THEmatic routes of MEdieval Herceg Lands-THEME MEDIEVAL

The aim of the project was to enhance socio-economic development and improve cross-border cooperation in the bordering area between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro through creation of the new touristic cross-border product based on historical and cultural heritage of the region as well as high quality home-made products and services. The interest for regional programmes of touristic visits is a current tourism trend and especially for areas with prominent multicultural and multi-ethnic characteristics. Thematic tracks are an ideal tool for linking broader target groups in a unique framework of cooperation. The THEME MEDIEVAL project team wanted, through the thematic routes and networks of rural households, to tell the story about the last great medieval feudal duchy in the Balkans, called Old Herzegovina. It belonged to Herceg Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, an impassioned, powerful and cunning ruler and conqueror, the most powerful noble of the Bosnian Kingdom. Archaeological sites that speak about his reign and the culture during this period can be geographically followed from the west, from the mountain settlement of Blidinje, the towns and settlements of Grude, Široki Brijeg, Ljubuški, Blagaj and Stolac, which are now in Bosnia and Herzegovina, all the way to the Mediterranean town of Herceg Novi and its hinterland, and in the north to the canyon of the river Piva, the town of Pljevlja and the mountain massif of Durmitor, which are now in Montenegro. With the disappearance of the Duchy of Vukičić Kosač, the south-western Balkans became part of the history of other powerful empires: the Ottoman Empire, the Hungarian Kingdom and the Venetian Republic. The main project activities included: • Development of small scale tourism infrastructure on thematic route of Duke Herceg Stjepana • Detailed assessment and analysis of tourism assets in project target area • Mapping results presentation and itinerary pipeline design • Educational activities and workshops • Promotion/marketing of joint tourism offer

The successfully accomplished results can be summarised in the following manner: • Cross-border economic cooperation in TTs established/sustained • Small scale significant cultural and outdoor tourism infrastructure functionally equipped and signed. • Available and potential tourism assets and services mapped in the target area. • Designed pipeline of market-ready attractive standardized and detailed itineraries of variable duration, improved public and private cooperation. • Stakeholders in tourism trained for development of tourism offer based on potentials of area; for providing higher quality of services and initiation of business start-up initiatives • Designed itineraries offered at targeted tourism market • High quality tourism promotion tools presenting overall offer of the area are functional and presented to target markets • Wider stakeholders groups involved in project implementation, project results further disseminated and multiplied The project ‘THEME MEDIEVAL’ established a network of 26 rural households from Montenegro and 21 from Bosnia-Herzegovina, which jointly represent the best model of traditional values, and created a joint touristic product with six thematic routes. Thanks to the creation of this network and the connection of the rural households with mediaeval ruins, all under the same theme, the numerous tourists of the Montenegrin coast and Bosnian-Herzegovinian cities became the target of a new touristic product oriented to discover less famous places, which are currently not fully valorised. The idea that was successfully implemented by the project team was to guide the visitors of the "Thematic Routes of the Medieval Herceg Lands" and help them to learn more about the interesting and forgotten world of feudalism – about the way of life of nobles, soldiers, craftsmen and peasants of that time. Either by riding a horse or on foot, the tourists are to find out which goods were transported along the caravan routes of that time, how family stone houses were built, they will see numerous remains of castles, have the opportunity to take part in medieval fairs and watch knights duelling. The visitors will discover medieval tombstones “Stećci”, unique in the world, and included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage of mankind, will learn a lot about religion of that period, how people were healed and what medicinal herbs they used, and they will try dishes that were favoured at that time. In addition, they will also have the chance to listen to folk music that has centuries-old roots, and in direct contact with the autochthonous population, discover centuries-old tradition and the way of life that is still being nourished. In total six thematic routes, united under the same theme were created:  The Herzegovinian village in medieval period  Medieval fortresses and towns  Domestic products of the coastal hinterland  The olive and maritime tradition of Luštica  Stećci - Mute monuments of the past  Old caravan routes. In order to promote the new touristic product, the itineraries with maps, brochures, promo videos, website and android application were created. Furthermore, six-day study tour (three days in Montenegro and three days in Bosnia-Herzegovina) was organised for 10 agencies (5 from Montenegro and 5 from Bosnia-Herzegovina) in order to visit all the locations and households, see the programme and try and sense the spirit of tradition and medieval life. The project had great media coverage in both countries. Furthermore, all the stakeholders involved, from project partners to local household owners, expressed their gratitude for the granted possibility to implement the project or be part of it, as well as the satisfaction with the achieved results and impact of the actions implemented.