The Balts Unity Day 2017 in Palanga was very successful: more than 20 000 people had visited its cultural, sporting, culinary and intellectual activities past weekend. Some of them were also hosted by the Programme.

More than 100 people aged from 6 to 69 both from Latvia and Lithuania participated in the Programmes cycling tour Nidasciems-Palanga. Participants spent beautiful autumn day cycling together for more than 25 km by the sea and answering quizz questions about history, culture, politics and cross-border cooperation of Latvia and Lithuania. 15 participants with the best quizz scores were honored in award ceremony, when the symbolic prizes were handed to them by the Members of Parliaments of both countries. The cycling tour was also an annual event of the Programme.

Numerous guests of Balt’s Unity Day also had an opportunity to visit exhibition of photos made by two famous Latvian photographers Ilmārs Znotiņš and Jānis Deinats in the main square of the event – next to the fountain of Jūratė and Kastytis. The artists had captured their impressions from the projects supported by the Programme that they visited this August.

Besides, international tourism forum “Balts’ Road: Cultural Tourism Perspectives” was organised by the project “Balts’ Road”. More than 150 participants from different sectors and areas  – from tourism, culture and art, nature conservation to education, from politicians, businessmen to NGOs and local communities – listened to the experiences of the most successful cultural tourism projects, and discussed how both countries can jointly react to the challenges in the culture tourism field, what tourism routes could be enhanced or jointly developed in the region.

Already traditional Balts’ Unity Day is an annual event celebrated to commemorate the battle of the Sun of 22 September 1236 when Lithuanians and Semigallians defeated Livonian Brothers of the Sword. This year it was hosted by Palanga municipality, next year celebrations will be held in Jelgava.