What are EcoMuseums?

 EcoMuseums are open-air museums with a twofold purpose: literally, the main space of an Ecomuseum is outside, it is not confined by walls, and on the other hand it has an open organisational structure. Employees and volunteers, locals, and “foreigners”, work together to document and highlight the unique identity of the place.

Ecology and the environment are fundamental values of an Ecomuseum, but equally important is the cultural heritage, especially its connection with nature. Cultural heritage, while being protected and highlighted, is not seen as an isolated and closed entity, but as a dynamic component of the present. We are not only interested in the past, this “foreign country where people do things differently”, but also in the present and the inclusion of the local community.

Ecomuseums can be catalysts for local development, on an ecological, economic, cultural, and demographic level, affecting first the place and then, at a later stage, wider areas. As hotbeds of activist action, Ecomuseums shape cultural microclimates that make broader change possible. The Ecomuseums are integrated in the Regional Spatial Plan of the Region of Epirus with the aim of making the natural and cultural wealth of the area accessible, as well as shaping interpretation tourism services on ethical, sustainable and ecological terms.