eleven-century-long impact on the cultural history and cultural identity of the Slavs
Hiking
Trails
Cyril and Methodius Route
Heritage
Alive
Cyril and Methodius Route
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Cyril and methodius route
hiking
trails
Welcome to the Route with more than 5000 km of hiking trails.
Heritage
Alive
Cyril and Methodius Route
Cultural
Route
Cyril and Methodius Route
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Cyril and methodius route
Heritage
Alive
Discover locations connected with Cyril and Methodius Cultural Heritage.
Cultural
Route
Cyril and Methodius Route
Hiking
Trails
Cyril and Methodius Route
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Cyril and Methodius Route
Cultural Route of the Council of Europe
EXPERIENCE | KNOWLEDGE | AWARENESS
Discover a profound, eleven-century-long impact
on the cultural history and cultural identity of the Slavs
Get to Know
the Cyril and Methodius Route
Exploration connected with movement in nature and visiting cultural sites nad institutions that preserve cultural heritage of the Slavs. Hike on the trails of the Route, discover cultural heritage of Cyril and Methodius or get acquainted with the Association. Then find out more information about this unique Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.
Latest from Cyril and Methodius Route.
Are you interested in what has been happening on the Route? We provide you with news about cultural events, itineraries, conferences and workshops and much more. Scroll down with the mouse and click on any image below. You can check out the calendar of events which can be found in the main menu of the website.
Focusing on ...
The Association focuses on different developing and sustainable activities. They are as a result presenting variety of the cultural heritage of Saints Cyril and Methodius and their followers.
Network of Slavic heritage
From the first Slavic script - Glagolitic - and the Old Slavic language to the present.
Network of locations
Interesting places connected with the spread of the Cyril and Methodius legacy.
Network of trails
Inspired by the journey of Slavic missionaries and their followers.
Network of events
Cultural and educational activities throughout the year.
Network of products
Tourism products - coordinated under the common logo of the Cyril and Methodius Route.
Network of institutions
Maintaining the heritage of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
The Essence of the Cyril and Methodius Heritage
The main focus of the Route is cultural ideas and cultural content. These were introduced by Cyril and Methodius during the mission they led primarily among the Slavs of Great Moravia from 863 to 868. (Their mission activities also included the Slavs of the polity of Lower Pannonia).
The mission led by Cyril and Methodius was undertaken as a response from Byzantine Emperor Michael III to the request of Duke Rastislav of Great Moravia. Firstly, introducing an intelligible language for the sacred and public use in that Slavic polity. Secondly, buttressing and strengthening Christian faith of their inhabitants. Cyril and Methodius, however, not only refined the Slavic vernacular (by supplementing vocabulary and grammar) to meet the needs of theological, philosophical, legislative, administrative, and literary discourse. In fact, they boldly went even further, with Constantine inventing a script tailored to fit the Slavic phonemic system – the Glagolitic script.
At the end of the 9th century, the Cyrillic script was created in the South Slavic lands. Most likely in the Bulgarian Khanate. While the Glagolitic script was still relatively widely used during the 11th century (especially within the Ohrid Literary School), from the 12th century onward the Cyrillic script prevailed. It served as the equivalent of the Greek alphabet for Slavs of the Eastern Rite, who lived in the civilizational and political environment of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Glagolitic script remained in use among Croatians, with the last Glagolitic text printed in 1927.