Programme
Day 1 · 15 October 2024 · Study visits
For all participants
9.00 – 18.00
Study visits are organised around the Catalan Pyrenees. Two leave from Puigcerdà and one from Barcelona. More information and the programme of the study visits is available below.
For Euromontana and NEMOR members
9.00 – 15.00
A shorter study visit to Cerdanya is organised for Euromontana and NEMOR members. Non-members who would like to attend a shorter visit are also welcome to join.
15.00 – 16.00
General Assembly of NEMOR (for NEMOR members only).
16.00 – 18.00
General Assembly of Euromontana (for Euromontana members only).
Departure from Barcelona | From 09.00 to 18.00
Vall de Núria is a Pyrenean valley in the Ripollès region. It is located 1,964 metres above sea level and surrounded by peaks reaching almost 3,000 metres. It is only accessible by means of a rack railway or on foot.
The rack railway covers a distance of 12.5 km and climbs more than 1,000 meters. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Núria is situated in the valley and there is also an artificial lake. The existing church was consecrated in 1911 and the hotel was opened shortly after.
The Vall de Núria mountain resort is managed by the Tourism and Mountain department of the Catalan Government Railways. In winter, Vall de Núria becomes a popular family ski station. In spring, autumn and summer, the resort offers other leisure activities for everyone to enjoy the surroundings.
This visit will start from Barcelona and the final destination will be Puigcerdà, where the Convention will take place.
Departure from Puigcerdà | From 09.00 to 19.00
Pallars Sobirà is a region in the heart of the Catalan Pyrenees. It is a greatly appreciated destination among nature lovers, and its villages, with their traditional architecture of buildings in stone with slate roofs, capture the essence of this environment. The leisure activities on offer, such as skiing, hiking, climbing and rafting, attract numerous visitors both in summer and winter.
We will travel from Puigcerdà by coach. The journey takes approximately an hour and a half. On this outing, we will focus on visiting local enterprises, such as a timber building company, a winery that produces high-altitude wines and the Shepherds’ Museum, where you will learn about the Shepherds’ School and the Aigüestortes National Park. After lunch in a restaurant where you will be able to check out the local cuisine, we will visit the village of Llessui.
The visit will end back in Puigcerdà, where the Convention will take place.
Departure from Puigcerdà | From 08.30 to 14.30
This half-day outing is specially designed for members of NEMOR and Euromontana, so that they can attend their respective General Assemblies in the afternoon. Other participants are welcome to join.
Cerdanya is a region in the Catalan Pyrenees situated around the headwaters of the River Segre at an altitude of about 1,100 meters. It is a mountainous region with a high plain, unparalleled in the Pyrenees because there are no others of such large dimensions. The regional capital is Puigcerdà.
This trip will be the shortest, only taking up the morning, and we will leave from Puigcerdà. The outing will begin with a visit to the pharmacy in Llívia, which dates from medieval times. Opened at the beginning of the 15th century, it is probably the oldest in Europe and it has now been turned into a municipal museum. Then we will visit Molí de Ger, where cheeses are made with local milk from Cerdanya, and finally we will stop at the Hotel Cerdanya EcoResort in Prullans.
The visit will end back in Puigcerdà, where the Convention will take place.
Day 2 · 16 October 2024 · Conference
08.30 | Registrations
09.00 | Official opening
Juan Andrès Gutiérrez, President of Euromontana
10.00 | Keynote speech on smart economy
11.00 | Coffee break
11.30 | High level panel - Challenges for European mountain economies in a context of transitions
13.00 | Lunch break
14.30 | Keynote speech “The future of European mountain value chains”
Thomas Egger, Director of the Swiss Association for Mountain Regions
15.15 | Keynote speech “Reconciling territorial development and demographic decline”
16.00 | Coffee break
16.30 | Workshops part 1 - inspiring initiatives
Worshop 1 - How to bring more value to mountain agricultural products? (1/2)
Mar Delgado-Serrano, Full Professor, University of Cordoba
Workshop 2 - From raw materials to processing: how to bring the secondary sector back into mountain territories? (1/2)
Domitien Détrie, General Director, Agency for the Pyrenees
Workshop 3 - How to tap into the potential of digitalisation for mountain economies? (1/2)
Workshop 4 - How to foster entrepreneurship? (2/2)
Elena Badeanschi, International Projects Officer, Federation of Trentino Cooperatives
18.15 | End of day 2
Day 3 · 17 October 2024 · Conference
09.00 | Welcome and introduction of day 3
09.15 | Keynote speech "The new Catalan strategy for the mountains"
10.00 | Workshops part 2 - Interactive discussions
Worshop 1 - How to bring more value to mountain agricultural products? (2/2)
Workshop 2 - From raw materials to processing: how to bring the secondary sector back into mountain territories? (2/2)
Workshop 3 - How to tap into the potential of digitalisation for mountain economies? (2/2)
Workshop 4 - How to foster entrepreneurship? (2/2)
11.45 | Coffee break
12.15 | Keynote speech “Working for and with nature in mountain areas”
13.00 | Keynote speech “Laying the foundations for success: how to attract and retain workers”
13.45 | Lunch break
15.00 | Workshops part 1 - inspiring initiatives
Workshop 5 - Working with nature: how to rethink tourism in mountain areas? (1/2)
Emmanuelle George, Researcher, INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, France)
Workshop 6 - Working for nature: how to quantify and remunerate ecosystem services from agro-pastoral activities? (1/2)
Elena Górriz, Co-Head – Socioeconomics and Governance of Rural Systems, CTFC (Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia)
Workshop 7 - What makes mountain communities tick? Is it only about access to services? (1/2)
Kjell Overvåg, Professor, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
Workshop 8 - Overcoming barriers to attractiveness: how to tackle housing and access to land? (1/2)
16.45 | Coffee break
17.15 | Experience-sharing parallel sessions, topics to be confirmed
20.00 | Gala dinner
Day 4 · 18 October 2024 · Conference
09.00 | Welcome and introduction of day 4
09.15 | Keynote speech “Beyond the local: how to take advantage of rural-urban linkages”
10.00 | Workshops part 2 - Interactive discussions
Workshop 5 - Working with nature: how to rethink tourism in mountain areas? (2/2)
Workshop 6 - Working for nature: how to quantify and remunerate ecosystem services from agro-pastoral activities? (2/2)
Workshop 7 - What makes mountain communities tick? Is it only about access to services? (2/2)
Workshop 8 - Overcoming barriers to attractiveness: how to tackle housing and access to land? (2/2)
11.45 | Coffee break
12.15 | Closing panel - Towards a roadmap for resilient and prosperous mountain economies
13.15 | Final declaration & closing words
13.45 | Lunch break & end of the event
For any question or assistance, please contact info@euromontana.org