From DANUrB to Danube Rurascapes: Our Journey Continues

How does a successful Danube Cultural Promenade grow from pilot actions to an impactful transnational model?  

To highlight the International Danube Day (June 29, 2025), we’re celebrating this connection with a new video that traces our story.

At Danube Ruralscapes, we see this day as a reminder of “Why we do what we do”. Our journey didn’t start overnight - it has its roots in the DANUrB and DANUrB+ initiatives, where local communities and professionals joined forces to bring new life to underused cultural heritage along the Danube. Those early steps showed what’s possible when communities work together, share stories, and dream bigger, especially in shrinking cities.

Now, through Danube Ruralscapes, we’re building on that legacy with a clear mission: to help rural regions organise, learn from each other, and plan for the future in a way that respects local heritage and traditions, and the landscapes that shape who we are. Our video captures this story - from the first pilot ideas in DANUrB to the strong network we’re growing today.

Seven pilot micro-regions from six Danube countries - Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, and Ukraine – are teaming up to form village clusters with architects, planners, and local communities to co-create Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides. These aren’t just technical documents - they are practical tools that give people the knowledge and confidence to shape their surroundings in a way that is sustainable, climate-conscious, and true to local traditions.

This International Danube Day, we invite you to join our story.

Shaping the Future of Rural Settlements. Sustainably, together!

Stay tuned and follow us to learn how villages keep the Danube spirit stronger every day!