A new European initiative places inclusive sport, healthy lifestyles, and mountain cultural heritage at the forefront.
The Institute for Research and Development of Mediterranean Insular Mountain Areas (MountMed Institute) officially presented the European project “Mountain Games: A Celebration of Sports, Culture and Inclusion” on June 16, 2026, during a press conference held at the A. G. Leventis Gallery, in the presence of representatives from public institutions and organizations, project partners, and members of the media.
Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 is a fully non-profit European sporting event funded by the Erasmus+ Sport Programme and coordinated by the MountMed Institute. The project consortium consists of eleven organizations from ten European countries, including sports federations, associations and organizations, universities, and civil society organizations.
The initiative aims to position the Troodos mountain range as a vibrant destination for sport, wellbeing, culture, gastronomy, social participation, and sustainable development.
The public culmination of the project will take place in Troodos from September 23 to 26, 2026, during the 12th European Week of Sport, through a multidisciplinary programme of open sporting, cultural, educational, and social activities. Key activities will include mountain biking, hiking, orienteering, and traditional games.
The programme will also feature educational workshops, activities promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition and wellbeing, intergenerational traditional dance activities, gastronomy workshops, cultural walks, and family-friendly experiences.
A key highlight of Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 will be the International Scientific Symposium, taking place on the opening day of the event and bringing together distinguished scientists, academics, and experts from Cyprus and abroad.
The project also includes a transnational healthy lifestyle awareness campaign that will be promoted across all participating countries, encouraging people throughout Europe to adopt simple and practical habits related to physical activity, healthy eating, and holistic wellbeing.
Through its inclusive design, Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 seeks to promote social inclusion and active participation through physical activity and healthy lifestyles. The event aims to bring together citizens, athletes, families, young people, older adults, persons with disabilities, healthcare professionals, researchers, and civil society organizations from Cyprus and across Europe.
“By bringing together sport, health, culture, local gastronomy, and active citizen participation, we aim to demonstrate how mountain regions can promote physical activity, healthy living, inclusion, and sustainable development. Through this initiative, Troodos will become not only the host location of the event but also a living example of how sport can contribute to the vitality and visibility of mountain areas across Europe,” said Stavros Kazamias, Executive Director of the MountMed Institute and Project Coordinator.
The inaugural edition of Mountain Games Cyprus is expected to attract participants from Cyprus and abroad, generating long-term benefits for mountain communities, public health promotion, and sustainable regional development.
Further information regarding registrations, the detailed programme, and participation opportunities will be announced in the coming months through the project’s official communication channels.
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Funding Statement:
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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