Scalable Territories

Tourists visit the territory mainly during the Carnival of Podence, which is inscribed on the National ICH Inventory and the UNESCO representative list of ICH. Several small businesses have developed around this touristic flux.

The territory now has to deal with the increased benefits of this while discussing the sustainability of tourism businesses and activities. A programme was therefore launched to invite visitors to explore the wider natural and cultural heritage landscape of the municipality of Macedo of Cavaleiros and the northeast region, not only during Carnival but also throughout the year. The idea was to distribute benefits further afield and to relieve pressure on the village.

The mission of the Ecomuseum Zagori is to preserve and highlight this mixed cultural landscape and to stimulate the region’s growth by connecting the community and visitors.

The museum aims to reactivate the pastoral routes of Zagori by developing a sustainable transhumance tourism product, integrating a holistic landscape experience. Transhumance is seen as a sustainable touristic product and tourists will be able to live with the breeders for a short period. The aim is to help the restoration of the natural and cultural ecosystem.

The Path goes from the Hermitage in Santo Stefano Quisquina, nestled in the lush green Sicani Mountains, to the Sanctuary of St. Rosalia atop Mount Pellegrino in Palermo. It covers some 200km, crossing the territories of 15 Municipalities: 14 rural towns of the charming Sicilian hinterland and Palermo, including the UNESCO Arab-Norman Itinerary.

Although the inner area villages along the route faced increasing isolation, the presence of cultural and natural resources – such as nature reserves, parks, woods, churches, monuments, sanctuaries, landscapes, authentic cuisine, and religious and popular traditions – highlights the tourist and cultural potential of the local heritage: they are crucial drivers for the development of these territories and the communities residing within them.

Menjez has traditional Mediterranean architecture and exceptional archaeological and natural heritage. It is among the cultural routes of the Council of Europe, the Phoenicians, and the megalithic routes, and it features on the Tentative List of UNESCO cultural and natural world heritage sites.

The first century Roman temple of Menjez, dedicated to the goddess Nemesis and called Maqam Er Rabb or Beit Jaalouk, is the only basalt Roman temple in Lebanon. Among other monuments, Menjez counts 87 megalithic prehistoric tombs from the Bronze Age and the crusader castle of Menjez from the 10th century.

The old centre of Menjez is still authentic, and it consists of vernacular houses of black basaltic stone typical of the region and a parish church dedicated to the prophet Daniel. The monastery of Our Lady of the Castle was built in Menjez by the Jesuits in 1877, and the museum of Menjez, now known as the Heritage House, was built in 2018.

The forest around Menjez covers a total of 70 hectares; it is classified as a key zone for biodiversity in the Mediterranean (IUCN) under the name The Black Forest of Menjez. This forest is part of the Important Plant Area in Lebanon (IPA) and includes 71 plant species, 30 of which are endemic. To preserve the natural heritage, 300 000 square meters of the territory have been afforested. Also, there are four areas of non-wood products, such as essential oils extracted from bay leaves and laurel fruits, natural soap, and briquettes.

Menjez is also known for the exceptional quality of its cultivable land (volcanic, basaltic) with olives, grapes, almonds, carobs and beekeeping heritage.

Sabbioneta used to be a capital of a state, a military-fortified city, and a political and cultural centre. Nowadays it is an essential stop for cultural tourism in the Po Valley.

Sabbioneta’s territory preserves unique testimonies of the urban, architectural, and artistic achievements of the Renaissance. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2008, with the peculiarity of being a two-city site together with Mantua, which consequently enriches our offer to visitors with bike routes, thematic paths, and an interesting architectural continuum.