This Guidance sets out the shared and common quality standard which are essential to guarantee safety and access throughout the whole route. This Guidance provides guidelines for planning and implementing the route, for its maintenance-related activities, its signposting and the organization of the accommodation along the route.

The Via Francigena, a cultural route of the Council of Europe, is a major cultural and tourist infrastructure facility which develops along a trans-national path marked by historical and artistic works of art bearing tangible witness of long-lasting connections and living communities animating the territories. The European Association of the Via Francigena (EAVF), is the  lead network habilitated by the Council of Europe for the enhancement of the cultural route for its work of boosting networking among concerned bodies through multi-level synergies and shared initiatives while supporting sustainable territorial development.

An historical route of dialogue and encounter among people of different origins, today the Via Francigena also represents a means of preservation and enhancement of local cultural identities, thus becoming a tourist product which entails specific action plans.

This Guidance sets out the shared and common quality standard which are essential to guarantee safety and access throughout the whole route. This Guidance provides guidelines for planning and implementing the route, for its maintenance-related activities, its signposting and the organization of the accommodation along the route, within a participatory planning framework which is respectful of the levels of responsibilities among the bodies  concerned.

The present document is the result of the joint work of EAVF with the European Regions that adhere to the European Committee of Interregional Technical Coordination of the Via Francigena, in close collaboration with national and local associations, which are involved in the promotion of the European path on a daily basis.

The Guidance can be found below: