The LRE Foundation (LREF) and the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre (FFRandonnée) are proud to announce the signing of a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) and a joint partnership to develop almost 3.000 km of liberation-themed hiking routes throughout France.
As part of a larger pan-European project, the Liberation Route Hiking Trails are a new sustainable way to experience the Liberation Route Europe, a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. The trails form a traceable link between the main regions along the Allied Forces’ advance between 1943 and 1945, stretching nearly 10.000km. The routes pass numerous historical locations and tell stories from a multitude of perspectives. For this project, the renowned architect Daniel Libeskind has designed a symbolic family of trail markers called the ‘Vectors of Memory’ that will honour people, places, and stories found throughout the European landscape.
For FFRandonnée and president Brigitte Soulary, “This project is a real opportunity to contribute to the promotion and development of our network of GR® and GR® de Pays hiking routes for both the general public and the surrounding regions. It is also a recognition of the work our volunteer surveyors who work daily on these paths. The potential economic benefits for all the regions as well as the departmental and regional committees of the Federation are among the objectives we aim to achieve by becoming a partner in this project.”
“The launch of this partnership with FFRandonnée is the culmination of many years of discussions and hard work to make the Liberation Route Hiking Trails a reality in France,” expressed Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation. “FFRandonnée is a dedicated and energetic supporter of this initiative. We are very excited to formalise our partnership and jointly to develop the project in France in the years to come.”
