Terra Gothica Incognita: Brittany Study Trip

A study trip to Brittany, France was organised from April 7th to 11^th as an activity on the Terra Gothica Incognita project which is co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg Slovenia-Croatia program. The project involves several partner organisations and institutes, including the City of Kastav, as the lead partner, the City of Koper, the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies (UHPA), the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria, the Koper Regional Museum, and the Koper Regional Development Agency.

Since dealing with the challenges to the protection and valorisation of medieval cultural heritage in the border areas of Croatia and Slovenia is the main goal of the project – and its expected outcome the creation of Terra Gothica Incognita, a new cultural heritage tourist destination, the project team members made their way to Paris, Rennes, Dinan and Lannion, as well as the municipality of Plouha in Brittany, to familiarize themselves with and explore best practices examples and, in doing so, to contribute to and facilitate the fulfilment of the project’s goals.

As a region, Brittany has a rich cultural heritage, particularly heritage from the medieval period. In Rennes, the capital of the region and the seat of the regional parliament, the project teams met with representatives of the city’s administration. Nathalie Guenancia (Rennes Métropole – Direction Economie Emploi Innovation –  Department of Economy, Hiring and Innovation of the City of Rennes) introduced the city authorities’ activities in the context of the valorisation of cultural heritage which contributes to the development of tourism in the city, as well as the collaboration of the city and the the local community, especially in terms of tourism investments and the sustainability of Rennes as a tourist destination.

In Rennes, team members had the chance to visit the Couvent des Jacobins, a 14th century  Dominican monastery which has been transformed into a modern convention complex and also the seat of the local Tourist Office. „This sustainably adapted heritage building, located in the old town of Rennes, is equipped with all the essential facilities for organizing large events like concerts, conferences, and meetings,“ explained Gilles Brohan from the Tourist Office during the guided tour of the complex. He admitted that the complex is working to catch up with the expenses invested into monastery’s adaptation, but Rennes' business tourism focus is indeed profitable because participant spending (136 events held in 2023) spills over significantly onto other stakeholders in the destination.

As the journey continued, a meeting was held with the management of Mont St. Michel, a public institution under UNESCO protection since 1979. Situated on a rocky island surrounded by waters, this unique cultural attraction faces many operational challenges. Yearly, Mont St. Michel records about 3 million tourist visits (just behind the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles), with significant pressure during the summer months. The visit to Mont St. Michel included a guided tour of the town and the monastery.

In Dinan, one of the France's best-preserved medieval towns, the project team met with the representatives of the city and its tourist board, who spoke about their latest significant investment into the heritage – its city walls, which date back to the 13th century. After visiting Dinan, the group proceeded to the Municipality of Plouha and the chapel of Chapelle de Kermaria-An-Iskuit, where a guided tour of the chapel was organized for the participants by the L'association des Amis de Kermaria (The Association of Friends of Kermaria), followed by a reception with the mayor of Plouha. A particularly impressive interpretation of the fresco paintings  decorating the chapel walls (Danse Macabre - Dance of Death) was presented by Denis Lachever, a member of the afore mentioned association and a Breton heritage enthusiast.

The last stop of the trip was Lannion, a town offering access to the Côte de Granit Rose (Pink Granite Coast), a popular tourist area on La Manche. In addition to visiting the well-frequented local market, a meeting was organized with representatives of the local tourist board. After exploring the coastline, the project team headed to Paris, from where the return to Croatia/Slovenia was organized.

The study trip to Brittany allowed project partners to enhance their knowledge in the field of destination planning and management, with a focus on sustainable tourism practices, particularly in terms of cultural heritage valorisation and the interaction and connection of stakeholders in developing destination capacities. The knowledge and experiences gained will be applied in the further implementation of the Terra Gothica Incognita project, to be continued with a series of consultative workshops with interest groups in the cross-border area.

Source: UHPA

Photo: R. Stanković / M. Petek / A. Pavelić

The project is co-financed by the Office for Associations of the Government of the Republic of Croatia