Croatia’s Camino project wins prestigious Elías Valiña Award

The Confraternity of St James, which runs the Camino Croatia project and the national network of Camino routes, has won the Elías Valiña Award, with Croatia's approach recognised as one of Europe's most successful models of cultural heritage management.

The Elías Valiña Award is the highest international honour granted by the regional government of Galicia for outstanding contributions to preserving and developing Europe's first cultural route, the Camino de Santiago, CE Report quotes HINA.

The Confraternity said Croatia's model was selected from more than 400 international institutions, organisations and associations.

The award is seen as strong international recognition of Croatia as an active participant in Europe's cultural and pilgrimage network, confirming that the Croatian Camino is being developed in line with the route's original values by connecting people, places and heritage through an authentic experience.

The Confraternity noted that Croatia's links to the Camino de Santiago network stretch back more than eight centuries, with the first written records of Croatian pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela dating from 1203.

Today's network of Camino routes across Croatia, an official part of the wider European Camino system, continues that tradition by linking religious, cultural and natural heritage with local communities and a culture of hospitality that has become a hallmark of the Croatian Camino experience.

Since the launch of the Camino Croatia project in October 2019, more than 90,000 pilgrims from around the world have travelled along Croatian sections of the route. The structured development of paths, involvement of local communities and emphasis on sustainability and authenticity have been recognised as best practice at the European level.

The award citation highlighted the Croatian Camino as a development model that helps revitalise smaller communities, encourages year-round tourism and promotes cultural and spiritual heritage in a modern and socially responsible way.

Amid growing global interest in the Camino experience, the award further positions Croatia among leading European countries pursuing long-term, authentic cultural heritage development.

Established in 1996, the Elías Valiña Award honours achievements over the previous five years and is named after the priest who spearheaded the modern revival of the Camino and created the iconic yellow arrows, now a universal symbol of the Way of St James.

The Confraternity of St James is Croatia's official representative in the Camino Europa Compostela federation and a member of the Archicofradía Universal del Apóstol Santiago.