The main objective of the project is the creation of 3 new integrated tourist products for facilitating a better use of common tourist potentials, namely: a tourist product - adventure trips on the road; a tourist product - off-road adventure trips, for connecting, where the border allows routes from Romania and Bulgaria and a tourist product - leisure trips for families with children and people with disabilities, to facilitate a better use of the common tourist potential, generating 5,600 tourist overnights in the cross-border region.

497,713.31 euro, out of which 423,056.30 euro ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Association AISSER Calarasi (Romania)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Sport for you and me - sports club canoeing (Bulgaria)

Beneficiary 3 (B3): Association Sport Club ACTIS (Romania)

Start date: 09.08.2018

End date: 08.02.2020

Duration: 18 months

Calarasi, Constanta, Techirghiol (Romania)

Vidin, Belogradchik (Bulgaria)

• 3 new integrated tourism products: one tourism product – adventure trips on road; one tourism product – adventure trips off road, for connecting, where the border permits the routes from Romania and Bulgaria and one tourism products – leisure trips for families with children and for persons with disabilities;
• 2 strategies to improve the sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage: 1 common strategy to identify the cycle routes to ride and explore the natural and cultural heritage and 1 common strategy to promote the integrated tourism products, including raising awareness on natural and cultural heritage of the area;
• 5600 tourist overnights in the region generated by the creation of the new integrated tourist products;
• 2 bike information points, one on each side of the border, offering information, materials, guidance and bikes;
• 12 pilot actions organized in the eligible area of the programme: 4 experimental on road expeditions (3 days each); 4 experimental off road expeditions (3 days each), 2 experimental trips for families with children (3 days each) and 2 experimental trips for persons with disabilities and their accompanying persons (3 days each).

Programme outputs: 3 new integrated tourism products created will support a sustainable development of the region from economic, cultural and social point of view in order to facilitate better utilization of joint tourism potential , generating 5600 tourist overnights in the cross border region; 2 strategies to improve the sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage;

Programme results: 5600 tourist overnights in the cross border region.

The implementation of the project was finalized on 08.02.2020 and the following activities have been implemented:

1. 2 bike information points – one in Calarasi (Romania) and one in Belogradchik (Bulgaria) were created and equiped with tourist bikes, mountain bikes, bike trailers with baby strollers, bike trailers for children older than 4 years, bikes with stroller for people with disabilities. Both information points are operational and are used by people for bike thematic walks and for using the equipment.

2. 2 common strategies were developed: „Common strategy for identifying cycling routes to travel and explore the natural and cultural heritage” and „Common strategy for promotion of the integrated tourism products, including raising awareness on the area's natural and cultural heritage”. They both are available on the project website.

3. A project website was developed https://www.danubeon2wheels.eu/.

4. An interactive map was created. The interactive map reflects the tourist routes in an interactive and easier to understand /intuitive online option in order to be used by the tourists. The interactive map is available on the project’s website and also in printed version.

5. A mobile application with routes was developed – it is available on both Android and iOS (iPhone) and contains developed integrated tourist packages available on the project presentation web portal.

6. The creation of new integrated tourist products has generated 784 tourist overnights in the region during the implementation period (the project’s target value was 5600 overnights out of which 600 within the implementation period) the difference remaing to be reached during the sustainability period.

7. There were created 3 new integrated tourist products: experimental adventure trips on asphalt, experimental off road adventure trips and experimental leisure trips for families with children and for people with disabilities and their personal assistants, by organizing 12 pilot actions (3 days each) in the cross border region, as follows:

a) 4 experimental road expeditions:

CYCLE for FUN – Bugeac Tour was organized in the period 29th – 31st of May 2019

CYCLE for FUN – Road Tour Techirghiol was organized in the period 31st of May – 2nd of June 2019 

CYCLE for FUN – Vidin Road Tour was organized in the period 4th – 6th of September 2019

CYCLE for FUN – Belogradchik Road Tour was organized in the period 6th – 8th of September 2019  

b) 4 experimental off-road expeditions:

CYCLE for FUN – Island Tour Calarasi was organized in the period 8th – 10th of May 2019

