08/05/2025
From April 28 to 30, 2025, the official kick-off meeting of the Interreg Danube Region project ROMAN LEGACY took place at the University for Continuing Education Krems. The event was hosted by the university’s Center for Cultural Property Protection, which also serves as the project’s lead partner.
The project partnership consists of 19 full partners from ten Danube countries, along with 35 strategic associated partners. Over the next three years, a cross-border cultural route and a theme region encompassing the entire Roman Danube area will be developed. This includes both the western segment of the Danube Limes – already recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Germany, Austria, Slovakia) – and the eastern segment (Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania), which is currently on the UNESCO Tentative List.
The meeting in Krems marked the starting point of this ambitious international collaboration.
The first day of the meeting focused on introductions and getting to know one another, as this was the first time the project partners had come together in this constellation. This initial phase was characterized by open dialogue about individual expertise, expectations, and regional perspectives.
Each partner institution also presented a local or regional tradition as well as a Roman site from their country and brought a small regional specialty to the meeting in order to jointly create a “Danube Region Specialties Buffet”, which was opened and tasted on the second day of the kick-off.
In the evening, participants enjoyed a communal dinner in Krems-Stein, allowing for informal exchange in a relaxed atmosphere.
The second day was dedicated to the project's professional content: several sessions and presentations covered the project’s objectives and work packages, the collaborative methodology, communication and management structures, as well as planned outputs. A particular focus was placed on international cooperation and the involvement of national stakeholders throughout all phases of the project.
On the third day, participants visited the Archaeological Park Carnuntum – Austria’s most renowned Roman archaeological site.
A guided tour of the reconstructed Roman city quarter and heated bathhouse was offered, along with a presentation of the park’s interpretive concept. Simultaneously, a public project kick-off event was held in Carnuntum, where schoolchildren creatively designed a prototype costume for the project mascot, which will represent the visual identity of the Roman theme region along the Danube Limes.
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Lara Friedel
The overarching goal of the three-year ROMAN LEGACY project is to elevate the Roman Danube Limes as a unifying element of the Danube region and to formally establish it as a certified cultural route to be submitted to the Council of Europe by the end of the project. Building on the foundations of previous EU projects, ROMAN LEGACY aims to create a thematically coherent and sustainably usable network that also integrates smaller and more remote areas.
Key measures include the digital presentation and promotion of the route, the development of slow and eco-tourism offerings, and stronger engagement of the local population.
The route is designed to trace the Danube as a historical corridor, while co-creative approaches aim to reinforce cultural identity. The project methodology relies on a shared framework for interpretation and presentation, supported by modern media, events, and informational materials.
In doing so, ROMAN LEGACY contributes to the comprehensive exploration, visibility, and long-term preservation of the Roman heritage throughout the Danube region.
ROMAN LEGACY
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