The Ripollès has been one of the regions participating in the 3rd meeting of the Cultur-Monts project.
This week, the Ripollès has been at the heart of an international initiative focused on enhancing the value of mountain cultural landscapes and promoting more sustainable tourism.
Led by the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC), the Cultur-Monts project works to preserve mountain cultural heritage at a time when mass tourism is becoming an increasing concern.
A news article published in El Gerió features several statements from key figures of the meeting. Josep Maria Palet, director of ICAC-CERCA, emphasizes the importance of making heritage “a tool for less massive, more cultural, and more respectful tourism.” Additionally, the mayor of Queralbs, Imma Constans, highlighted the importance of promoting “tourism that goes beyond skiing and involves collaboration with historians, shepherds, and other local experts.”
The newspaper El Punt also highlights the project’s goal of preventing the disappearance of cultural heritage “at risk” due to depopulation and aging in mountain areas, as well as the pressures of mass tourism. The project aims to establish guidelines for local administrations to help preserve traditional activities like shepherding.
During the meeting, experts from Spain, France, and Portugal explored the Ripollès region, visiting emblematic sites such as the Monastery of Ripoll, the valleys of Ribes and Camprodon, and speaking with local shepherds to study the preservation of traditions like transhumance.
The Cultur-Monts project, which spans several mountainous regions in Southern Europe, aims not only to preserve the landscape but also to promote more respectful cultural tourism and attract young people to the area.
The meeting organizers weree the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA), the main beneficiary of the project, and the Ripoll City Council, which is a beneficiary partner. The City Council of Queralbs, the Vall de Núria Station (FGC), and the Natural Park of the Headwaters of the Ter and Freser (PNCTF), associated partners in the consortium, also collaborated. It had the support of the Ripollès Development Agency. With the participation of the city councils of Meranges, Lles de Cerdanya, and the Municipal Museum of Llívia.
Cultur-Monts was approved in the first call for proposals of the Interreg Sudoe 2021-2027 programme and has a total budget of € 1,689,340, 75 % of which is funded by FEDER funds.
You can find all the information about the project on the Cultur-Montss website. Follow the news on social media: X, Instagram, and Linkedin!
About the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA)
The Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA) is a CERCA center established as a consortium in 2003 by the Government of Catalonia and the Rovira i Virgili University. It is a Catalan institution with an international scope, at the forefront of research and conservation of archaeological heritage. Its headquarters are in Tarragona, a city recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Its researchers work to understand the past through the study of archaeological remains and promote the preservation of the historical legacy. We are CERCA!
For more information, visit www.icac.cat.
