The project’s International Cultural Route “Balts’ Road” information workshop series is over. The series that started in February consisted of six information workshops in different regions of Lithuania. Tourism and authority representatives, managers of catering and accommodation establishments, education operators, community members and other concerned people from the regions that are in the programme’s territory (Klaipėda, Telšiai, Panevėžys, Kaunas, Utena and Šiauliai regions) were encouraged to actively participate in workshops, to get acquainted with the project carried out, its objectives, tasks performed and broaden their knowledge in the fields of tourism and balts’ cultural heritage.

During the workshops Dr.Sc.in Humanities, senior scientist in the Department of Folk Narrative of the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, a member of the International Society for Folk Narrative Research, journals “Incantacio: An International Journal on Charms, Charmers and Charming” Editorial Board member Daiva Vaitkevičienė acquainted the participants with the conditions of culture existence and its fostering, presented Balts’ culture’s associations with today’s life. According to D. Vaitkevičienė culture’s diversity of expressions and ability to maintain coded structures ensure its resilience. Cultural decline and coded structures becoming ornamental is a path towards disappearance of Balts’ culture. Dr.Sc.in Humanities, principal researcher of the Klaipėda University Institute of Baltic Region History and Archeology Vykintas Vaitkevičius who replaced the lecturer Daiva Vaitkevičienė in the workshop for Telšiai region’s representatives confirmed that there are numerous manifestations of Balts’ culture, areas closely related to inherent culture and Balts’ culture in the territory of Lithuania.

Tourism educologist, expert, author of articles and publications Judita Stulpinaitė gave the presentation “Cultural Route – A Way of Admiring and Sharing Cultural Heritage”. She overwied the most famous cultural routes, their characteristics, distinctiveness and communicative solutions. According to the lecturer the developed cultural routes have to be made up of services and amenities (accommodation, catering, recreation infrastructure) and also attractions (cultural, natural, lifestyle curiosities). Cultural routes have to be “alive” because only real experiences of travelers create value. Another lecturer, a famous journalist and local historian Denisas Nikitenka who participated in information workshops that took place in Telšiai and Siauliai county, highlighted that every site and object in the territory of Lithuania can be interesting and can be adopted to the traveler’s needs. We need only to look creatively at the local history and legends and to encourage the traveler to become involved in the story telled using gripping tasks and games.

The project’s International Cultural Route “Balts’ Road” workshop series attracted great interest of the society, government and tourism representatives. As claimed by the participants the information workshops motivated to act, encouraged to consider fostering Baltic cultural heritage and remember what was forgotten and rediscover their intrinsic identity. All participants expressed a desire to participate in other project’s activities and trainings and also contribute to the International Cultural Route “Balts’ Road” that is being developed.