“One village, two countries” – this is how the municipality of Bragança in north-east Portugal describes Rio de Onor. This unique village stands proudly on the border with Spain, separated only by the meandering River Onor. In a captivating travelogue published on the blog “Viagens à Solta”,” Sofia Cruz has an in-depth conversation with one of the few remaining villagers, Mr Mariano Augusto. He becomes the narrator of local traditions and a way of life that is slowly disappearing into history.
The narrative highlights the opportunity for travellers to interact with the villagers. It suggests savouring the moments without haste and embracing the warm hospitality of the locals while helping to preserve their memories. The heart of the story lies in the deep-rooted sense of community that has thrived in the village, preserving its unique identity and rules over centuries of isolation and a close connection with the neighbouring Spanish village. “We and the Spaniards are all one family,” explains Mr Augusto affectionately.
History also brings to life the architectural wonders of the traditional structures and the remarkable biodiversity of the region. This protected landscape is home to deer, foxes, wolves and wild boar and offers the opportunity to savour local dishes prepared according to ancient traditions.
The history of Rio de Onor encourages travellers to interact with the villagers, accept their warm hospitality and contribute to the preservation of their way of life. It also highlights the historical and architectural aspects of the region and its rich biodiversity, emphasising the importance of preserving these elements while engaging with them through tourism.
“The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein”
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The Enforce project partners met in the Slovenian city of Ljubljana on 30 and 31 May. Hosted by the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (CCIS), the meeting was carefully organised and offered participants a mix of business talks and leisure activities.
Two regenerative experiences were at the centre of the meeting. These immersive sessions allowed partners to recharge their creative batteries and better connect with the city. You can find the two experiences on the map!
The next steps centred around the next steps of the project, which equipped the team and partners with the necessary tools to continue working on Enforce. The Enforce journey continues and the partners are determined to deliver results of the highest quality.
Project partners met in Aveiro on the 14th and 15th of September 2023. It was the perfect opportunity to visit the destination with regenerative glasses on, to understand its many assets but also some of the challenges the destination is facing. Face to face project meetings always provide the partners with the unique opportunity to learn about the work of the hosting partner and get valuable insights about the destination. In this case partners were hosted by the dedicated team of management and tourism professionals of the University of Aveiro who shared a wealth of insights about a city that was new to many of the participants.
The Enforce project is well on track when it comes to the project work plan, which means that after having completed the Best Practice collection of innovative examples about storytelling for regeneration and also the Storyteller’s Guide, partners used the meeting to discuss the development of the Enforce Training Programme.
For the next few months partners will be working on developing the content in line with guidelines provided by the University of Usak, our project partner from Turkey.
The course should be available for piloting in January/February 2024 and will also be available in the partner languages once all translations are finalised.
The ENFORCE team met in the beautiful city of Luxembourg for its kick-off meeting. It took place at the premises of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg (also known as CCIL), which opened its doors to warmly welcome all partners.
The team was aware of the importance of this first meeting and approached it with the same enthusiasm, as it plays an important role in building strong bonds that will contribute to the success of the entire cooperation. With the common goal of building a solid foundation, the participants discussed in depth the first steps required for the project ENFORCE.
During this visit, the project objectives were discussed in depth to ensure that each partner has a comprehensive understanding of the overarching goals. The outcome of the kick-off meeting was extremely satisfying for all partners and generated enthusiasm among the team. It was a success and left everyone inspired and energised.
The journey of ENFORCE has officially begun and with the collective expertise of the committed partners, there is no doubt that it will thrive and achieve remarkable results.
“The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein”
Project N: 2022-1-LU01-KA220-VET-000089887
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