Together, partners from six European countries with the aim of encouraging young people to actively participate in shaping the future of the EUROPEAN UNION, revisiting the violent past of wars in Europe, discussing what the recent rise of Nationalist movements means for European Society, and the importance of preserving the fundamental values on which the EU is based for the future of Europe.
Via Charlemagne (France)

Via Charlemagne (France)

Via Charlemagne is an international organisation, an awarded Culture Route of the Council of Europe, comprised of members from France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy and Switzerland.
VIA CHARLEMAGNE, REIMS (FRANCE)It is in the heart of Australasia that the Carolingian dynasty finds its crucible, where local culture has many testimonies of the Carolingian saga. Crowned Emperor of the West in the year 800, Charlemagne still embodies a unifying image based on consensus: reuniting Western Europe, he modernized his Empire by imposing a single currency (the silver money), a common legible script (the Carolinian), a restart of the School, a cultural renewal with the Carolingian Renaissance, a more balanced justice with the Heritage
An emblematic character of chivalrous tales, the legends to which Charlemagne is the subject have spread throughout the European continent, from Iceland to Sicily and from Portugal to Latvia to the Balkans, thus strengthening intercultural relations between European countries. The gesture songs, epic poems about warrior exploits belonging to the past, make it possible to revive the history of the Carolingians: among the best known, Roland’s song and Renaud de Montauban’s song, from which the legend of the four sons Aymon comes. Among the monuments, places, objects and landscapes marked by the passage of the Carolingians, we can mention in particular hundreds of statues representing Charlemagne, Roland or the four Aymon sons, present throughout Europe, but also majestic landscapes recognized by UNESCO: the Roland breach, Rocamadour and the Salto de Roldán.

Travelling today

The Via Charlemagne offers a unique experience for Europeans in search of their common cultural origins, in the footsteps of the father of Europe. The route is not only historical, cultural and religious but also legendary: along the different roads, we meet the heroes, magic swords, fabulous horses and enchanters described in Carolingian myths and legends. The association’s website offers a map tracing various routes that make up the Via Charlemagne.