Cyril and Methodius Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe

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Cyril and Methodius Route

Cultural Route of the Council of Europe

EXPERIENCE | KNOWLEDGE | AWARENESS

Discover a profound, eleven-century-long impact
on the cultural history and cultural identity of the Slavs

Get to Know
the Cyril and Methodius Route

Exploration connected with movement in nature and visiting cultural sites nad institutions that preserve cultural heritage of the Slavs. Hike on the trails of the Route, discover cultural heritage of Cyril and Methodius or get acquainted with the Association. Then find out more information about this unique Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

Hiking Trails

Welcome to the Route with more than 5000 km of hiking trails. 

Heritage Alive

Discover locations connected with Cyril and Methodius Cultural Heritage.

Association

European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius (ECRCM)

Latest from Cyril and Methodius Route.

Are you interested in what has been happening on the Route? We provide you with news about cultural events, itineraries, conferences and workshops and much more. Scroll down with the mouse and click on any image below. You can check out the calendar of events which can be found in the main menu of the website.

International Scientific Conference Christian Values and Sustainable Society


17th April 2024, Nitra, Slovakia
The conference “Christian Values and Sustainable Society” was held in Nitra on 17 April 2024. The conference was held under the auspices of Mons. prof. Viliam Judák, PhD. – Bishop of Nitra and prof. RNDr. Libor Vozár, PhD. – Rector of the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra. The conference was attended by experts from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Greece. One of the key themes of the conference was the interpretation and evaluation of the significance of the Cyril and Methodius mission in the context of the European value tradition and its relevance for contemporary religiosity and sustainable society.

HIKING FROM KOPČANY TO MIKULČICE OPENED THE TOURIST SEASON ON THE CYRIL AND METHODIUS ROUTE

28th April 2024, Kopčany-Mikulčice, SR-CZ

Hiking from Kopčany to Mikulčice in the footsteps of Great Moravia with guides opened the tourist season on the Cyril and Methodius Route on 28 April. It attracted around 40 participants from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. They visited both the monuments reminiscent of the early Middle Ages – the unique church of St. Margaret of Antioch in Kopčany and the Slavic Hillfort in Mikulčice, as well as monuments from the Baroque period – the Imperial and Royal Stud and the Duck Farm in Kopčany. 

WE INVITE YOU TO SPRING HIKING ALONG THE ROUTE FROM KOPČANY TO MIKULČICE


28th April 2024, Kopčany – Mikulčice, Czech Republic
The Association invites fans of tourism and cultural heritage to a one-day guided tour along the Cyril and Methodius Route from Kopčany to Mikulčice, following the footsteps of Great Moravia. The event will take place on Sunday 28 April 2024 from 10 am. There are several pilgrimages along the Cyril and Methodius trails every year.

THE BASILICA OF SAINT PRAXEDES IN ROME BEARS THE SYMBOL OF THE CYRIL AND METHODIUS ROUTE

23rd March 2024, Rome, Italy

Basilica of Saint Praxedes in Rome newly bears the symbol of the Cyril Methodius Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. This happened two years after the signing of the memorandum of cooperation between this basilica and the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius association.

Focusing on ...

The Association focuses on different developing and sustainable activities. They are as a result presenting variety of the cultural heritage of Saints Cyril and Methodius and their followers. 

Network of Slavic heritage

From the first Slavic script - Glagolitic - and the Old Slavic language to the present.

Network of locations

Interesting places connected with the spread of the Cyril and Methodius legacy.

Network of trails

Inspired by the journey of Slavic missionaries and their followers.

Network of events

Cultural and educational activities throughout the year.

Network of products

Tourism products - coordinated under the common logo of the Cyril and Methodius Route.

Network of institutions

Maintaining the heritage of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

The Essence of the Cyril and Methodius Heritage

Cyril and Methodius Route

The main focus of the Route is cultural ideas and cultural content. These were introduced by Cyril and Methodius during the mission they led primarily among the Slavs of Great Moravia from 863 to 868. (Their mission activities also included the Slavs of the polity of Lower Pannonia). 

The mission led by Cyril and Methodius was undertaken as a response from Byzantine Emperor Michael III to the request of Duke Rastislav of Great Moravia. Firstly, introducing an intelligible language for the sacred and public use in that Slavic polity. Secondly, buttressing and strengthening Christian faith of their inhabitants. Cyril and Methodius, however, not only refined the Slavic vernacular (by supplementing vocabulary and grammar) to meet the needs of theological, philosophical, legislative, administrative, and literary discourse. In fact, they boldly went even further, with Constantine inventing a script tailored to fit the Slavic phonemic system – the Glagolitic script.

At the end of the 9th century, the Cyrillic script was created in the South Slavic lands. Most likely in the Bulgarian Khanate. While the Glagolitic script was still relatively widely used during the 11th century (especially within the Ohrid Literary School), from the 12th century onward the Cyrillic script prevailed. It served as the equivalent of the Greek alphabet for Slavs of the Eastern Rite, who lived in the civilizational and political environment of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Glagolitic script remained in use among Croatians, with the last Glagolitic text printed in 1927.