On 16–17 May 2025, the HIKE project was presented during the General Assembly of the HIKE partner, European Association of the Via Francigena Ways (AEVF), held in the Department of Aube, Grand Est region, France. The event brought together over 100 institutional members, representatives of regions and municipalities, and stakeholders across the Via Francigena network in the UK, France, Switzerland and Italy, offering an important occasion to showcase HIKE’s achievements in line with other activities of the Association and reinforce its European scope.
Apart from AEVF members, the event welcomed representatives from sister cultural route organisations, as well as experts in sustainable tourism, heritage promotion, and the organisation of walking events across Europe. This enriched the dialogue on synergies between cultural mobility and local development.
In particular, the event marked an important step in the legacy and continuation of HIKE. One of the highlights of the Assembly was the signing of a cooperation agreement between AEVF and the Templar Route European Federation (TREF), a candidate route for Council of Europe certification. TREF has joined AEVF, CRS and other organisations in the preparation of the HIKE spin-off project, a new proposal submitted under the latest Erasmus+ Sport call (call results are still to come). Building on the methods and outcomes of HIKE, this new project aims to expand the model to more countries and target groups, strengthening cross-border cooperation and further embedding cultural routes as tools for health, inclusion, and sustainable tourism.
Another agreement was signed between AEVF and the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre – the body managing France’s national trail network and responsible for the French stretch of the Via Francigena. This collaboration reinforces the shared commitment to promoting walking as a tool for sustainable tourism, well-being, and cultural discovery – values at the core of the HIKE project.
Following the Assembly, a follow-up meeting was held with representatives of the Puglia Region, who coordinated the HIKE activities in Italy in 2024:
On the second day of the event, participants joined a series of short hikes around Troyes, exploring emblematic sites along both the Templar Route and the Via Francigena.
The synergy between the organisations reflected the multiplier effect of European cooperation projects and the solid legacy created by HIKE. It showed how initiatives focused on sustainable walking tourism and cultural routes can foster deeper cooperation among regions, create lasting networks, and generate new opportunities for sustainable development, public well-being, and social inclusion.
A quick insight into the HIKE and DETOUR projects from AEVF’s EU Projects Teamleader Elena Dubinina, recorded at the General Assembly in Troyes:
Learn more about the event here: link