The HIKE4ALL project, funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme with a total budget of 300,000 euros, promotes hiking as an inclusive, holistic activity that enhances health, social interaction, and cultural tourism along Europe’s cultural routes, with a special focus on inclusion and accessibility. A spin-off of the HIKE project (2024-2025), HIKE4ALL has a duration of 12 months, starting on January 2026, and brings together six partners from six countries:  

• European Association of the Via Francigena ways (EAVF) in Italy as project leader; 
• Association for the Cultural route of St. Olav Ways (ACSOW) in Norway;  
• Cyril and Methodius Route (ECRCM) in Czech Republic; 
• Fundación Camino Lebaniego (FCL) in Spain; 
• Culture Routes Society (CRS) in Türkiye; 
• Templars Heritage Route European Federation (TREF) in France. 

 

HIKE4ALL (“Hiking for ALL along the cultural routes”) expands the concept of hiking beyond physical exercise. It positions walking as a tool for active lifestyles, social participation, and proximity tourism, accessible to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. By engaging the general public, local communities, and disadvantaged groups – such as individuals with mobility or visual impairments, rural populations, youth with cognitive disabilities, former inmates on their way of social rehabilitation, and those recovering from substance use disorders – the project fosters an environment where everyone can safely enjoy outdoor activity, raising awareness of the health, psychological and social benefits of walking. 

Each of the six countries will host 3-day participatory hiking events between Spring and Autumn 2026, along the following routes:  

• Via Francigena in Italy;  

• Saint Olav Way in Norway; 

• Camino de Santiago in Spain; 

• Cyril and Methodius Route in Czech Republic; 

• St. Paul Trail in Türkiye; 

• Templars Heritage Route in France.  

 

These walks will be enriched with animations, environmental awareness activities, sports demonstrations, and workshops on healthy lifestyles, on the benefits of walking and on accessibility topics. All events will be accessible and tailored to specific local target groups, ensuring a welcoming environment for participants with diverse needs and physical abilities. 

By promoting non-competitive outdoor activity, the project supports active citizenship and encourages regular use of cultural routes for walking, group sports and proximity tourism, creating accessible sport opportunities for all.  

Beyond public participation, HIKE4ALL strengthens local capacity and fosters knowledge exchange on inclusive event planning, accessibility solutions, and regional adaptations. The project also equips municipalities, clubs and associations with methodologies for creating holistic hiking events, using cultural routes as local assets for sport, health, and social interaction. 

The specific objectives of the project are: 

• To conduct a series of hiking events in Italy, Czech Republic, France, Norway, Spain and Türkiye during 6 long weekends along the selected stretches of the Via Francigena in Piedmont (Italy), the Zlín Region in the proximity of the Modrá municipality of the Saint Cyril and Methodius Route (Czech Republic), the Route of the Templars in Aube Departement(France), the Saint Olav Way in Sarpsborg (Norway), the Saint James Way in Cantabria (Spain), and the St Paul Trail in the Lake Region (Türkiye). The hikes will be designed for local communities and visitors, including disadvantaged groups which will vary in each country, with a special attention to HEPA (Health-Enhancing Physical Activity), inclusivity and active lifestyle. 
• To provide access to sports and HEPA through the provision and maintenance of well-marked and maintained cultural routes which give the ability to enjoy the local territories, including tangible and intangible heritage in a sustainable way. Daily animation and side activities during the hikes will introduce environmental (cleaning up the routes) and cultural elements (cultural visits), other sports (bicycling, yoga sessions, etc) and nutrition and stretching during the hikes. 
• To equip municipalities, associations and communities with tools and knowledge for organising inclusive, holistic hiking events through practical workshops and shared methodologies, aiming to support stakeholders in replicating and scaling inclusive hiking models across Europe.
• To strengthen inclusivity by designing walking events and activities adapted to varied physical, social and economic needs, removing participation barriers, engaging vulnerable groups such as individuals with mobility or visual impairments, rural populations, youth with cognitive disabilities, former inmates on their way of social rehabilitation, and those recovering from substance use disorders. 
• To increase awareness of HEPA across generations and social groups in six participating countries by disseminating project materials, toolkit, European Manual, workshop materials and hike’s methodology in an open access. 

 

The project’s concluding conference in France will present results from all six countries and facilitate the exchange of best practices among partners, stakeholders and experts. This final gathering, combined with a short symbolic hike, will lay the foundation for long-term collaboration and the wider replication of HIKE4ALL’s inclusive approach across Europe’s cultural routes. 

In the long term, HIKE4ALL aims to make hiking events more inclusive across Europe, expand access to cultural routes, and demonstrate how these infrastructures can serve communities through sport, well-being, cultural awareness and sustainable tourism.