From November 8 to 9, 2024, members of the association and their partners welcomed Maria Gravari Barbas, a professor at the University of Paris, and an expert commissioned by the Permanent Secretariat of the Council of Europe's Cultural Routes to evaluate the Itinéraires Liberté Pyrénées Europe candidacy.
During the visit, Ms Gravari Barbas was able to discover five of the twelve routes offered for certification and meet a number of partners, before exchanging views with all network members at a meeting held in Arreau and by videoconference on Saturday November 9.
Among the highlights of this visit, in the heart of the Pyrenees and on the paths travelled by the escapees and their "Passeurs", were the discovery of the educational trail set up at Marignac (Haute-Garonne), a visit to the former Hotel Franco at Lès (Val d'Aran), a meeting with teams from the Maison du Chemin de la Liberté in Saint-Girons, around Colonel Séris and in the presence of Christine Téqui, President of the Ariège Departmental Council, and the following day, the Aragnouet valley and its UNESCO-listed heritage.
This visit and the many opportunities for discussion enabled us to talk about the richness of our network, the relationships between the various players and the many initiatives born of collaboration between researchers, heritage and tourism professionals. During the Saturday meeting, examples of themed tourist stays were presented, such as the project for a path interpretation center in Arreau.