European Cultural Heritage Experts to Gather in Italy to Explore Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism for Fortified Sites

Forte di Bard, one of Europe’s most prestigious fortified heritage sites, will host the FORTE CULTURA Congress 2025 on March 27-28. Organized by FORTE CULTURA, the European Cultural Route of the Fortified Monuments based in Berlin, in collaboration with the Forte di Bard Association and the TRANSIT Project, the event will bring together experts, policymakers, and heritage site managers from across Europe to discuss the future of fortified heritage through Creative Tourism and the New European Bauhaus (NEB).

A Congress Focused on Innovation and Sustainability.

Fortified heritage plays a crucial role in Europe’s cultural landscape, offering unique opportunities for sustainable tourism, economic revitalization, and community engagement. However, the preservation and adaptive reuse of these sites require innovative strategies.

• Creative Tourism, an approach that transforms heritage sites into active cultural hubs, engaging visitors and local communities in immersive experiences;
• the New European Bauhaus (NEB), an EU-driven initiative promoting sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusivity in cultural and urban development.

With keynote speeches, interactive workshops and panel discussions, the congress offers a platform for international cooperation, knowledge exchange and political innovation.

The FORTE CULTURA Congress 2025 is divided into four sessions:

1. “Sustainability and cultural tourism” – how cultural heritage sites can manage the balancing act between preservation and economic viability;
2. “Strategies for creative tourism” – Develop engaging visitor experiences that integrate local identity, art and traditions;
3. “Community engagement and local development” – the role of fortified sites as catalysts for regional growth;
4. “NEB and fortified cultural heritage” – Application of European guidelines to support the sustainable development of cultural heritage sites.

Renowned speakers and renowned experts in cultural heritage management, tourism innovation, EU cultural policy and leading researchers in the field of cultural tourism will lead the sessions.

A strategic location: Forte di Bard.

The Forte di Bard fortress, located in the Italian Aosta Valley, is a symbol of the Adaptive utilisation of historic cultural heritage, successfully combining cultural programmes, tourism and local economic development. The organisation of the congress at this historic site underlines its role as a laboratory for sustainable tourism models that can be adapted throughout Europe.

Networking and future co-operation.

The event offers a unique opportunity to strengthen partnerships between fortress managers, cultural institutions, local authorities and European organisations. The discussions will also Financing options The EU programmes to support the preservation of cultural heritage and tourism innovation were highlighted.

Join us in shaping the future of sustainable, creative and community-orientated tourism for Europe’s fortified cultural heritage!

Register today!

Press release on the congress announcement (PDF)