Project presentation

VERMENAGNA-ROYA III

Period: 09.10.2023- 09.10.2026, projet n. 20132

The ALCOTRA O.S.4.6 project creates an itinerary through the Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice railway line in preparation for the line’s centenary in 2028, in order to stimulate the development of sustainable, inclusive and family-friendly tourism in the cross-border area.

It is financed on the New challenges call by the European Regional Development Fund ERDF with a contribution of € 2,397,890.80, for a total budget of € 2,997,363.50.

Through a welcoming web area, attractive and immersive spaces, both real and virtual, and multimedia installations, travellers will learn about the history of the train line and experience its exceptionality, in synergy with the cultural and outdoor heritage.

Starting from one of the 2 DOORS (Breil-sur-Roya and Borgo San Dalmazzo) where you can get to know and experience the route of the train line and the valleys it crosses, playing with Virtual Reality, the story will unfold with the history of the RAILWAY at the Ecomusée in Breil-sur-Roya and in the Ferroclub Museum in Robilante, that they will be renewed and equipped with a train driving simulator.

This first stop will prepare the visitor for the Journey on board the train, where, assisted by a TRAVEL KIT with map, compass and audioguides downloadable from the web, he will learn about the route and its technical peculiarities, such as the characteristic spiral tunnels.

Personal curiosity and web-based storytelling will guide travellers to build a route in steps, discovering the valleys crossed according to their interests and the time available. The Musée des Merveilles in Tende is the ideal place to start getting to know the community that developed the concept of WONDERFULNESS as astonishment in the face of the unknown and the encounter with nature of the people who left their mark on Mount Bego.

The narration of the special relationship between MAN and NATURE in these lands and the stories of FORTS and CUSTOMS will unfold between digital tools and signs that are clearly visible in the territory: you will be able to listen to stories at Notre Dame des Fontaines (La Brigue) and at the Monastery of Saorge, understand the importance of bees for life on earth at Tende, relive the vanished custom of Piène, discover the charm of the forts or about how high was the Tourusela, the tower of the donjon at Vernante, learn about border life and customs and discover the old borders, experience the history and emotions of skiing at Limone P.te.

The topics are ideal for stimulating families and visitors with respect to the outdoor activities that can be combined with the cultural tours.

Expected results:

• originate a cross-border itinerary of discovery and knowledge of the line to involve tourists, the population and families, through immersive multimedia installations along the route

• create a multi-level coordination system capable of starting the joint management of the itinerary

• develop a unified promotion system of the railway line in view of the centenary also with animations and historical trains during the periods of closure of the branch of the railway towards Nice (2024-25) and for the inauguration in 2026.

THE VERMENAGNA-ROYA III PROJECT IN BRIEF

VERMENAGNA-ROYA II

Period: 31.01.2022-31.05.2023, projet n. 8488 

The ALCOTRA Project O.S.3.1 “Natural cultural heritage”, has as its main objective the enhancement of the development of sustainable tourism in the territory, financed on the Ponte call by the European Regional Development Fund ERDF with a contribution of € 1,051,083.72, for a total budget of € 1,236,569.09.

The specific Objective 3.1 aims to improve the protection and enhancement of the natural, cultural and landscape heritage of the ALCOTRA area and consequently to increase its attractiveness and sustainable use for both visitors and inhabitants.

The “Vermenagna-Roya II” project intends to promote sustainable family tourism within the Vermenagna-Roya Valleys by enhancing the Cuneo-Nice-Ventimiglia railway line as an innovative cross-border tourism attraction as well as the whole cultural heritage of the area, through the synergy with outdoor resources, sustainable mobility tools and the definition of a bottom-up and shared strategy for the new Alcotra 2021/27 programming period.

Expected results:

– To prepare for a continuous and joint promotion of the area, enhancing the tools produced with the previous project, with particular reference to the family target.

– Enhance the cultural heritage by completing some of the interventions of the old project that were blocked due to Storm Alex, by realising new complementary interventions, including specific initiatives aimed at the sustainable mobility of families.

– Deepen the feasibility of the relaunch idea also through meetings with the key players of the territory, define a coordinated strategy to enhance the Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice railway through multimedia and innovative attraction points to tell the history of the railway and the territory in an entertaining and engaging way, which will be built inside the stations, where this is possible.

THE VERMENAGNA-ROYA II PROJECT IN BRIEF

Vermenagna-Roya.
Our heritage and your tourism

An ALCOTRA OS3.1 “Cultural natural heritage” project, with the aim of increasing the development of sustainable tourism in the territory, funded by the ERDF European Regional Development Fund with a contribution of € 1,030,860.31, for an overall budget amounting to € 1,212,776.84.

The project “Vermenagna-Roya. Our heritage and your tourism” began with an assessment shared by the Municipalities of Borgo San Dalmazzo and Breil-sur-Roya: the Vermenagna and Roya valleys on the two sides of Colle di Tenda, are often considered merely as roads of passage and not as stop off or arrival places. Instead the territory has a rich varied landscape and cultural potential that deserves to be enhanced.

Thanks to a common cross-border strategy that is based on the concept of “Vermenagna-Roya territory” the project wants indeed to create the conditions to develop the territory, beginning with tourism.

The crux of the project is the rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage that characterizes the two valleys. For centuries, this heritage has known common development lines, creating a cohesive cultural context on the two sides of the Alps and, in many ways, representing an extraordinary unicum.

The project intends to pursue the following goals :

• Raise awareness about the memory, history and shared values that unite the two valleys;
• Develop and experiment new organizational methods and new tourism products;
• Promote the systemization of the tourism-cultural offer at a cross-border territory level;
• Seasonally adjust and relocate the tourist offer;
• Refunctionalize cultural heritage.

Activities, impact and results

The project “Vermenagna-Roya. Our heritage and your tourism” intends to revitalize the cross-border territory of the two valleys by focusing on the rich cultural heritage.

This work began with the careful mapping of the heritage – tangible and intangible – and a series of studies and development plans which, starting from the strengths and weaknesses of the territory, can guide future enhancement actions.

This analysis action is accompanied by a series of activities aimed at improving visitor hospitality, optimizing cross-border tourism communication through a common graphic identity and developing shared tools. It is a question of strengthening the cultural tourist offer with the definition of specific local and cross-border cultural itineraries and enhancing cultural events and heritage, increasing the level of competence of tourism professionals. It is also planned to enhance some strategic cultural sites through redevelopment, reorganization and refunctionalization interventions.

The activities that will be implemented, the cross-border approach and the extensive partnership implemented within the project will enhance the two sides of Colle di Tenda, raising awareness among the local population on the value and importance of shared historical heritage, increasing the number of visitors and creating a unitary tourist-cultural system that recomposes a historically united territory from the medieval Middle Ages to the mid-1800s.

The project in brief