Understanding the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era in the full breadth of their global impact is no easy task — such was the scale of transformation they brought to the societies they touched. Portugal was one of the European nations most deeply shaken by the Napoleonic Wars and their many aftershocks, in the form of social and territorial upheaval.
The defence of the Portuguese capital along the Lines of Torres Vedras is today a case study — seen, at least from the Allied perspective, as a success story that preserved the country’s independence. But the price was steep. Not so much in monetary terms — the cost of building the Lines was deemed negligible — but in human suffering: the civilian population shrank by nearly ten percent, the territory bore the scars of war, and the environmental toll included the loss of plant and animal species we still struggle to quantify.
In our documentaries, we have sought to explore lesser-known aspects of the Napoleonic era — offering perspectives beyond the usual narratives to shed light on both the period and the land. After BonapARTE, a journey into the European art of the time and the paths shaped by Napoleon’s influence, and Napoleonaea imperialis, on the sweeping changes brought to Portuguese and European flora and fauna by the Bonaparte couple, we now present As Linhas do Horizonte — a reflection on the enduring transformations suffered by the national landscape in general, and the region of the Lines of Torres Vedras in particular, during the defence of Lisbon in 1810. (While the documentary is narrated in Portuguese, English subtitles are available.)
To us, the Lines that shape our horizon are unsurpassably beautiful — not because others aren't, but because the very nature of the Lines of Torres Vedras is to be just that: unsurpassable.
The integration of the Historical Route of the Lines of Torres Vedras (RHLT) into the European MED-Routes project — Enhancing MED sustainable cultural tourism through the creation of eco-itineraries inside European Cultural Routes, funded by the Interreg Euro-MED Programme — represents a new challenge: making this territory a reference point for sustainable tourism by valuing its cultural and natural heritage, while promoting responsible, low-impact tourism practices.
The RHLT has become one of Portugal’s most iconic cultural routes, preserving the historical memory of the Napoleonic invasions and showcasing the fortified heritage that resisted the French advance.
MED-Routes — A European project with local impact
Approved on 21 November 2023, MED-Routes is an ambitious project, the result of an international consortium of eight partners from seven countries — Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria and Cyprus — and including organisations such as the European Federation of Napoleonic Cities, the International Association of the Phoenician Route, the Olive Tree Route Cultural Foundation and the European Association of the Ceramic Route, as well as four associated partners from France, Italy and Greece.
With funding of nearly €1M, the project aims to promote the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. This investment reflects not only the European Union’s support for the Mediterranean economy, but also local commitment to fostering more responsible, historically based cultural tourism.
The primary goal of MED-Routes is to design and implement eight micro-itineraries along four Cultural Routes that embody sustainable and circular economy practices, aiming to redirect tourism flows toward lesser-visited regions. The proposal adopts a new approach — based on the concept of “slow tourism” — favouring immersive experiences rooted in Mediterranean traditions and ways of life.
This strategy aligns with the values of sustainability, innovation and heritage appreciation promoted by the RHLT, further strengthening its position within the European tourism landscape.
From dialogue to action — a sustainable Route with everyone, for everyone
From the start, one of the project’s central pillars has been the creation of knowledge transfer mechanisms among participants, with the Municipality of Vila Franca de Xira working in close collaboration with its European partners.
Key meetings have taken place in Faenza (Italy) in February 2024, Varna (Bulgaria) in May 2024 and Paphos (Cyprus) in November 2024, gathering representatives from all project partners.
Since its launch in January 2023, significant progress has been made — sustainable tourism initiatives across the Mediterranean were mapped, identifying opportunities for implementing circular economy practices along cultural routes; building on the success of EU projects such as INCIRCLE and EMBLEMATIC, long-term impact models were discussed to increase the sustainability of tourism itineraries; a cross-border collaborative effort led to the creation of a Transnational Working Group focused on key sustainability pillars — sustainable mobility, waste management and renewable energy. Participatory and collaborative labs were promoted with local stakeholders, ensuring that the co-creation of micro-itineraries took into account community needs — supporting a bottom-up approach.
A participatory lab, held in October 2024 at Fábrica das Palavras by the Municipality of Vila Franca de Xira, brought together 32 stakeholders from the RHLT. The session, held in an informal setting, enabled participants from various sectors with a tourism impact (municipal representatives, traders, business owners, cultural and recreational associations, and heritage experts) to share experiences, identify common challenges, and discuss innovative solutions for developing more sustainable and ecologically responsible tourism in the region.
The project’s communication strategy received a major boost with the launch of a website, at https://med-routes.interreg-euro-med.eu/, and a Facebook page, updated and strengthened as partners promote their local and cross-border initiatives.
Tracing new Lines along a Historic Route
The next step for the MED-Routes project is to formalise the eight micro-itineraries and their respective action plans across the four Cultural Routes, with each partner actively working with local stakeholders to create their own sustainable and circular tourism trails.
The main challenge is now to collaborate effectively — not only at the local level but also from a cross-border perspective — to develop methodologies that can be replicated and scaled to other territories and European cultural routes.
Each micro-itinerary will be accompanied by an action plan, communication strategy and a set of shared materials to be used by all stakeholders involved in the dissemination effort.
But the Euro-MED project also has a broader ambition — to lay the foundations for a green-label certification for sustainable itineraries, like those proposed in the project, to be adopted by the Council of Europe across Mediterranean Cultural Routes.
Let’s make it happen?