CYCLE for FUN – Techirghiol MTB Tour was organized in the period 10th – 12th of May 2019

CYCLE for FUN – Forest Tour Belogradchik was organized in the period 22nd - 24th of May 2019

CYCLE for FUN – Dunonia Tour was organized in the period 24th – 26th of May 2019  

c) 2 experimental excursions for families with children:

CYCLE for FUN – Family Lake Tour was organized in the period 31st of May – 2nd of June 2019 

CYCLE for FUN – Belogradchik Family Tour was organized in the period 6th – 8th of September 2019

d) 2 experimental excursions for people with disabilities and their personal care attendants:

CYCLE for FUN – Balcan Special Tour was organized in the period 22nd – 24th of May 2019

CYCLE for FUN – Techirghiol Lake Special Tour was organized in the period 10th – 12th of May 2019

The overall objective of the project is to increase tourism attractiveness of Ruse-Giurgiu CBC region represented by 2 of the region’s iconic cultural and historic sites the Pantheon in Ruse and the Fortress in Giurgiu.

1,426,760.12 euro, out of which 1,212,746.09 euro ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Ruse Municipality

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Territorial Administrative Unit – Giurgiu Town.

Start date: 31.07.2018

End date: 30.04.2024

Duration: 69 months and 1 day

Giurgiu (Romania)

Ruse (Bulgaria)

• reconstruction of the Pantheon of National Revival Heroes in Ruse;
• multimedia presentation;
• developing and equipping of Giurgiu fortress with modern fittings;
• joint management plan;
• joint marketing strategy;
• catalogue and website presenting iconic cultural heritage in Ruse-Giurgiu region;
• integrated tourism route;
• information and publicity activities.

Programme outputs:

- 1 integrated tourism products/services created;

- 2 strategies and management plans for valorizing the cultural and natural     heritage;

Programme results: increase of the number of overnights in the cbc area with 8000.

The project is under implementation.

The LB – Ruse Municipality finalized the works in relation to the Renovation of the Pantheon of National Revival Heroes in Ruse. The Pantheon is functioning and opened for visitors.

B2 – TAU Giurgiu Municipality started the works execution in the Investment objective “Giurgiu Fortress” in the end of May 2021. The construction works within the Giurgiu Fortress were temporary suspended, due to identified need for additional electrical resistivity measurements and electrical tomography measurements, part from the archaeological research authorization.Another problem encountered was related to the connection at the investment objective to utilities (water and electricity), which were not the responsibility of the builder, but of Giurgiu Municipality. In this sense, starting with August 2023, the necessary steps for contracting the services/works of connection to the utilities of the site, were taken and the water and electricity supply works started. Still, in the end of November 2023, the builder announced the full physical completion of the works execution within the Giurgiu Fortress.

Within the frame of activity T1 “Implementation of joint tourism mechanisms and elaboration of tender dossiers”, the Lead Beneficiary has receipt from the service provider the elaborated integrated tourism route, trilingual map, containing the identified tourist sites and catalogue in Bulgarian, Romanian and English. Тhe tourism route is aiming to present the historical past of the communities living in the Ruse-Giurgiu region in a systematic, organised and tourist-friendly way and is highlighting the renovated Pantheon and valorised Fortress.

Furthermore, B2 - Giurgiu Municipality developed a trilingual Joint Management Plan for common preservation, development and utilization of cultural heritage, which was further uploaded on the project web site for presenting iconic cultural heritage in Ruse-Giurgiu CB region, which could be accessed on the link: https://cetate-panteonrobg.ro/ .

499,921.16 euro, out of which 424,932.97 euro ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Agency for Regional Development and Business Center – Vidin (ARDBC Vidin)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Local Employers Association for Small and Middle Enterprises (LEASME)

Start date: 01.08.2018

End date: 31.10.2020

Duration: 27 months

Calafat

Vidin

Programme outputs: 1 integrated tourism products/services created, 540 expected number of visits to supported sites of cultural and natural heritage and attraction

Programme results: increase of the number of overnights in the cbc area with 500

The project is finalized. The implementation period was 27 months (01.08.2018-31.10.2020) instead of initially envisage 18 months (extended via Addendum no.1/19.02.2020 and Addendum no.2/12.05.2020).

