Vážení členové, partneři, přátelé,

It is our pleasure to present an overview of information about the activities from the perspective of the Secretariat of the association European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius for the period 1/2022 - 7/2022.

Delegation in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, photo: ECRCM archive.

On 14 February 2022, Zuzana Vojtová, the Director of the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius, signed a memorandum on a joint process in the development of the Cyril and Methodius Route and cooperation with two important Roman basilicas that have a historical link to the Cyrillo-Methodian mission - the Basilica of Saint Clement, where Saint Cyril was buried, and the Basilica of Saint Praxedes, where Saints Cyril and Methodius stayed during their stay in Rome. An important meeting was also held in the papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the Slavonic liturgy was approved in 822 AD. The working trip to Rome, which was prepared by the Embassy of the Czech Republic to the Holy See and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Italy, was led by the Governor of the Zlín Region, Mr. Radim Holiš.

Signing of the Memorandum in the Basilica of St. Clement in Rome, photo: ECRCM archive.

The Cyril and Methodius Route - Cultural Route of the Council of Europe has won a special prize from the COT group in the new category of Best Sustainable Tourism Project at the 15th annual Czech Tourism Grand Prix. The prize - a polished bowl - was handed over to the association's representatives at the Holiday World fair in Prague on 18 March 2022. The project was one of 15 awarded out of a total of 52 submitted projects in the field of tourism in the Czech Republic. The jury appreciated the excellent idea to present Slavic culture and history. According to the jury, it is a successful sustainable tourism project. Its international overlap and its origin in the Czech Republic were positively evaluated. 

Award Ceremony at Holiday World Prague, photo: COT group.

Presentation in the Stucco Hall of the Archbishop's Castle, photo by M. Peterka.

This year, two General Assembly meetings of the European Cultural Route of Sts Cyril and Methodius took place on 11 January and 20 April 2022. At these meetings, four new members were admitted to the association: the Bratislava Self-Governing Region (Slovakia), the Regional Tourism Organisation of the Nitra Region (Slovakia), the Zraka association from Draganić (Croatia) and the European Association of Romea Strata (Italy). The members of the association also approved an international development strategy until 2030, read here: Membership - Cyril and Methodius Route - Cultural Route of the Council of Europe (cyril-methodius.cz)

GA Meeting of the Association Held on 20 April in Zlín and Online, photo by: M. Peterka.

In April 2022, the members of the European Cultural Route of Sts Cyril and Methodius from the Slovak Republic elected the Regional Tourism Organisation of the Nitra Region as their National Coordinator for the development of the route in accordance with the current statutes of the association for a fixed period of time, i.e. from 28 April 2022 to 28 April 2026. The representative of the National Coordinator in the performance of its duties is Zuzana Palenčíková PhD. The establishment of the National Coordinators for the development of the Cyril and Methodius Route was made possible by an amendment to the statutes in 2021. The National Coordinator initiates the all-round development and expansion of the partner network of the association in the state in which it was elected by the members of the association. Activities of coordinator are co-financed by the association.

The event held on 9-11 May 2022 at the Thessaloniki History Centre was organized by Aristotle University in cooperation with its Centre for the Study of the Cultural Heritage of Cyril and Methodius, the Ministry of Interior for Macedonia and Thrace, the City of Thessaloniki and the Thessaloniki History Centre. The Cyril and Methodius Route and its European potential was also discussed. The conference was attended by members of the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius association - representatives of the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (Slovakia) and the Cyrillo-Methodian Research Centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia (Bulgaria). The varied scientific programme was enriched by the vespers in the Church of Sts Cyril and Methodius and an educational programme for students of the Aristotle University "The Writing Game" on the influence of the Greek script on the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet.

Opening of the Conference and Exhibition in Thessaloniki, photo by: A. Delikari.

Awarding the Council of Europe Certificate to the Members of the ECRCM, photo by: J. Balát.

The international conference "Cyril and Methodius Route - Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" was held on 17 May 2022 in Zlín (Czech Rep.) at the "Desítka" Gallery. The conference was organised in cooperation with the Zlín Region on the occasion of the official award of the certificate "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" to the Cyril and Methodius Route by the representative of the Council of Europe and the Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes in Luxembourg, Mr. Stefano Dominioni. The event was attended by 80 participants from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Italy and Luxembourg. Detailed information is available here: Conference - Cyril and Methodius Route - Cultural Route of the Council of Europe (cyril-methodius.cz)

Awarding the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe Certificate, photo by: J. Balát.

