The Final Conference “Visible Danube. Hidden Heritage as Future Potential in Culture and Tourism“ took place from 22 – 24 May 2019 in Regensburg, Germany and was organized by PP6 (City of Regensburg), the Lead Partner (Federal Chancellery of Austria) and PP2 (Ministry of Science, Research and Arts Baden-Württemberg).

The event was dedicated to present the outcomes and the future orientated strategies of the INTERREG project “Danube Culture Platform” which had been successfully developed during 30 months of transnational cooperation. The nine international partners showcased their pilot projects providing exciting artistic and digital interventions uncovering hidden heritage places, stories and objects along the Danube. The comprehensive Project Documentation – introduced at the conference –, includes two new strategies for cultural routes in the Danube area. As a solemn closing act, the official Memorandum was signed leading to the final statements on the follow-up plans.

The final transnational event in Regensburg enhanced the EU-wide visibility of the Danube Culture Platform project by engaging external and internal experts in knowledge transfer, by fostering networking and information exchange among the partners and by including key stakeholders like national policy makers, operators, scientists and artists in an empowering exchange. Several outstanding speakers from all over Europe – among them Stefano Dominioni (Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, Directorate General on Democracy, LU) and Nigel Mills (Hadrian’s Wall Heritage, UK) – enriched the European cultural dialogue.

The Regensburg conference aimed at presenting the Danube region as an innovative space for culture and tourism able to bridge its chequered history with the perspectives and opportunities of the future. Transferable results for the benefit of culture and tourism development in the Danube countries are of high relevance for the project.

Besides addressing strategic project issues such as the expansion of cultural routes, an exploration of visible and invisible cultural heritage, this international meeting has been a forum for the multifarious results of two and a half years of systematic regional cooperation work. Moreover, this has been the first time to present the future perspectives of the project.

In the frame of a public presentation all important project results and images of the project have been shared with the public. The partners highlighted the dedication of the project to the hidden, forgotten and invisible heritage of the Danube region and presented the Interpretation Framework for Cultural Routes Based on Hidden Heritage. Interpretation helps to foster understanding, create visitor experiences and makes them engaging and memorable creating holistic and memorable experiences. The pilot projects provided the experience how hidden heritage can be made visible by artistic means and are a good base for various touristic products. In addition, a model for a future Small Project Fund for the Danube region and the comprehensive Project Documentation giving a picture of the wide range of project activities has been presented including two strategies for cultural routes in the Danube area.

The project meetings and panels were held at the Thon-Dittmer-Palais and at the World Heritage Visitor Centre; dinner receptions were hosted at the historic Reichssaal of the Old Town Hall and at the cultural and creative centre “Degginger”; and on the last day of the conference, five guided tours offered different approaches and various ways to explore the City of Regensburg and its hidden treasures.

Please find a more detailed report of our final conference in Regensburg here.

© City of Regensburg, photo: Stefan Effenhauser