A new tourist route following the travels of Saint Martin of Tours through Slovenia and Hungary developed as a cross-border tourism destination.
- 20 July 2015
Project Via Savaria has enabled the construction of the first part of the Great European Cultural Route of St. Martin in Slovenia and Hungary thus paved the way for efforts to achieve the goals for European cultural paths set by the Council of Europe. The value of mutual sharing, which is in a special way personalised in the figure of St. Martin of Tours, of which 1 700 years of birth will be celebrated in Europe in 2016, is closer to the European nations and people with the establishment of this path.
Saint Martin was Bishop of Tours, France in the 4th century and is today one of Europe’s most celebrated Christian saints. He was born in what is now Szombathely, Hungary, though lived most of his adult life in France. The ‘Project Via Savaria’ was inspired by the 2005 declaration by the Council of Europe that the road from Szombathely, Hungary, to Tours, France, should be a European Cultural Itinerary and present the outstanding monuments to the life and work of Europe’s most popular saint.
Celebrating a cultural symbol
In preparation for a celebration of his life across Europe in 2016, the Via Savaria project was launched in 2009 in Szombathely to portray the pilgrim's path through three countries. The project gained the support of the Slovene and Hungarian governments who were keen to promote the tourism aspects. Municipalities and major stakeholders along the path joined the project resulting in cooperation among 15 partners - nine from Slovenia and six from Hungary.
Cultural and economic development
This project has enabled the first 400 km section of the Great European Cultural Route of Saint Martin across Slovenia and Hungary, en route to Tours in France, to be developed. The entire route is 2 500 km long. The overall aim of the project has been to support sustainable economic and social development in the Hungarian-Slovene border region by means of a joint cultural tourism project, which will have positive effects on local economic development.
The project entailed scientific research about the work and life of Saint Martin of Tours and the natural and cultural heritage along the path. It has resulted in the development of 38 resting places complete with information boards, and tables and benches. This has been complemented with information points, and wine and culinary centres along the route, together with an exhibition centre and theme park.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Saint Martin’s centres and European Saint Martin’s cultural path (Via Savaria)” is EUR 1 434 858, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 1 186 917 from the Operational Programme “Slovenia - Hungary” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.