Egnatia Odos Cultural Route: “Via Egnatia”
21st-century travelers seek holistic experiences. They follow the tangible and intangible traces of the Via Egnatia, through cities ancient and new, over land and water, basking in the 2500 years of history and culture offered by a modern, comprehensive cultural route.
| Progress of Actions and Projects | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Planning | Inclusion in a Funding Programme | Infrastructure | Marketing Plan - Digital Strategy | Entrepreneurship | Destination Management & Marketing Organisation (DMO) | |
Description
The “Via Egnatia Cultural Route” is a development programme for the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. It is a branded and holistic cultural tourism product whose cohesive element is the unification of the archaeological sites and monuments surrounding the Via Egnatia. The traces of the Via Egnatia and its historical journey through the 2500 years of its existence provide the canvas on which a modern route connecting the archeological and historical sites of the Region can be drawn. The strategic aim of this Integrated Territorial Investment is to create a comprehensive network of tourist destinations, accompanied by interventions focusing on cultural heritage assets, urban centers, and tourism growth poles.
Poles of Attraction
The “Via Egnatia Cultural Route” main poles of attraction are the Archaeological Park of Philippi, the pole of Drama, the island of Thasos, the Open Archaeological Park of Abdera-Porto Lagos, the city of Xanthi, the city of Komotini and the Ancient Theatre of Maronia, Alexandroupolis, the island of Samothrace, and Northern Evros.
Budget
The “Via Egnatia Cultural Route” programme has been designed by the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and been approved as the “Via Egnatia Cultural Route” Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) with an allocated budget of 55.2 million euro. The Route is implemented within the framework of the Regional Operational Program 2014-2020 for Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.
