This year Kurzeme planning region (KPR) has successfully started as a partner an other unique cross-boarder Project “Latvian – Estonian Common Military Heritage Tourism Product” (Military heritage) within the Interreg Estonia – Latvia programme 2014-2020. Alltogether there are 24 partners and 36 objects involved in the Project.
Project goals
The project aims to attract attention of general interest tourists to military heritage tourism which is at present in the status of niche tourism in Latvia and Estonia. The cross-border scope of the project will improve the professional level of the whole network of tourism objects in Estonia and Latvia, creating a homogenous product with common identity serving to attract more domestic and incoming tourists.
It is planned to combine 150 – 170 different military heritage objects (museums, collections, expositions, buildings, structures, etc.) in Latvia and Estonia, make object improvements, develop a unified visual identity of the Military Heritage tourism product and mark the objects involved in the project with informative signs, produce printed materials – Military heritage product guide and tourism brochure. Military heritage tourism product information will also be available on the website.The project also serves educational purposes as it will improve society’s awareness and understanding of processes and events in the recent common history of Latvia and Estonia within the last 100 years. Joint marketing and promotion of the whole route territory brings more publicity and interest than efforts trying to attract attention to individual locations. The product will also facilitate cross-border tourism between Latvia and Estonia.
Expected project results
The overall project goal is to attract more tourists to the region. This will be achieved through project objectives:
1) to develop and promote 1 joint cross-border Military Heritage tourism product integrating new and existing individual military heritage tourism objects in
Estonia and Latvia,
2) to develop 1 cross-border network for functioning, further development and promotion of the product,
3) to improve 36 sites – military heritage tourism objects.
Project budget information: The total budget of the Project is 1 928 992.39 EUR, of which the ERDF Interreg Estonia-Latvia program contribution is 1 639 643.53 EUR and co-financing by the project partners is 289 348.86 EUR.
Official web page of the project: https://militaryheritagetourism.info/lv
Project section on programme website: https://estlat.eu/en/estlat-results/military-heritage.html
Project Period: 01.01.2020 – 28.02.2023.
The key responsibility of KPR is to run the project activities in the Kurzeme region and contribute to the whole route/product development activities – gather detailed info about the military heritage sites, which has potential for the tourism development, arrange the on-site visits to objects and services, prepare descriptions, photos, GPSs etc. inspect service providers nearby, meet with local stakeholders to ensure their awareness and involvement in the Military Heritage product and to collect historical information (historical documents, memories of people, photos, maps etc.). KPR will contribute to marketing activities.
KPR together with 2 partners from Kurzeme will improve 2 unique military heritage objects in Kurzeme.
In the historical Ezere Customs House where will be developed new interactive permanent exposition devoted to the act of capitulation of the encircled Nazi German army in Kurzeme Cauldron on May 8, 1945. In Ventspils the 46th Coastal Defense battery tower built by the Sowiet army will be improved to make it convenient for visiting, and there will be install information plates with QR codes and audio guide etc.
Jana Kalve, 
Kurzeme planning region
project manager
mobile: +371 29524558,
e-mail: jana.kalve@kurzemesregions.lv,
This information reflects the views of the author. The managing authority of the programme is not liable for how this information may be used.
