Development of the Yotvingians road on the Lithuanian-Polish border

The Lazdijai Cultural Center and the Municipality of Punsk aim to implement a project whose main goal is the creation of the cross-border Yotvingians Road and the enhancement of this route with cultural initiatives, activities, and events. The material and immaterial cultural heritage of the Yotvingians are an integral part of the cross-border region's culture. Despite individually nurturing the Yotvingian identity, each project partner, through joint actions, seeks to create a cross-border cultural tourism route focused on the Yotvingian theme, which has not been undertaken before. Based on the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture's "Guidelines for Creating Cultural Routes 2021," it is evident that the „Road“ is a relationship. It connects interactions between countries. Also, roads open new horizons, contributing to cultural, economic, social, and ecological progress at various geographical levels. Therefore, the development of the Yotvingian theme in the context of the international Lithuanian-Polish route has a positive impact on the development of the border region, sustainable tourism development, and economic well-being. As one of the most important criteria for the viability of a cultural route is partnership and its continuous strengthening, the partners of this project aim to address and overcome the challenges of lack of collaboration. The main goal of the project is to create and develop the "Yotvingians Road" route and implement joint actions to increase sustainable tourism, community participation and regional progress through the dissemination of Yotvingian cultural heritage. Thus, the revitalization of this cultural heritage through creative, and cultural initiatives will enhance the value of the Yotvingian heritage providing new knowledge to tourism professionals and cultural workers. To achieve this goal activities are structured into the following areas: discover, create, develop, and share. In the "Discover" activities, tourism, and cultural workers, as well as historians from the cross-border region, will share experiences, gain new knowledge, and apply it to creating a Yotvingians Road route consisting of 50 objects. Analysis of various maps, meetings with historians, discovering and visiting locations will contribute to creating a high-quality cultural route and highlighting the authenticity of the border's tourist attractions. During these activities, emphasis will also be placed on identifying opportunities and cultivating robust connections in project management, fostering partnerships, and promoting collaboration among stakeholders. Upon completion of the Yotvingians Roadmap, the 'Create' phase endeavors to transform it into bookable experiences for tourists. Therefore, new educational programs and games are planned to be created. The Lazdijai Cultural Center at the Rudamina Crafts Center will develop the "Secrets of the Yotvingian Kitchen" outdoor program and three interactive games to explore the identity of the Yotvingians using new technologies. The Municipality of Punsk will create an educational program called "The Talisman of Yotvingian Luck". The majority of the project's implementation will be devoted to "Develop" activities, as they play a crucial role in the development of the Yotvingians Road. Various events and cultural activities will be developed to increase the value of Yotvingian identity and heritage. The Lazdijai Cultural Center and the Municipality of Punsk will jointly implement 5 new events. Educational programs and meetings of tourism and cultural workers will take place in experiential spaces created by this project. The Traveling Crafts Center will be created by the Punsk municipality. The Yotvingian Experience Space will be arranged at the Rudamina Crafts Center of Lazdijai Culture Center. Recognizing that a cultural route is more than a map—it is an immersive experience—the "Share" activities play a crucial role. This involves communication and post-project initiatives. A key task is the creation of an electronic website for the cultural route, featuring an interactive map. The partners have jointly planned sustained communication efforts even after project completion. In summary, the Yotvingians Road is fundamentally centered on relationships and collaboration. Consequently, individual partners would be unable to independently execute such a project. Given the diverse target groups, including border tourists, cultural workers, craftsmen,NGOs, small businesses, and local communities, collaboration becomes indispensable. With the initial groundwork accomplished, the potential for future development of the Yotvingians Road is even more promising. Initiatives will focus on expanding Yotvingian knowledge centers, generating additional cultural products, and potentially establishing an international European Baltic tribe route.

The Lithuanian–Polish border region is rich in history but faces shared challenges: limited visibility of cultural heritage, fragmented tourism offers, and declining engagement in rural communities. Although the legacy of the ancient Yotvingian tribe remains deeply rooted in this territory, it lacked a unified narrative, coordinated promotion and modern interpretation tools capable of transforming historical potential into a sustainable tourism product. The project “Development of the Yotvingian Road in the Lithuanian–Polish Border Region” responded to this challenge by creating a structured cross-border cultural route connecting 50 historical sites – 25 in Lithuania and 25 in Poland. These sites are now presented through the trilingual digital platform www.jotvingiukelias.lt , which ensures long-term visibility, accessibility and sustainable promotion of the route. A central achievement of the project was the establishment of the Yotvingian Experience Space at the Rudamina Craft Centre in Lithuania, where visitors can explore heritage through three interactive games “Yotvingian’s Life,” including two games presented on an interactive wall and one immersive VR experience. Alongside this, the educational program “Secrets of the Yotvingian Kitchen” was developed as an outdoor culinary heritage experience, allowing participants to prepare traditional dishes over open fire, while the craft-based educational program “The Talisman of Yotvingian Luck” enables participants to create Yotvingian-inspired symbols and souvenirs using multifunctional engraving equipment. In Poland, Puńsk Municipality created the Traveling Craft Center, a mobile educational and cultural platform that brings workshops and heritage activities directly to local communities. Public engagement was further strengthened through a series of cultural events that transformed historical heritage into shared experiences. These included the Children’s Festival-Camp “Back to the Historical Past,” the Art Event “Yotvingian – Warrior Way,” the Living History Festival “The Spirit of Yotvingian,” the Fire Festival “Day of Baltic Unity,” and the three-day Festival of Lights and Magic “Yotvingian’s Tales,” which illuminated the Rudamina Hillfort with more than 40 Yotvingian symbols and attracted thousands of visitors. Cooperation between Lazdijai Cultural Centre and Puńsk Municipality was essential for achieving these results. The Yotvingian heritage historically transcends modern borders, and its revival required joint workshops, shared research, coordinated cultural programming and unified communication. Through collaboration, the partners strengthened institutional capacity, built lasting professional relationships and created durable cultural infrastructure on both sides of the border. The project has already brought visible change to the region. The border area gained a structured cultural tourism route, permanent and mobile educational infrastructure, innovative digital tools and recurring public events. Local communities, artisans, cultural workers and entrepreneurs benefit from new opportunities, while visitors experience Yotvingian heritage through interactive, inclusive and engaging formats. The sustainability of the project is ensured through operational infrastructure, ongoing educational programs, recurring festivals and digital accessibility. The Yotvingian Road is not a one-time initiative but a long-term cross-border cultural platform with potential for further expansion and continued cooperation. From scattered historical traces to a living cultural journey, the Yotvingian Road now connects communities, strengthens regional identity and creates sustainable opportunities along the Lithuanian–Polish border.