Šiauliai Tourism Information Centre

Explore Balts’

Program: 2014-2020 Interreg V-A Latvian and Lithuanian program

Project title: "Exploring Balts and Promoting Awareness of the International Cultural Route "Balts' Road" 

Project acronym: "Explore Balts"

Project number: LLI-447

Project objective:To increase the number of visitors in Latvia and Lithuania border regions by further developing the created cross-border Cultural tourism route “Balts’ Road”.

Target groups:

  • Local and foreign travellers
  • School children and youngsters
  • Tourism service providers – entrepreneurs, local municipalities, museums, guides

Project duration: 1 June 2020 – 31 May 2022

Project financing: 869 689,02 EUR (i.a. ERDF funding 739 235,65 EUR)

Project partners:

The Project is implemented by the Lead Partner – Silauliai Tourism Information Centre in cooperation with 6 partners from Latvia and Lithuania:

The project focuses on further development of the route “Balts’ Road”, by facilitating its recognition and information accessibility in order to increase the number of visitors through:

  • activities aimed at raising awareness and recognition – exchange visits between stakeholders, training of guides and other stakeholders, photos, organization of the Balts’ Unity Days etc.,
  • new innovative and sustainable tourism information system by improving the homepage www.baltukelias.lt, new solutions for projecting the balts’ history outdoors (3D animation, augmented reality, etc.),
  • promotional activities by developing pocket books for travellers, participating in tourism fairs, cooperating with online media etc.

The project “Explore Balts” is a continuation to the Project “Balts’ Road”, where the 2145 km long Balts’ Road route had been developed. The route has been created in several loops, by covering the areas in Latvia and Lithuania once inhabited by Curonians (~ 790 km), Semigallians (~ 620 km) and Sellonians (~ 735 km).

Balts’ Road combines unique natural and cultural objects such as Balts’ cult areas: springs, trees, forests and lakes, exclusive monuments, modern interesting places, educational programs offered by craftsmen and local cuisine.
One of the aims of the project is to learn how to efficiently run projects associated with culture, cultural tourism and cultural routes. This will be done with the help of experience-sharing and experience-gaining study visit to the famous Viking Route in Sweden and participation in tourism fairs and exchange visits between regions of the Balts’ Road.
Project will use a number innovative solutions: 3D movies, virtual reality tours, educational programs for children and pupils at the Balts’ Centre in Siauliai city, installation of environmental objects in Sēlpils, improvement of the Mežotne Hillfort area by reconstructing the pedestrian footpath, sightseeing platform etc. and reconstruction of the Klaipeda district tourism center by repairing premises and using symbols of ancient balts, installment of interactive map of Klaipeda district that shows the most attractive places to visit to encourage tourists to explore the “Balts’ Road” objects and sites. Project activities are aimed to raise awareness about ancient Balts and to further continue the development of the “Balts’ Road”.

Products developed during the project implementation and the project activities will bring benefit to the programme area including local businesses and tourism service providers.
The project will be implemented using the cross-border approach in order to attract more travellers to the region, promoting the already implemented tourism itinerary Balts‘ Road and the future project Explore Balts.
Project result: an increased number of visitors in The Programme area up to 10 percent. The created and further developed means and visual technologies are expected to improve site recognition, raise awareness and increase the number of visitors up to 10 percent by ensuring longer stays and more stays overnight in The Programme area.

This project is funded by the European Union

This publication  has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this are the sole responsibility of and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.