#RomansWineDanube Partner Meeting in Ptuj

The 4th #RomansWineDanube partner meeting took place on 15–16 October 2025 in Ptuj, Slovenia — the country’s oldest town and one of the most historically rich stops along the route. The meeting, hosted by the Scientific Research Centre Bistra Ptuj, brought together our partnership from across the Danube region to review progress, exchange experiences, and plan the next steps for building a shared Roman and wine heritage brand.

The first day focused on pilot actions, reflecting on our festivals — the key events that connect local communities and visitors through Roman heritage, wine culture, and storytelling. Partners presented their pilot festivals, sharing lessons learned, innovative ideas, and creative approaches for engaging audiences. The discussion was complemented by insights into the data collection for the tourism observatories, one of our jointly developed solutions in the project, for observing, measuring and reporting on sustainable tourism and visitor patterns, helping partners shape more sustainable and data-driven cultural experiences.

A creative session introduced the concepts for joint physical and digital souvenirs developed by the team from Alba Iulia, sparking discussion on how these could be implemented across the route to reflect the shared storytelling concept and local distinctiveness. Adding a hands-on touch, colleagues from Pécs brought along real souvenir prototypes that had already been tested during their local festival.

To round off the first day, partners enjoyed a guided walking tour through Ptuj’s ancient streets, joined by the mythical figures of Orpheus and Eurydice. The tour brought the city’s Roman past to life, offering participants a vivid reminder of how history, legend, and culture intertwine in the places along the route.

The second day turned toward strategy and planning. The morning began with a Steering Committee Meeting, followed by working session on Local Action Plans, ensuring partners align their local efforts with the strategic framework and vision outlined in the Common Transnational Strategy for Cultural Tourism Development. The meeting concluded with a Project Finances overview, Q&A, and wrap-up discussion, setting the stage for the next implementation phase of the project.

The Ptuj meeting once again proved that collaboration, creativity, and shared vision lie at the heart of #RomansWineDanube — a route that continues to connect people, heritage, and wine culture along the timeless flow of the Danube.