Via Hanseatica creates a unique international tourism route linking undiscovered tourism pearls of Latvia, Estonia and Russia

The project “Via Hanseatica” has become a unique, 580 km long international tourism route, linking undiscovered tourism pearls in remote regions of Latvia, Estonia and Russia. The basic aim was to promote remote Estonian, Latvian and Russian sustainable development of project area through the potential of Via Hanseatica cross-border tourism route. The main task was to head the tourism flow dangling tourists outside the capital cities and offering unique experience meanwhile introducing tourists with diverse culture standing side by side.

To promote the colorful tourism offer, partnership has worked out several tools. Besides the official Via Hanseatica homepage which you can find under www.viahanseatica.info, an easy usable travel planner is offered to any tourist or travel agent. When opening travel.viahanseatica.info you can either plan your individual trip based on special interests or use predefined thematic routes named “Culture to greet, people to meet”, “Adventure in nature” and “Family Fun”.

Brand new Via Hanseatica mobile application both for iOs and Android mobile phones was developed to satisfy every need of tourists travelling along the Via Hanseatica route. It works both online and offline therefore saving costs of the traveler and meanwhile giving wide and useful information about nearby objects and available services. But most importantly, you can enter the code generated in travel.viahanseatica.info to follow up your individual route viewing all the necessary information already on the way.

   

The project is especially proud of an untraditional travel guide book “Unforgettable Adventures on Via Hanseatica” written by the popular Estonian writer Sass Henno, tempting a reader to live together with the book characters and detune for the reader`s own journey. In addition, a tourism map in 6 languages (Latvian, Estonian, Russian, English, German and Finnish) was printed for distribution among tourism information centers and other places.

Eight different videoclips have been produced to emphasize tourism offer of the Via Hanseatica route in Latvia, Estonia and Russia. They have been uploaded to the popular video channels, e.g. Youtube and Vimeo.


   

The route was promoted at international tourism fairs in Finland, Russia and Germany and has gained the interest of visitors. More than 20 tourist agents and journalists in several countries were introduced with the route, their trip along the Via Hanseatica resulted in plenty of publications in mass media, including the editions of the popular magazine “National Geographic”.

As many representatives from different countries were involved, one of the challenges was to create a common understanding of high qualitytourism services. It was achieved by organizing joint thematic workshops and activities of the project partners and other involved stakeholders, for example, trainings for guides and tourism entrepreneurs.


   

Investments in the small scale infrastructure have been implemented as well, resulting in 12 improved tourism objects. Altogether 208 road signs, 41 direction signs, 22 information boards and 9 information terminals have been installed to promote the Via Hanseatica visibility and to invest in local tourism development.


   

A promising future is expected for the Via Hanseatica as a widely-known tourism route for travelers from all over the world willing to explore local history and culture, enjoy nature activities and marvelous landscapes with untouched nature.

About Via Hanseatica

Via Hanseatica in Russia, Estonia and Latvia passes big and small cities from St. Petersburg through border towns Ivangorod-Narva, Hansa town Tartu, border towns Valga-Valka, Hansa town Valmiera and Sigulda to Riga. Altogether there are 580 kilometres to enjoy wild beauty, hilarious manors, feel active in nature or meet local people to feel the real taste of being a tourist. It is up to you – whether to take a whole journey in three countries or try just a small area in the beginning.

Via Hanseatica - three countries, many cultures, changing scenery – the crossroads of the Baltic nature and culture. Come and feel it, taste it, smell it!

Via Hanseatica was implemented from January 2012 till March 2015. The lead partner of the Via Hanseatica project was the Vidzeme Planning Region (Latvia). Altogether 18 partners took part in the project. The total budget of the project was 1 803 966 Euro where 90% or 1.623.569, 66 Euro of this amount were financed by the Estonia-Latvia-Russia Cross Border Cooperation Programme with European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument 2007-2013.


Information is prepared by Ms Anita Āboliņa, Information manager of Vidzeme Planning Region.