The number of tourists visiting central Bucharest is expected to increase by 5 % as a result of a locally focused ERDF-funded scheme.
A walking tour through historic Bucharest
- 12 August 2015
This project, with the support of the European Union and the Romanian government, will help to highlight the cultural
The initiative, entitled ‘Green Culture’, sought to promote key cultural and historical sites situated in the centre of the Romanian capital, in order to help establish the city as a popular European destination.
Turning downtown into a destination
The practical objective of the project was to increase the visibility of four cultural sites identified as having high tourist potential in the centre of Bucharest. EU funding enabled local authorities to develop new tourist materials and create a new tourist route to include all the sites.
These sites were then promoted at both local and national level, bringing attention – and more visitors – to the historic district.
A total of 30 local jobs were created as a direct result of the project, with the beneficial knock-on effect to local businesses and services expected to continue as more and more visitors are drawn to the attractions of historic Bucharest.
Celebrating a city’s heritage
The Green Culture project focused on four historical monuments that constitute an integral part of the country’s cultural heritage.
The first site identified was the Admiral Vasile Urseanu Astronomic Observatory. Founded in 1910, this was the first public observatory in Romania, and is open to both professional astronomers and interested visitors.
Two other sites include the Vasile Pârvan Museum of Archaeology, the oldest research institution in Romania (dating back from 1834), and Saint Sava National College, the oldest and one of the most prestigious high schools in Bucharest. The final site to be included in ‘historic Bucharest’ was the famous Victoria Passage downtown, today filled with restaurants and café terraces.
Spreading the word
In order to raise awareness of these under-discovered gems, the project created a website dedicated to the project, and produced and distributed promotional materials ranging from leaflets and fliers to maps, post cards and DVDs.
Adverts were also inserted in the mass media, along with broadcast commercials on television.
Visitors near and far
The Green Culture project sought to engage with the downtown community, in order to raise awareness of the cultural and historic sites on their doorstep, along with the entire Bucharest population.
Next, foreign tourists on holiday, or travellers happening to pass through the city, were targeted with promotional materials that highlighted the new easy-to-follow four-site tourist route. Participants at conventions, seminars and trade fairs were also encouraged to combine business with a little tourism downtown.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Promotion of the Tourist Potential and Creation of the Necessary Infrastructure with a view to Increasing Romania's Attractiveness as a Tourism Destination” is EUR 170 000, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 144 000 from the Operational Programme “Regional” under Priority Axis “Durable Development and Promotion of Tourism” for the 2007- 2013 programming period.