On 6 June 2022 at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Rome, representatives of the European Association Via Francigena ways and the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two Routes. The ceremony took place in the presence the Councillor for Mobility Policies of the Municipality of Rome Eugenio Patanè and the representatives of the two associations, the Municipality of Rome, the Region of Zlín and the Region of Lazio. Both Routes are part of the 48 cultural routes certified by the Council of Europe, whose program currently involves 36 European countries.

“I am pleased that we have managed to agree on cooperation in the area of creating a joint cultural tourism offer along the Cyril and Methodius Route and Via Francigena, by taking advantage of joint opportunities for development projects and marketing,“ said Lubomír Traub, chairman of the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius. “The Via Francigena serves to develop dialogue between Anglo-Saxon and Mediterranean Europe. With this act we integrate Western Europe with Eastern Europe. Thus we can develop a dialogue throughout Europe, which is why this signature is so important“, said EAVF’s President Massimo Tedeschi. “Rome is approaching a very important appointment because in 2025 we will celebrate the jubilee. Therefore, the paths of faith will have an even greater significance that year than they do now,“ added Councillor Patanè. 

Signing of the Memorandum at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Italy, photo: ECRCM archive.

The Cyril and Methodius Route participated in the Cultural Routes Training Academy held in Fontainebleau on 31 May - 3 June 2022. The event was attended by more than 60 representatives of cultural routes who came from 17 different countries. The Academy was organised by the European Institute of Cultural Routes with the Impressionisms Routes, the Council of Europe‘s certified route since 2018, in partnership with the Seine-et-Marne district and the French Ministry of Culture. The training seminar focused on innovative new trends and strategies in cultural tourism, synergies and projects, good practices, as well as relations with international organisations such as the European Union, the European Commission, UNESCO and UNWTO.

Training Academy in Fontainebleau, photo by M. Peterka.

The "Youth - Hope for the Future" concerts were prepared in cooperation between two regions - Zlín and Trenčín, in honour of the European Year of Youth in 2022. The intention was to support the current generation of young people, who have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and war in Ukraine, through culture and art with young people. The concerts took place on 29 June 2022 in the Basilica in Velehrad and on 2 July 2022 in the pilgrimage rock sanctuary of Divine Mercy on Mount Butkov in cooperation with the Zlín and Trenčín Regions, are a clear declaration that music, singing and deep thoughts contribute to the strengthening and healing of the soul. 

Performers: Choir of Stojan's Gymnasium Velehrad, RB:BOYS & Radek Blahuš, Katarína and Jan Všetečka from Elementary Art School of the King Svatopluk in Nitra, School Choir of Piarist Gymnasium Jozef Branecký Trenčín PIARISSIMO.

The secretariat of the European Cultural Route of Sts Cyril and Methodius was informed by Pavel Přílepek, chairman of the markers of the Czech Hiking Club, that the marking of the Cyril and Methodius hiking trail Velehrad  –  Levý Hradec near Prague was completed this year. Only the section through the centre of Prague, where the club‘s trails do not lead, remains unmarked. There is a possiblity to use public transport through the capital‘s centre. In the centre of Prague, there are important Cyrillo-Methodian monuments that should not be missed by tourists and pilgrims – whether it is Vyšehrad, the Emmaus Monastery, the Cyril and Methodius churches in Resslova Street or in Karlín, St. Clement churches in Klementinum, Holešovice or Old Town, Charles Bridge with the sculpture of Sts Cyril and Methodius or St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle.

After an agreement with the Czech Hikign Club, in 2022 the marking of another Cyrillo-Methodian hiking trail started: Velehrad – Kroměříž – Olomouc – Opava as the so-called Archbishop's route. Kroměříž is the former summer residence of the bishops of Olomouc. Olomouc is one of the most important locations in terms of the continuous Cyrillo-Methodian tradition as the seat of the Moravian Catholic Archbishops, successors of Methodius, and there are many monuments connected with this cultural tradition: the Archbishop's Palace, the Archdiocesan Museum, Olomouc Castle, St. Wenceslas Cathedral, Olomouc Museum of Art, the Holy Trinity Column – a UNESCO monument, the nearby pilgrimage site Svatý Kopeček, etc. Tourist trails are available to public via Mapy.cz web portal and application.

