EU projects

Culturevive and Culturevive II

The Koprivnica Tourist Board has twice successfully applied a project for the pre-accession funds of the EU for the period 2010-2012, in cooperation with the partners of the Hand of Međimurje association from Čakovec and the Association of Old Crafts from Zalaegerszeg in Hungary.

Namely, it was the exceptionally demanding project called “Joining forces in discovering, enhancing and nurturing the cultural heritage of the project area through the joint organisation of cultural events” The financial structure of each project amounts to almost 100,000.00 euros, out of which to the Tourist Board of the Koprivnica got a third.

The realisation of the concept of the project was based on the Renaissance Festival, and was conceived as a cooperation and guest performances of visiting partners at home events, meaning that the historical mega-spectacle of Koprivnica, the Renaissance Festival, gained new participants and co-financing of the creation of new costumes, footwear for Musketeers and Haramijas (guardsmen) and others. Also, through this project, the old crafts have also promoted our town – and the country, too – in Hungary and Čakovec, with the aim of preserving and presenting the long forgotten skills and cultural heritage of Koprivnica and Podravina.

Project-related activities were carried out in the period from 2010 to 2012, which was an additional effort for the employees and external associates of the Koprivnica Tourist Board, in addition to the already existing complex projects that have continuously been implemented throughout all these years. We have to emphasise that the financing of this project and the existing Renaissance Festival was done with the money received from the EU, and not the means of taxpayers.

Iron Curtain Trail

The Koprivnica Tourist Board is one out of a total of 15 project partners of the Iron Curtain Bicycle Route, EuroVelo Route no. 13, which in the Republic of Croatia and Hungary is financed by the South East Europe Program. The project was carried out entirely at the end of 2014, and the Croatian partner’s job was to define the route from Međimurje to Osijek-Baranja County and install it on the Iron Curtain route. In Koprivnica-Križevci County, EuroVelo route follows the Drava Route cycling trail.

The project cost EUR 1.403.441,05 of which the European Union co-financed 85%. The Town of Koprivnica is also located on the Iron Curtain Trail, and all the cultural and tourist content of our town are presented on the joint web site and other promotional materials EuroVelo Route – http://www.eurovelo13.com/stages/hungary-croatia

EuroVelo route no. 13 is over 7000 km long and follows the artificial border that Europe was divided with after the Second World War, going down from Scandinavia to the Black Sea.

Michael Cramer, a member of the European Parliament and founder of the Iron Curtain Trail, visited the area along the river Drava in Croatia and Hungary in the summer of 2012 when he also visited Koprivnica. Mr. Cramer, who has been convinced of the value and the beauty of the river Drava’s landscape in our country, is strongly advocating for the greater share of the territory of the Republic of Croatia to be included in the Iron Curtain Trail.

Four towers

Old traditions and rich knowledge inherited from the past make the neglected segments of today’s society. The goal of the “Four Towers” project is to change the situation by a co-participation of 5 project partners (Council of the Town of Nagykanizsa, City Council of the City of Kaposvar, Koprivnica Tourist Board, Čakovec Tourist Office, University of Pannonia – Campus in Nagykanizsa).

Within the framework of various activities and events, they are trying to draw the public attention to the work of local producers in the Croatian-Hungarian border region. In this way, they want to prevent the forgetting of old customs and traditional products.

The project partners create a virtual, thematic journey whose “cells” are made up of local producers and their products.  Furthermore, the manufacturers will have the opportunity to exhibit and sell their products at major important events in their own country and on the other side of the border. Therefore, the main goal of the project is to create a database of local manufacturers that will make it easier for event organisers, tourists and local residents to locate and discover traditional local values. During the project, the “Four Towers” brand has been established to promote the local manufacturers and their products: there will be various promotional and informational materials and tourist maps, mobile applications, dashboards, and information boards will be made in order to promote a virtual thematic journey that relies on local manufacturers in as many ways possible.

The ultimate outcome of the project will be the creation of a virtual thematic path that will be marked by a common brand and will link the current local and historic values ​​of the two countries. In this way, the project “Four Towers” will contribute to the preservation and promotion of traditional values, old crafts and products and the further development of cultural interactions in the border region.

The total value of the project is almost 350,000.00 euros, of which the Tourist Board of Koprivnica has 66,000.00 euros. The project is based on the organisation of tourist events that will serve as platforms for the promotion and direct sale of local products of producers from Croatia and Hungary. Of course, Koprivnica events involved in the project are the Renaissance Festival and the Motifs of Podravina.