19 December 2023
The Horizon 2020 rurAllure project concludes on 31 December 2023. Over the past three years partners from six European countries worked together to enhance rural heritage along pilgrimage routes spanning 18 countries and over 11,000 km, creating a more appealing and accessible experience for visitors.
Focusing on diverse European routes rurAllure mapped and digitalised over 3,000 points of Interest – cultural and natural sites for a comprehensive visitor experience. Each project pilot, collaborating with local partners, delved into specific themes. The Camino de Santiago pilot focused on literary heritage in Northern Portugal and Spanish Galicia. For medieval routes to Rome—Via Francigena, Romea Strata, and Via Romea Germanica—thermal archaeology was explored in Tuscany, Montegrotto Terme area, and the Po River delta. The Scandinavian Saint Olav’s paths showcased ethnography, while the Way of Mary connected with natural wonders in Hungary, Slovakia, and Romanian Transylvania.
Among the main achievements of the project are the innovative pilgrims’ portal and mobile application, enabling travellers to plan trips, share experiences, explore local heritage and connect with local vendors offering services like transport and accommodation.
The project researchers produced a comprehensive policy brief (available in the Deliverables ) shared in round tables with the European Commission experts in 2022 and 2023. This engagement contributes rurAllure insights to shaping EU rural policies, fostering sustainable practices in rural areas.
rurAllure significantly bolstered its outreach at key tourism fairs, such as Italian “Fa’ la Cosa Giusta”, BIT, TTG Rimini and Spanish Fitur, emphasizing engagement through stand materials, round tables, and conferences. Additionally, the successful photo competition “Share your route” served as a powerful tool for community engagement, collecting over 7,000 photos and videos.
rurAllure achieved noteworthy public recognition through prestigious awards, such as the Skål Europe Sustainable Tourism Awards and Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism 2023. Moreover, its inclusion in Europeana and the UNWTO Tourim4SDGs platforms underscored the project’s commitment to sustainable cultural tourism.
rurAllure is not ending; instead, it enters a new phase in 2024. The first in its kind European Cooperation Network along Pilgrimage Routes, rurAllure spin off, officially launched in June 2023 in Gjøvik (NO), will take center stage. The Network fosters collaboration among public and private entities dedicated to promoting rural areas along major European routes, seeking to spur new economic activities and sharing best practices.
Thanks so much to the project coordinators Susana Reboreda Morillo and Martín López Nores, to all partners, collaborators and pilgrims who accompanied us on this beautiful journey, which still has many steps ahead.
This project has been funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement no 101004887.