The European Route of Historic Theatres is a holiday route and European Cultural Route, that runs through 120 theatres in 29 European countries. It links cities with important historic theatres from the 16th to 20th centuries.
This cultural route was initiated by the members of the organisation, Perspectiv – Association of Historic Theatres in Europe, which was founded in October 2003 with the aim of preserving the cultural heritage of historic theatres in Europe. The head offices of this association are in the town of Bad Lauchstädt and in Berlin. The project is supported by the Culture program of the European Union.
The European Route of Historic Theatres originally consisted of five individually named routes: the German Route, the Nordic Route, The Channel Route, the Italian Route and the Emperor Route. Each links between 9 and 12 towns and cities with important theatre traditions. In 2014, two more routes were added: the French and Adriatic Routes. As of 2024 a Grand Tour route in Italy and Malta is planned.