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Nikopol, Bulgaria – September 25, 2025

On the banks of the majestic Danube, a small Bulgarian town became the epicenter of a bold vision for rural revival. In a collaborative workshop co-organized by the National Tourism Cluster "Bulgarian Guide", the Association of Danube River Municipalities "Danube", and the Municipality of Nikopol (ASP), local voices came together to shape the future of heritage-based rural development in the Danube Region.

This was not just a workshop. It was a statement.

"We don’t just talk about rural heritage – we bring it to life."

That sentiment echoed throughout the day as representatives of local authorities, cultural centres, community leaders, and the Bulgarian project partners joined forces under the banner of Danube Ruralscapes - a pioneering Interreg initiative focused on building institutional capacity in rural regions through architecture, planning, and cultural sustainability.

A Day of Dialogue, Not Just Discussion

From the very start, the tone was set by the Mayor of Municipality of Nikopol - Mr. Emil Tsekov, who delivered a powerful message:

"When villages lead, transformation follows."

Participants dove into practical discussions and collaborative exchanges designed to convert visions into action. The workshop highlighted:

• Knowledge sharing between local leaders and experts in sustainable rural development
• Storytelling from community representatives about what works – and what doesn’t – in their rural villages
• The insight: real change happens when rural voices are at the center of the discussions.

The event forms part of a larger movement - one that sees rural settlements not as peripheral but as pivotal. The Danube Ruralscapes project is laying the foundations for a new governance model, where self-organized village clusters drive development with professional guidance from universities, NGOs, and regional institutions.

Beyond Plans: Crafting Place

What makes Danube Ruralscapes different? It is not another top-down directive. It is a bottom-up network of empowerment, bringing professional expertise in sustainable architecture and heritage planning directly into the hands of those shaping the future of their communities.

The Nikopol workshop is one of  the several pilot activities across seven micro-regions, from Romania’s Danube Delta to Serbia’s Golubac. These activities will result in localized Architecture and Rural Landscape Identity Guides – policy tools co-created with the communities themselves. These guides are more than technical documents. They are instruments of pride, resilience, and identity.

As the workshop came to a close, it became clear: Nikopol is not just hosting change – it is helping lead it as the Bulgarian pilot micro-region, targeting 13 rural villages.

And our journey doesn't end here.

The next stop? A creative leap into #Placecraft – our parallel initiative that explores artistic interpretations of place, memory, and community identity along the Danube.

About the Project

“Danube Ruralscapes - a Network of Professional Support for Self-organized Village Clusters Achieving Sustainable Heritage-based Ruralscapes” project (2025 - 2027) is an Interreg Danube Region Programme project, led by the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (HU). It aims to support and empower village clusters in the Danube Region through heritage-based, climate-conscious, and community-driven development, by creating tools, strategies, and governance models that preserve identity while fostering sustainable rural transformation. The initiative builds on the legacy of the Interreg DTP DANUrB and DANUrB+ projects, which laid the groundwork for transnational cooperation in heritage-based development along the Danube. Through Ruralscapes, that foundation is evolving - with new tools, deeper rural engagement, and a stronger alignment with EU green and cultural policy priorities!