A week-long pilgrimage from Velehrad to Nitra along the 210-kilometre-long Cyrillo-Methodian Trail from 27 June to 5 July 2022 culminated at the Slovak national Cyrillo-Methodian celebrations called Nitra, krásna Nitra. Pilgrims from Velehrad brought to the main organisers of the celebrations – the Mayor of Nitra, Marek Hattas, the President of the Nitra Self-Governing Region, Milan Belica, and the Bishop of Nitra, Mons. Viliam Judák – gingerbread hearts from Velehrad. Thanks to the wish of the Bishop of Nitra, the heart was even handed over from the hands of pilgrims to the main celebrant of the Slovak National Holy Mass Mons. Bober, Archbishop of Košice. From the Archepark Modrá they brought a replica of a Great Moravian ceramic vessel – a canteen, which was presented to the costumed Pribina, the former Great Moravian prince, by the main organizer of the walking tour, Petr Hirsch. In return, he received from Pribina mead from the Nitra region, Pribina's medal, a decorative knife for opening correspondence with a handle in the shape of a Slavic-Avar belt and a rosary from the Archbishop of Košice.

"Symbolically, the pilgrimage confirmed the friendly relations along the ever-expanding Cyril and Methodius Route and also commemorated the 1,200th anniversary of the first written mention of the Moravians in the old Frankish Chronicle," said Zuzana Vojtová, Director of the European Cultural Route of Sts Cyril and Methodius.

Reception of Pilgrims in the Bishop's Residence at Nitra Castle, photo by M. Peterka.

At Nitra Castle, a living logo of the Cyril and Methodius Route was created with the help of the participants of the historical procession around the Proglas monument – a sculptural work depicting the oldest Slavic literary monument written in Glagolitic. 

The reception of the pilgrims, who were travelling from Velehrad, at the private residence of Bishop Judák was beautiful. He not only prepared refreshments for them, but also allowed them to see the unique places of Nitra Castle. He also presented the pilgrims and the association with the book Cradle of Christianity in Slovakia – Nitra Castle and the Cathedral of St. Emmeram in the Changes of Time, which he co-authored.

Living Cyril and Methodius Logo at Nitra Castle, photo by: City of Nitra archive.

Part of the varied cultural, spiritual, historical and social programme of the Nitra festivities were events along other Cyrillo-Methodian trails in Slovakia: about 30 people set out on an adventurous journey from the Church of St. Michael in Dražovce, through the Zobor Monastery and Martin’s Hill to the Nitra Castle (12 km) and 40 cyclists took part in the two-day cycle tour Nitra – Močenok – Trnava and back.

Music of Terchová at the Opening in the Nitra Synagogue, photo: City of Nitra archive.

This year, the Municipality of Terchová, which has been a member of the international association European Cultural Route of Sts Cyril and Methodius since 2019, also presented itself in Nitra. Representatives of the Municipality of Terchová opened an exhibition created in 2019 on the occasion of the 30th annual Cyrillo-Methodian Days held in Terchová in the Nitra Synagogue, accompanied by Music of Terchová (UNESCO intangible heritage), and thus invited to the traditional celebrations in their municipality.

The Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Nitra has opened an exhibition "Returns to Roots", commemorating a number of finds in the area, such as a bell and plaques from the Bojná hillfort, which symbolise the beginnings of Christian culture in the area of today's Slovakia. The Nitra, Lovely Nitra festivities ended in Bojná with the Cyrillo-Methodian Celebrations on 9 July with a varied programme including living history performances and a Holy Mass in the natural setting of the hillfort.

In total, the Nitra, Lovely Nitra festival was attended by about 18,000 visitors who enjoyed many friendly encounters in the beautiful surroundings of the historic city and its surroundings. Alongside the Days of People of Good Will in Velehrad, the Cyrillo-Methodian and Pribina celebrations in Nitra are the main celebrations of the legacy of the Slavic Saints in Central Europe. This year, too, they offered an attractive programme for locals, pilgrims and tourists. They also contributed significantly to the visibility of the international Cyril and Methodius Route. 

