The Rationale behind Mountain Games: A Laboratory for the Future

Mountain regions are not only places rich in natural resources and cultural heritage but also living spaces for knowledge, production, social creativity, and new possibilities. Their future is linked to creating new opportunities by drawing on local knowledge and connecting the needs of people and communities with scientific expertise, European experience and new, sustainable forms of regenerative development.

This is precisely the connection pursued by Mountain Games: A Laboratory for the Future, the thematic strand of Mountain Games Cyprus 2026 focused on the future of mountain regions. The strand reflects the scientific and development approach of MountMed Institute - research and knowledge should not remain disconnected from society, but should be translated into practical applications and action on the ground.

Through thematic forums, participatory activities and training programmes, Mountain Games: A Laboratory for the Future brings communities, young people, scientists, professionals, institutional bodies and European organisations participating in the event into dialogue. Active and sustainable tourism, equal access to outdoor experiences and activities, youth participation, quality hiking trails and other sporting activities, gastronomic heritage, and scientific knowledge on exercise, health and quality of life are not treated as separate issues. Instead, they are brought together around a shared question:

How can the mountains serve as spaces for exercise and well-being, as places for creative participation, as fields for sustainable economic activity, and as a foundation for more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient communities?

Five Complementary Activities across Troodos

Mountain Games: A Laboratory for the Future comprises five complementary activities taking place from 24 to 26 September in different Troodos villages.

On Thursday 24 September 2026, from 10:30 to 14:00 at the ‘Rodon’ Hotel in Agros, the Thematic Forum on Mountain Regions, Special-Interest Tourism and Community Resilience opens the discussion on how mountain sports and outdoor activities, local products and the gastronomic experience can contribute to a sustainable model of mountain tourism that respects the identity of place and creates meaningful benefits for communities. Accessibility occupies a prominent place in the discussion as a fundamental element of quality, equality and social responsibility in a contemporary mountain destination. Among the day’s important contributions is the practical experience of the Italian Hiking Federation in evaluating and certifying accessible trails and training guides, and in using specialised equipment for people with mobility impairments.

That afternoon, from 17:30 to 19:50, the Participatory Youth Workshop Youth, Hiking, Healthy Lifestyles and Participation in Mountain Areas follows at the same venue, giving a voice to young people and the organisations that work with them. Movement, hiking, sport for all, volunteering, non-formal education, and European cooperation are examined as ways to strengthen well-being, creativity, and young people’s active participation in the life of mountain regions.

On Friday 25 September 2026, from 10:00 to 12:30 at Omodos Cultural Centre, the Thematic Forum Women of the Mountains: Custodians of Gastronomic Heritage and their Role in the Resilience of Local Communities highlights women’s contribution to the local economy, the continuation of life in rural areas and the social resilience of mountain communities. The activity also forms part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 and is held under the patronage of the Commissioner for Gender Equality.

On Friday and Saturday, 25 and 26 September 2026, the two-day Leading Quality Trails – Best of Europe training workshop takes place at Spilia Cultural Centre. The workshop brings specialised European expertise to Cyprus for the assessment, improvement and future certification of quality hiking trails. The training represents a first substantive step towards creating the conditions required for trails to connect the visitor experience with the protection of the environment and cultural heritage, as well as the sustainable development of communities.

Mountain Games Legacy Forum

On Saturday 26 September 2026, from 17:00 to 19:35, the strand culminates at the ‘Giorgos Seferis’ Cultural Centre in Platres with the Mountain Games Legacy Forum, the high-level concluding scientific event of Mountain Games Cyprus 2026. The Forum brings together the scientific messages, experiences and conclusions of the entire event and is structured around its three distinct yet interconnected pillars, with the participation of distinguished scientists from Cyprus and abroad:

• Nutrition – Dr Antonia Trichopoulou, Emeritus Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, President of the Hellenic Health Foundation and a full member of the Academy of Athens. A distinguished physician and nutritional epidemiologist, she is internationally known as the “mother of the Mediterranean diet” and is regarded as one of the world’s leading scientific authorities on the Mediterranean dietary pattern and its relationship with health, longevity and the prevention of chronic disease.

• Exercise – Dr Yiannis Koutedakis, Emeritus Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of Thessaly, Greece, former National Rowing Coach and co-founder of the British Olympic Medical Centre. His distinguished research on human performance and health applies centuries of accumulated sporting knowledge to contemporary methods for preventing and managing chronic disease and improving citizens’ lifestyles.

• Wellbeing – Stelios Kiosses, Psychotherapist, television presenter and author. Director of the Eating Psychology programme and lecturer at the University of Oxford. He is also a visiting faculty member at Harvard Medical School on the Nutrition and Wellness Coaching programme.

The Mountain Games Legacy Forum is expected to provide a meeting point between the lived knowledge of mountain communities and scientific thought, bringing together the experiences of the event into an integrated proposal for exercise, healthy nutrition and wellbeing. It will also explore prospects for European cooperation on health and the sustainable development of mountain regions. Through the Forum, MountMed Institute puts its mission into practice by transforming knowledge, partnerships and project outcomes into new opportunities for mountain communities.