Virovitica, Croatia, restores Franciscan gardens for 400,000 euros

The gardens will be part of a cross-border heritage tour with Hungary, focusing on noble families

This week, local authorities in the Croatian town of Virovitica announced that they have completed renovations of the Franciscan gardens of the Church of St. Roka. The project cost 400,000 euros and was financed through Interreg, an EU funding mechanism fostering cross-border, interregional cooperation.

Virovitica’s counterpart region is the city of Szentlorinc in Hungary, where authorities need to reconstruct Esterhazy Park. After the European project is complete, the regions will form a joint tourist route passing through historic sites on both sides of the border.

The route itself will be centred around local architecture and craftsmanship, as well as the material legacy of noble families.

The historic route in practical terms

The joint historic route between the two cities should start on the Hungarian side and end in Virovitica, where once a year, there will be a Historic Festival. The route will pass through architectural heritage sites and restored historic gardens bringing people in contact with local craftsmen and their original wares.

The Croatian part of the project cost around 400,000 euros, with the main expense being the Franciscan garden. At the same time, according to a statement by the city, authorities trained 10 tour guides who will help to bring visitors through the history of the region.

The Church is one of many local attractions, Source: City of Virovitica 

The project does not have an announced end date yet, because the municipality in Szentlorinc, on the Hungarian side, has yet to finish their part of the reconstruction. The end schedule set out by the project guidelines suggests that it should be complete by 31 December 2022.

Nevertheless, officials believe that this example of cross-border interaction would help boost the tourism economy on both sides, putting the Hungarian-Croatian border towns ‘on the map’.