February 2023

Within the framework of France’s “Legacy program” for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, a cultural tourism measure aims to build a cultural route centered on sport heritage that is labeled “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe”. The French Ministry of Culture has already asked local authorities (including cities designated as  Terre de Jeux) to join this project.

An international association, the European Cultural Route of Sport (ECROS), has been created under the presidency of Burçak Madran (President of the International Council of Museums) to support this initiative. The project route will extend from Portugal to Turkey, and from Croatia to Finland. The IOC is represented within ECROS’ scientific council. Two major themes will be highlighted: (i) figures of sportsmen and women; and (ii) places linked to the history and practices of sport. The aim of this project is to create an itinerary built as an “archipelago” (under the same pattern as the European Route of Industrial Heritage), centered on the sport heritage, both tangible and intangible, and which that can enhance a wide variety of regions, as a way of promoting physical activity and sport practices.

In this respect, ECROS is looking for founding members (institutions, federations, associations…), members (all types of local authorities in each partner country…) and partners for concrete actions which ECROS could be associated with by 2024. The year 2023 will be a significant moment of events and entertainment. It is during this first quarter that proposals for tourist valorization are expected (in partnership with ECROS), serving as full-scale experiments for the project in progress.

To learn more about this project, visit the website of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and read ECROS’ Presentation and Membership information. European Olympic Cities interested in the ECROS project are invited to contact the organisation directly at ecros@ecros.eu.