The Danube as a Shared Cultural Narrative: The Final “Mystical Danube” Conference Brings Together Partners from Nine Countries in Bucharest

On 26 May, at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania’s Ministry of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism hosted the international conference “Routes Connecting People”, marking the official conclusion of the project “Mystical Danube – Green and Mystical Danube Storytelling Route” (DRP0200231), funded under the Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021–2027.

The event presented the project’s key achievement: the creation and expansion of the Green and Mystical Danube Storytelling Route, which now links nine Danube countries – Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. The route aims to promote the region’s natural and intangible cultural heritage by encouraging the development of rural areas and lesser‑known destinations through storytelling, local traditions and sustainable tourism practices.

In his address, Romania’s Minister of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Irineu Darău, emphasised that the project responds to the challenges faced by many Danube communities – depopulation, unemployment, youth migration and the risk of losing local identity. “Our goal was to build a shared, diverse and mystical story that reconnects people, places and landscapes along the Danube,” he noted.

The project partnership developed a joint strategy for promoting cultural and natural heritage, a set of policy recommendations for sustainable tourism, and an action plan focused on creating new tourism products and services inspired by local traditions and narrative approaches.

The Bucharest conference became an important platform for dialogue among representatives of government institutions, local and regional authorities, NGOs, experts and partners from all participating countries. Successful initiatives in the field of cultural heritage and tourism were also presented, including Via Transilvanica, UNESCO Romania’s programmes for safeguarding intangible heritage, Cronicari Digitali, Culinary Trail and the Danube International Association.

Bulgaria was represented by the project team of the Regional Development Agency with Business Support Centre for SMEs – Plovdiv, together with representatives of municipal and local authorities, the academic community and the tourism sector from the Plovdiv region. The Bulgarian delegation presented the national contribution to the route, including the development of the Plovdiv Contact Point and its three pilot elements: the Magical Forest in Vinitsa, the Maltepe Thracian complex, and the legend of Mavrud and the associated wine routes. Their participation highlighted the importance of cross‑border cooperation and the potential of cultural tourism as a driver of regional development.

The Mystical Danube project is co‑funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021–2027. Its mission is to transform natural and intangible heritage into a catalyst for the socio‑economic development of rural areas while strengthening cooperation among the Danube countries.