See videos: Nitra, milá Nitra, Pribinove a Cyrilo-metodské slávnosti 2022 (3.-5. júl 2022) - YouTube

Dny lidí dobré vůle - Velehrad 2022 - YouTube

A new outdoor activity was prepared for tourist season 2022 for those who like to discover new places and go to nature. Wandering without Borders in the Footsteps of Slavic Heritage includes 17 monuments in Moravia (east of Czech Republic) and 15 monuments in western Slovakia such as former Slavic settlements, pilgrim sites, sacral and other monuments. A printed card with quiz questions is prepared for each place, and the most capable can solve the secret written in the original Slavic script – Glagolitic. The tourist product was prepared by the association European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius in cooperation with the Regional Tourism Organization Trenčín Region within the cross-border project ‘Cyril and Methodius Route – Living Cultural Heritage‘ co-financed by the Interreg V-A SK–CZ program and Zlín Region. For more information on the activity, visit www.putujmebezhranic.cz or ‘Putujme bez hranic‘ mobile app.

"Cyril and Methodius Route - Culture and Education without Borders" is another Czech-Slovak cross-border project prepared by the European Cultural Route of Sts Cyril and Methodius Association. It will be implemented in cooperation with the Local Cultural Centre in Terchová (Slovakia) and will enable the creation of worksheets and methodological sheets for schools and leisure facilities focusing on the connecting Cyril and Methodius legacy, which is the Slavonic script. Study tours, workshops, a creative challenge for school pupils and a final conference with a travelling exhibition will be organised in cooperation with lecturers and artists. The project is scheduled to the end of March 2023.

The project "Cultural Routes 5.0" was submitted to the Interreg Central Europe programme in February 2022 by the Italian City of Udine in cooperation with partners from Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland - Via Romea Strata, Via Francigena, Via Romea Germanica and the Cyril and Methodius Route. During the implementation period 2023-2025, a joint accessible tourism offer and the digitisation of selected sections of the trails are to be created. The project is in the evaluation phase.

The Cyril and Methodius Route project was also approved for implementation this year, aimed at realising a study trip to Trondheim, Norway, to exchange experiences and good practices with another certified route - the St. Olav Ways. The trip and the establishment of deeper cooperation with the help of Norwegian funds is expected to take place in May 2023.

Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (Slovakia) has just joined the University Network for Cultural Routes Studies. A General Framework Agreement for Collaboration between the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR) and Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra was signed by Mr. Stefano Dominioni, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) and EICR Director, and Mr. Peter Ivanič, Professor at the Institute for Research of Constantine and Methodius’ Сultural Heritage (Faculty of Arts of the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitry). University in Nitra is a member of the network of the Cyril and Methodius Route.

More information: Agreement with the European Institute of Cultural Routes - Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre (ukf.sk)

7 summer thematic events on the topic "Slavs – how they lived here and what they left us" have been prepared in the Bratislava region in Slovakia.  In August, you can visit, for example, the interactive workshop Meeting Great Moravia in Svätý Jur by the Old Theatre of Karol Spišák and a guided tour of the Neštich fortress (20 August) or an educational theatre and swordplay programme in Modra and a tour of the Zámčisko fortress (27 August). More information: SLOVANIA- ako žili a čo nám zanechali – Slovenský Dom Centrope

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and the European Institute of Cultural Routes, in cooperation with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism, the Greek National Tourism Organization, the Region of Crete, the Municipality of Chania, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Chania, and the Historic Cafes Route are pleased to announce that the 11th Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Annual Advisory Forum will take place on 5 -7 October 2022 in Chania, Crete, Greece. This year’s Forum will be devoted to the theme, “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Safeguarding European Values, Heritage, and Dialogue”.  Each certified route is invited to present its good practices and a series of meetings.

Evropská kulturní stezka sv. Cyrila a Metoděje, z.s.p.o.

J. A. Bati 5520

760 01 Zlín

Česká republika

Tel: +420 577 043 904

E-mail: info@cyril-methodius.eu

Web: www.cyril-methodius.eu