The main objective of the project is to improve the touristic attractiveness of the targeted area (Dolj, Olt, Mehedinti, Montana, Vidin and Vratsa) by identifying, saving, preserving and promoting inestimable pieces of immaterial heritage, local legends, with the goal of improving the sustainable use of natural heritage and resources and cultural heritage.

499 165.02 euro, out of which 424 290.26 euro ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Forever for Europe Association (Romania)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Private Benefit Association “Agency for Development of North-West Bulgaria” (Bulgaria).

Start date: 01.09.2018

End date: 29.02.2020

Duration: 18 months

Vidin, Montana, Vratsa in Bulgaria

Dolj, Mehedinti, Olt in Romania

• Collecting the local legends related to natural heritage and resources and cultural heritage from the targeted CBC area, with the potential of becoming sustainable touristic attractions and illustrate them through graphical representation;
• Improving the level of attractiveness of cross-border tourism through the development of 2 common tourism products, namely Legendary Map (paper version and e-map together with the explanatory catalogue) and Legendary Camp (common event dedicated to pupils and teachers);
• Increasing the number of tourists in the targeted area by promoting the sustainable use of common heritage in terms of local legends through distribution of the touristic materials developed, elaborating and broadcasting of the video production and organizing the Legendary Camp for 240 pupils and 48 teachers.

Programme outputs:

- 1 common strategy, policy or management plan for valorising (including raising awareness) the cultural and natural heritage through its restoration and promotion for sustainable economic uses;

- 2 integrated tourism products/services created;

- 348 increase in expected number of visits to supported sites of cultural and natural heritage and attraction;

Programme results: 348 tourist overnights in the CBC region.

The project implementation was finalized on 29.02.2020 and the following objectives have been achieved:

LB and B2 awarded the service contracts for Identifying the local legends with the potential of becoming sustainable touristic attractions.

Within the frame of the contracts for the Romanian side of the border were identified 7 Legends from district Dolj, 7 Legends from district Mehedinti and 6 Legends from district Olt and respectively for the Bulgarian side of the border – 10 Legends for district Montana, 6 Legends from Vidin and 7 from district Vratsa.

All identified Legends from both sides of the border were uploaded within a Designed common interactive map, which available on the project web site on the following link: https://danubelegends.eu/discover-the-legends/, translated in all three languages.

In addition, all identified Legends were included into a common strategy for valorizing the cultural and natural heritage through legends for promotion of sustainable economic, translated in all three languages, available on project website - https://danubelegends.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/D.T1.1.6_EN.pdf. The strategy contains methods for identifying/collecting the legends to promote the natural and cultural heritage, methods for promoting/ disseminating for their sustainable economic use, stakeholders involved both during the implementation period of the project and after it, entities responsible for implementing the strategy, monitoring methods.

Four Legendary Camps in Varshetz, BG were organized so far with the participation of students from RO and students from BG in middle age 11 – 14 years old.

The designed Interactive common map, together with performed Four Legendary Camps are representing the 2 integrated tourism products, which were created during the project implementation.

Furthermore, during the carried-out 4 editions of Legendary camps, the project contributed to the Programme Result indicator “Number of tourist overnights in the CBC region” with additional 348 overnights.