Challenge: Building the visibility of cultural heritage potential and increasing tourism offers in the Programme area The common Lithuanian and Polish cultural heritage in the field of World War I fortress objects requires a coherent presentation to local and foreign visitors, including on the basis of cooperation, branding and preservation of historical objects, including with the use of new technologies (which are still little used).

The aim of the project: to create a network of cooperation and a common brand „FORT – UNION” in the border area of Lithuania and Poland within the framework of the development of sustainable tourism products of Giżycko, Kaunas, Bialystok, Varena and Osowiec Fortress with the use of World War I fortification objects and related historical, natural and cultural heritage, in order to promote and popularize the area, improving the well-being of the border community.

Potential of the project different institutions, diverse experience, different management system of WWI sites, openness to change and use of new ecological, socially open and intelligent approach.

Project envisages:

– better management and promotion of cultural, historical, natural heritage of partners and exchange of experience, including institutions from the country and abroad managing fortress sites (good practices in ongoing projects from the EU), joint Fort-Union strategy;

– development of sustainable tourism product offer in the Program area with new components (knowledge of fortress facilities and their promotion, tourist trails, new technologies, Fort-Union website, new cultural and educational offers, e.g. Fort-Union Festival, 3D Fort-Union, Garrison festival in Bialystok and joint events, educational programs, accommodation in Barracks No. 1 in Gizycko);

– preservation and accessibility to cultural, historical and natural heritage in digital form(preservation of the monument in digital form, increasing accessibility and dissemination of knowledge for scientific and educational purposes (3D models of Boyen Fortress objects, Varena training ground,  digital documentation, virtual walk, virtual reality and other tools);

– Increased accessibility for the local community and tourists to 3 objects of military heritage related to World War I: renovation of Barracks No. 1, Fort No. 4 , exhibition at the military depot in Bialystok; 

– development of tourism in the cross-border area of Lithuania and Poland (149.778,00 visitors/year), creation of new jobs and investments in the region;

– development of new, including transnational approaches to disseminate existing solutions , common methods of cooperation in the wider tourism aspect;

– Spreading the idea of the EU and its contribution to the objectives;

The results that will be achieved and the people who will benefit from them;

– The conclusion of the „Fort-Union” cooperation network by 8 entities:  Gizycko Municipality, Kaunas City, Kaunas Fortress Park, Bialystok Army Museum, Gizycko Cultural Center, Varena and Associated organisations:  Biebrza National Park and Varena’s Entrepreneurship education centre.

– creation of 1 joint Fort-Union strategy: Brand and marketing communication strategy of the FORT-UNION route

– creation of an offer of sustainable tourist products available on the tourist trails of Varena (WWI military polygon), Kaunas Fortress and the objects of Barracks No. 1, Fort No. 4, the military warehouse of the Army Museum in Bialystok; as part of the operation of the Fort-Union website (e.g., tourist trails, other information about the objects, history, events, etc.);

– Preservation and adaptation historical objects: renovation of Barracks No. 1 and Fort No. 4 of Kaunas Fortress Park, military training ground in Varena – staining, exhibition at the new headquarters of the Army Museum in Bialystok together with the introduction of a new cultural and educational offer referring to the historical, cultural, and natural heritage of World War I, including the use of new technologies, thanks to which there will be an increase in visitors in these objects;

The results of the project will benefit: project partners, residents, tourists, organized groups of children, youth, seniors, students and scientific circles, universities, cultural institutions, ngo’s, fans of militaria and military facilities, artistic communities, public institutions of various levels, including the EC. benefit local businesses, including those in the tourism industry and tourism organizations. Indirectly media (press, radio, television), bloggers, community groups .

FORT-UNION:

1. the name refers to the fundamental values that the European Union presents and within the framework of the implemented project they will be presented.
2. FORT-UNION – as a strong Polish-Lithuanian cross-border partnership of fortress project partners building a common tourism brand.

Long-term effect:

The individual sites will become model institutions for other entities of the cross-border area in the field of greening and inclusion. They will be a long-term showcase of the Interreg Program and its benefits.

TOTAL BUDGET:  EUR 5.089.545,20

ERDF:    EUR 4.071.636,14

Other public contribution: EUR 1.017.909,06

Implementation time 36 months

Procject overall objective:

Creating a network of cooperation and a common brand „FORT – UNION” in the cross-border area of Lithuania and Poland within the framework of the development of sustainable tourism products of Gizycko, Kaunas, Bialystok, Varena and Osowiec Fortress with the use of World War I fortification objects and related historical, natural and cultural heritage, in order to promote and popularize the area, affecting the improvement of the well-being of the cross-border community.

Project specific objective:

WP 1 specific objective is to exchange the knowledge and experience of project partners including communities and stakeholders and inform them about the benefits of the project, for the creation of a marketing strategy for the fortress facilities of the Boyen Fortress and Kaunas for the „Fort-Union” brand, binding an agreement between Giżycko and Kaunas and Varena, Kaunas Fortress Park, Giżycko Cultural Center, Bialystok Museum and Biebrza National Park to promote and popularize „Fort-Union” tourism offers affecting the development of the Program area.

WP 2 specific objecitve is the preservation of fortress facilities in Kaunas and Gizycko, together with the protection of the historical, natural and cultural heritage of World War I Gizycko, Kaunas, Bialystok and Varėna, as well as cross-border cooperation and cultural integration for the promotion and creation of sustainable tourism products contributing to the attractiveness of tourism and social life in the Lithuanian and Polish areas.

List of outputs:

WP1

2.2. RCO87: Organisations cooperating across borders

Output 1.1  Establishment of a cooperation network agreement „FORT-UNION”  – 8 organisations

2.2. RCO116: Jointly developed solutions

Output 1.2  Development of a document for the Fort-Union strategy – 1 solutions

WP2

2.2.RCO77: Number of cultural and tourism sites supported

Output 2.1  Barracks No. 1 in the Boyen Fortress –  1 cultura and toursim sites

Output 2.2  Fort No. 4 in Kaunas Fortress Park –  1 cultura and toursim sites

Output 2.3  Exhibition at the new headquarters of the Army Museum in Bialystok 1 cultura and toursim sites

Results

Result 1 – 2.2: RCR104: Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations – target value – 1

Result 2 – 2.2: RCR77: Visitors of cultural and tourism sites supported – target value – 149.778,00 visitors/year

Result 3 – 2.3: RCR86: Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, target value – 8