Integrating Natural and Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Small Cities: Network of Eco-Cultural Routes on The Danube Region, Serbia

Abstract

The paper represents a part of the research conducted through the EU Interreg project DANUrB+ (Danube Urban Brand), which gathered six European countries including Serbia around the common goal: to foster the development of small cities along the Danube region through sustainable and heritage-based tourism and cross-border cooperation. One of the main outcomes of the project was the development of Action plans, defined by the set of goals and specific methodology, which included: analysis of strategic regional and local planning documents; field study; meetings, workshops and surveys with local stakeholders; research through participation, and thematic exhibitions. The Action plan for Golubac, the city with a declining population in the Eastern part of Serbia, represents a model for shaping new authentic tourist products and routes by combining natural and cultural heritage, and it could serve as a knowledge base and unique methodological model for action planning and building self-sustaining communities.