Restoration work at the Suceava Citadel in the North-East region of Romania is helping to preserve the monument's structure, while attracting investment and stimulating tourism and culture in the region. Work has been carried out in order to guard against subsidence, and to preserve the cultural heritage and modernise the infrastructure of the Citadel so as to encourage tourists to visit the site and take longer stays in Suceava.
- 24 June 2015
The earth works at the Citadel have been strengthened to ensure the stability of the structure and a single point of access to the monument has been set up. The project has increased the area of the site which has undergone modernisation by 13.26 %, from 4 407.7 m2 to 4 988.7 m2.
Landscaping has been carried out on approximately 2 500 m2 of land, and 100 parking places have been created for cars and a further nine for coaches. Walkways and platforms totalling 820 m in length have been opened, of which 230 m can be accessed by people with reduced mobility.
Extensive infrastructure upgrades
A tourist information point and two WCs with 4-5 spaces have been installed, along with six safety installations, an anti-theft system, and equipment such as lighting poles, information billboards, and video and laser projectors. The rainwater and waste water sewerage systems, the water supply and the wiring have also been modernised.
A total of 55 temporary jobs were created during the implementation of the project and seven new jobs are to be created following its completion. It is projected that the project should lead to an increase in the average duration of tourist stays in Suceava from 1.65 nights in 2007 to 2.4 nights after the end of the work.
The improved access infrastructure and new facilities should enable Suceava to capitalise on its cultural heritage and make the Citadel, the city and the North-East region as a whole more competitive tourist destinations, both nationally and internationally. This should help to attract investors, stimulate the local economy and create jobs. In addition, in 2011, the County Council started application procedures for inclusion of the Citadel on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Rehabilitation of Suceava Citadel and of its protection area” is EUR 12 286 824, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 7 998 085 from the Operational Programme “Regional Operational Programme” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.