All of the project activities have been implemented according to the revised application form.

The project objective have been fulfilled, along with the overall objective of the project ‘To improve the sustainable use of natural heritage and resources and cultural heritage’, by the Beneficiaries with the purchase of the equipment foreseen within the project (described above in the current report) organization of the different workshops, trainings and the creation of the tourism product The reconstruction of the historical event “Calafat and Vidin in 1877-1878 period“.

Equipment purchased by LB:

-45 units Bulgarian military uniform;

-25 units Russian military uniform;

-20 units Turkish military uniform;

-90 units Military boots;

-90 Historical rifle replicas;

-90 sabres/special sword;

Equipment purchased by B2:

-10 units Military uniform "Vanatorii pedestri";

-20 units Military uniform "Infanterie linie;

-20 units Military uniform "Soldat artilerie;

-25 units Military uniform "Dorobanti";

-15 units Military uniform "Soldat marina”;

-65 units Military boots”;

-25 units Specific shoes "opinci";

-90 units Historical rifle replicas ;

-90 units Sabres/special sword.

During the project implementation period, the beneficiaries realized the following events:

1. 6 Workshops for awareness raising among young people (workshops for high school pupils):

In Bulgaria, village of Falkovets, district Vidin

- 1st workshop have taken place on 19-20 January 2019;

- 2nd workshop have taken place on 26-27 January;

- 3rd workshop have taken place on 2-3 February 2019;

In Romania:

- 1st workshop have taken place on 30-31 March 2019, in Calafat;

- 2nd workshop have taken place on 06-07 April 2019, in Drobeta Turnu Severin;

- 3rd workshop have taken place on 13-14 April 2019, in Corabia;

2. 6 “Military Trainings”:

- 3 in Bulgaria in Falkovets, in periods: 22-24 november 2019; 29,30 November and 1 December 2019 and on 6,7,8, December 2019.

- 3 in Romania: Calafat on 7-9 May 2019; Turnu Severin on 20-22 September 2019 and Corabia on 1-3 November 2019.

3. 2 Workshops with local authorities: 1 in Calafat in period 18-19 September 2020 and 1 in Vidin in period 06-07 February 2020.

4. Event “Calafat and Vidin in 1877-1878 period” in Vidin on 11-13 September 2020 and also in Calafat in period 16-18 October 2020;

5. 3 press-conference in Vidin, on 25 September 2018, on 26 February 2020 and on 30 October 2020.

6. 3 press-conference in Calafat, on 14 January 2019, on 15 October 2020 and 29 October 2020.

Also, promotional movie has been realized with the title “Remember the war, appreciate the liberty”.

More detailed information is available on the project website, at: https://independence-war.eu.  

The financial execution at project level, in terms of certified amounts is 94.78 % (473,821.05 euro) from the total budget of the project (499,921.16 euro).

498,731.40 euro, out of which 423,921.68 euro ERDF

Target at the half of the implementation period: 141,471 euro for LB, 41,339 euro for B2, 35,589 euro for B3, 24,298 euro for B4 and 15,086 euro for B5

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Bulgaria)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): NGO ‘Paralel-Silistra’ (Bulgaria)

Beneficiary 3 (B3): ROUSSE REGIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY (Bulgaria)

Beneficiary 4 (B4): ACCES ASSOCIATION – CALARASI (Romania)

Beneficiary 5 (B5): “Dunarea Calaraseana” Fishing Local Action Group Association (Romania)

Start date: 01.08.2018

End date: 31.01.2020

Duration: 18 months

Calarasi, Constanta, Giurgiu, Teleorman, Dolj, Mehedinti, Olt in Romania

Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Pleven, Ruse, Silistra, Veliko Tarnovo, Dobrich in Bulgaria

Programme outputs: 15 integrated tourism products created, 9 common strategies, policies or management plans for valorising (including raising awareness) the cultural and natural heritage through its restoration and promotion for sustainable economic uses

Programme results: 500 tourist overnights in the CBC area