From certification to practice: examining the Via Romea Germanica in the context of the cultural routes of the Council of Europe.

This paper explores the evaluation process within the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, through the case of the Via Romea Germanica, assessing how certified routes navigate assessment criteria and governance challenges. The analysis assesses the Via Romea Germanica’s compliance with the Council of Europe standards, focussing on the evaluation cycle’s role in ensuring thematic coherence, transnational cooperation, and sustainable development. Methodologically, the study combines document analysis, field visits, and stakeholder interviews to critically evaluate the impact of certification requirements on the transnational network that spans Germany, Austria, and Italy. Findings highlight broader structural issues, including governance fragmentation, uneven institutional engagement, and the gap between evaluation objectives and local implementation capacities. These insights contribute to a broader reflection on the effectiveness of the Council of Europe’s evaluation framework in fostering long-term cultural, social, and economic sustainability across diverse certified networks.