'Palaces, Villas, and Country Houses': A European Route of Jewish Heritage

Palaces, Villas and Country Houses' is an online heritage route, for armchair travellers and inquisitive tourists alike. The route has been developed by the Jewish Country Houses project as part of the European Routes of Jewish Heritage, which are managed by the AEPJ and accredited by the Cultural Routes Programme of the Council of Europe.

Much of Jewish history is rooted in Europe, with a past made up of migration, persecutions and precariousness, but also of exchanges, humanism and a profusion of mutual enrichment. A key aspect of the European Jewish routes is accordingly their recognition of the essential contribution made by the Jewish tradition in building cultural diversity through intense intercultural dialogue.

The ‘Palaces, Villas and Country Houses’ route brings together 16 properties in six countries. It offers a spectacular variety - from the French Renaissance château style of Waddesdon Manor in England, to Max Liebermann’s lakeside villa in Berlin-Wannsee, and the monument of modern architecture that is the Villa Tugendhat in Brno, Czech Republic.

Some of these historic houses are presenting their Jewish heritage to visitors for the first time; others are finding connections through the Jewish Country Houses project that will bring an even richer experience to the visitor.