The overall objective of the project is to promote cooperation among institutions and people by using the cultural and natural resources in a sustainable touristic way.

1,364,438.31 euro, out of which 1,159,772.56 euro ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Varshets Municipality (Bulgaria)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Oltenia Museum (Romania)

Start date: 30.08.2018

End date: 29.03.2022

Duration: 43 months

Dolj in Romania

Montana in Bulgaria

• Cultural tourism;
• Balneal-climatic services;
• Scientific/academic tourism;
• Promotion and information platform;
• Awareness campaign.

Programme outputs: 4 integrated tourism products created, 1 common strategy for valorising the cultural and natural heritage through its restoration and promotion for sustainable economic uses, 11,663 visits to supported sites of cultural and natural heritage and attraction.

Programme results: 16,100 tourist overnights in the CBC region

The project is under implementation.

During the period 30.06 - 02.07.2021, it was organized the Cultural-Tourist Conference of the project, at the premises of B2 – Oltenia Museum, in Craiova, with 45 participants, out of which 24 Bulgarian participants. In the first day of the Cultural-Tourist Conference, the management teams of both partners attended a workshop within the project. A press conference was organized in the first day of the conference, at the Department of Natural Sciences of Oltenia Museum. The conference was attended by the officials of Dolj County Council and Varshets Municipality, as well as mass media from Craiova and Varshets.

On this occasion, a demonstration of the operation of the new interactive equipment from the Department of Natural Sciences (hologram, interactive totem, virtual assistant and interactive table), purchased within the project, took place.

Furthermore, there were also presentations focused on the common cultural heritage and on the three types of cross border tourism (balneal, academic and cultural).

In the next two days, the participants were invited to visit the Department of History and Archaeology, the Department of Ethnography, the Art Museum, the Botanical Garden and other touristic objectives.

It was completed the installation of the equipment at the 3 sections of the Museum of Oltenia (B2). In April, artefacts from the 3 sections of the Museum of Oltenia were 3D scanned. The scanned 3D objects of the Museum of Oltenia along with the objects 3D scanned by Varshets Municipality are displayed on the hologram and on the 3 interactive totems. Also, a database with pictures & clips from Craiova and Varshets was created.

3 exhibitors were purchased, and are now displayed at the 3 sections of the Museum of Oltenia and are promoting the 3 types of tourism - cultural, academic, balneal.

The works on the investment objective: “Paleopark, Fence and Information Centre with Exposure Area”, were completed.

The site is to be put into operation by issuing a certificate from the architect of Varshets Municipality.

Press releases were published in the local newspaper “Varshets”, on the official website of the municipality of Varshets and on social media, related to the participation of representatives of the municipality in the Cultural and Tourist Conference in Craiova for the period 30.06 - 02.07.2021, which can be accessed at the following links: https://www.facebook.com/groups/150963898600561/permalink/1501191196911151;

https://www.varshets.bg/newspaper/Varshets-07.21.pdf.

Also, the Bulgarian National Television broadcasted a short report related to the construction of the Paleopark in Varshets, available here:

https://europeans.bntnews.bg/paleopark-vav-varshec-%E2%80%93-nov-zhivot-v-nova-evropa-s-pogled-v-minaloto-603news.htm

l?fbclid=IwAR2jfENVk2G85gbiFX53ll4QrfWWmPdVDicmtKdkGpOsOd8Ryro9RvNXV88.    

B2 signed the contract for the digital services on 04.11.2021.