The Singing Heritage Route, which spans Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, was among three new routes certified by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) this month.

Connecting practices including the Sámi joik, luohti and leu'dd, Baltic Finnic runosong, Seto leelo, Latgalian pusbolss and Lithuanian sutartinės, the route highlights long-standing community singing traditions in each country that helped preserve language, culture and identity before the introduction of written language.

Linking connected sites from museums and libraries to festivals and traditional settlements, the Baltic-Nordic route is designed to support the preservation of these traditions through sustainable cultural tourism and regional development.

Also included in the route are related themes such as sauna culture, nature, food and memorial sites, alongside shared events like the Baltic song and dance festivals, which were recognized by UNESCO in 2003.

The initiative is managed by the Singing Heritage Route Association, based in Finland, which coordinated the route's application to the CoE program.

'Wonderful recognition'

Anni Alho of the Finnish Heritage Agency called the certification "wonderful recognition" for the region's singing traditions.

"The program also provides guidelines for developing cultural heritage and cultural tourism while supporting the continuity of operations," Alho added.

The CoE's Cultural Routes are 52 internationally recognized cooperation networks promoting Europe's shared cultural heritage and sustainable tourism.

Also recognized this month alongside the Singing Heritage Route were the European Paganini Route, which highlights the legacy of Genoese violinist Niccolò Paganini, and the Via Querinissima, which retraces the 15th century journey of Venetian merchant Pietro Querini from modern-day Crete to Belgium.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!