Vistytis/Rominten forest (Vistynets lake/Krasnolesye) natural park and tourist cluster

The objective of this project is to develop a transnational cross-border natural park through the networking model establishing links between the municipalities, regional and national authorities, private businesses, ecologists, NGOs and the creative sector in Russia (Kaliningrad region), Lithuania and Poland. The project will be carried out within 2 years (2014–2016). Within the framework of this project, the cooperation with the NCM project on the development of the creative industries in the Kaliningrad region is foreseen. In addition, there are plans for an exchange of experience with the Peipsi Lake cross-border projects. The main activities include: - Exploring and mapping the park’s potential through a series of interdisciplinary expeditions of researchers and artists. The main aim is to creatively re-think the natural area in its unity and complexity, to develop links with local municipalities, authorities and population and to produce an innovative multi-media publication as a result. - Developing a network of cross-border actors (municipalities, regional and national authorities, private businesses, ecologists, NGOs and the creative sector). - Developing and implementing a model of sustainable tourism in the natural park by actively involving the local population and by attracting a specific target tourist audience: ecologically-minded youth, creative sector etc.

At the end of a three-year framework project launched in 2014, the visitors to the Vistynets/Rominten Forest area might benefit from:• An innovative multi-media publication which creates an integrated vision of the area and shows its full natural and cultural diversity and unity. The first edition of such publication is foreseen already in June 2013, by the time of the SEBA conference in Kaliningrad. The publication will be developed based on such as series of interdisciplinary expeditions of researchers and artists which will enable exploring and mapping the park’s potential together with the local communities; • A regular calendar of educational and creative events and attractions (international workshops, summer schools and seminars) with the pinnacle of yearly festival where crafts, nature and culture of each country will be presented. The first festival is planned for summer 2014. a network of trans-border actors (municipalities, regional and national authorities, private businesses, ecologists, NGOs and creative sector) through the series of workshops, summer schools and seminars;• Common tracks and routes connecting culture and nature in all parts of trans-border area;• Involvement into the activities of sustainable eco-villages (planned by the end of 2016) based on active inclusion of the local population and attraction of specific target tourist audience: ecologically-minded youth, creative sector etc.• A facilitated border-crossing regime.The local communities and stakeholders in each country will benefit from:• Increased employment and income based on the development of SMEs and cluster centres for nature, crafts, tourism and arts in the park to attract more visitors to the areas;• Intense and improve cross-border contacts with the neighbours, local communities and access to region-wide CBSS and SEBA networks.