The Cultural Co-operation Council elected the theme of the Vikings in 1992, paralleling the 22nd art exhibition of the Council of Europe presented in Paris, Berlin and Copenhagen.

The initial census of fifty sites enabled the constitution of a route that gathers museums, archaeological vestiges and interpretation centres. Since 1998 the Institute has prepared the widening of the topic by including historical episodes concerning the Norman's in France and Italy.

goals and objectives

development

Its extension to Eastern Europe was considered after the international seminar on the cultural routes held in Polotsk, Belarus in September 1995. A network was formed starting from the meeting of a working group in 1992.

It was constituted as an association with a primarily scientific vocation in 1995, since then directed by Dan Carlsson. The objectives of the network relate to the development of the project of the Council of Europe, the reinforcement of co-operation with schools and universities to improve comprehension of the history of the Vikings, the collection and dissemination of information. The public network produces a regular newsletter ("Viking Heritage"), organises seminars and conferences. In 1996 it published a booklet entitled "Follow the Vikings", supplemented in 2002 with "Destination Viking. Western Viking Route". A programme of archaeological excavations in the bay of Frojel - Gotland accommodates young people during a summer school. The Baltic Sea Tourism Commission recently launched a commercial operation involving the creation of a Viking Card for joint visits to sites and museums.

widening

After the Institute published the Proceedings of the Gdansk Seminar, held in 1997 on the topic "Heritage and tourism", a mission was organised in 1998 with the Baltic Sea Tourism Commission. It led to thinking about the relationships of the Vikings with the Norman's heritage, which was continued by the Institute in 1999 within the framework of the campaign "Europe, a common Heritage". It involved the Museum of Normandy of Caen in France and the Association "Euro Mediterraneo Culture Dei Mari" in Italy. A scientific meeting, accompanied by an exhibition was held between December 9 - 11, 1999 in Capua, Italy and three catalogues were published on this occasion: "I Vichingi, La Normandia, I Normanni in Italia". It is by following this initiative that the Council of Europe accepted the new formulation of the theme.

current relevance of the theme

Within the framework of the broad theme of European People, the Vikings hold a central place, insofar as, having traversed most of Europe, the traces of this civilisation remain significant. It concerns, together with the topic of the Hanseatic cities, a subject connected to the very identity of the countries bordering the Baltic and, at the same time, a strong historical bond, making it possible to engage profitable cultural co-operation among countries that have been separated for a long time. Scandinavian tourism remains still too much confined to Anglo-Saxon and German customers, already familiar with this culture. This paradox of cultural containment and tourist confidentiality rests mainly on the cleavage between the West and the East, from which this part of Europe had suffered for forty years.

Moreover, the development of European tourism was mainly privileging the sunny destinations of the Mediterranean cradle. The implementation of complementary projects around the Baltic Sea involving the topic of the Vikings, the Hanseatic Cities, the Northern Lights, and that of Amber, as well as tourist collaboration, starting from the joint topic of the Vikings and the Norman's, between the North and the South of Europe should all constitute elements likely to confirm the tourist dynamics of the Baltic operators.