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Cultural heritage at the European Mountain Convention

22.10.2018

From 25 to 27 September 2018, nearly 200 mountain stakeholders from all over Europe gathered in Vatra Dornei, Romania, to participate in the European Mountain Convention on “Cultural Heritage as an Engine for Creativity, Innovation and Socioeconomic Development of Mountain areas”, organised jointly by Euromontana and several Romanian organizations, including the Mountain Areas Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The cultural heritage is particularly rich and diversified in mountain areas. It includes natural sites, monuments but also, agronomic, forestry and food practices, or traditions. “As a real asset rooted in the territory, a place-specific resource, cultural heritage requires better valorization and gives future possibilities to our youth and our mountains” explains Juanan Gutierrez, President of Euromontana.

Following three days of study visits, exchanges of good practices and debates, participants called upon the EU, national and regional institutions to better recognise this cultural and natural mountain heritage, included in the European Year of Culture and Heritage Declaration. Participants also called for the maintenance of an adequate level of funding for this mountain heritage and to better preserve and valorise this place-specific resource which represents a source of jobs, included in remote mountain areas.

Developing a more modern and innovative approach to cultural heritage also contributes to developing new Smart Villages and revitalising our mountain areas, both by developing appropriate digital infrastructures and through social innovation.

Finally, the mountain cultural heritage must serve to bring people closer together, whether as a factor of integration and attractiveness to welcome new inhabitants; to bring people closer between urban and rural areas through better knowledge and sharing of the mountain cultural heritage, or through intergenerational dialogue. 

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News and Photo by Euromontana/Marie Clotteau