Project title: Establishment of sustainable institutional cooperation between castle and castles for the development and marketing of common cross-border offers

Duration: September 2018 - February 2022

Financing: European Territorial Cooperation, Cooperation program INTERREG SLOVENIA - AUSTRIA 2014-2020

Partners:

• Research and Development Center Rakičan Mansion - Leading Partner
• Technologiezentrum Deutschlandsberg GmbH - project partner
• Scientific Research Centre Bistra Ptuj - project partner
• Stiftung des Weiland Fürst Philipp Batthyány zur Erhaltung der alten Güssinger Burg - project partner

Project goal

The goal of the project is a joint presentation of castle and castles on both sides of the border, the development of joint offers, joint promotion and the establishment of a formal organization. The area between Austria and Slovenia is characterized by one of the highest number of defense fortifications in Europe. Thirty years ago, the castles and castles of eastern Austrian Styria and the southern Burgenland joined the Society of the castle and castle road (Die Schlösserstrasse) in order to combine the tourist and cultural offerings of individual castles. In order to ensure further success and preservation of this special cultural heritage, new strategies and measures are needed, and the merging of castles and castles, regardless of the state border. It is important to show the historical cohesion and functioning of defense buildings in order to highlight their European dimension. The Castle Road project will explore the history and culture of the castles and castles involved and actively link them from a scientific and tourist point of view. For holiday makers in castles, families with children and lovers of cultural tourism, special cross-border adventure and tourism products will be developed, which will be the subject of a joint national promotion. The project result is thus a cross-border association that connects the castles and castles of both countries and enables joint marketing.

Expected results of the project

• Establishment of a cross-border sustainable association involving castle and castles in the cross-border area of ​​Slovenia and Austria.
• The Association of castles and castles, which will act with a common brand, will ensure increased international visibility and promotion.
• Cross-border cultural packages in combination with regional thermal hotels are part of the promotion, which takes place in cooperation with international media and culture specialized tourist agencies. This promotion will provide for an additional increase in the number of overnight stays.
• Special guidance for children and families will contribute to the additional attractiveness of the region in this target group, which will also increase the number of overnight stays, thanks to the higher frequencies of the visit and the longer stay in the region.
• International promotion of the project as a unique cultural heritage will also encourage more and more guests, lovers of castles to visit the region.

Benefits for the local environment

SRC Bistra Ptuj will, within its project tasks in the local environment, produce a catalog of new supply potentials for Ptuj Castle, and a historically documented review will be made to present the historical links that exist between the fortifications in the border region between Slovenia and Austria. During the project, a historical magazine will be created that will present intense historical stories from the border region and thus attract more foreign and domestic guests to Ptuj Castle and consequently to the city of Ptuj. A great deal of emphasis will be on creating a cross-border experience for families with children.

More information on CASTLE ROAD can be found here: https://www.schloesserstrasse.com

CASTLE ROAD4.47 MB