About project

The shared common heritage for the joint international promotion of 365 days of green tourism on the Opatija and Portorož Riviera is the driving force behind the RIVIERA4SEASONS2 project, which builds upon the preservation of Istria’s legacy by integrating features of nature, culture and rural events into specially designed itineraries.

The fact that Portorož and Opatija, with their rich traditions, represent the cradle of Central European tourism was the starting point for the response to this challenge - how to promote the active preservation of cultural and natural heritage by promoting sustainable green tourism?

For this purpose, two types of project activities have been devised to ensure that local identities are represented, promoted and connected in a smart and sustainable way. These are the itineraries that connect existing natural and cultural heritage attractions, protected areas and small rural service providers in order to highlight the benefits of collaboration and market opportunities of the new innovative cross-border product Feel & Taste, which is inspired by the heritage and traditions of the Istrian village.

The project activities will raise the awareness of the local population, while enhancing the knowledge and skills of service providers, and therefore will contribute to growth by influencing the number of visits, the quality of visitor experiences and the long-term sustainability of the area. The key objective of the project is to preserve the identity of villages located on both rivieras, and their natural and cultural heritage.

The project includes: the Municipality of Piran, the City of Opatija, the Portorož Tourist Board, the Opatija Tourist Board, the University of Primorska - Faculty of Tourism Studies, the University of Rijeka - Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija.

The activities are financed by the European Union and the European Regional Development Fund under the cross-border Cooperation Programme INTERREG Slovenia - Croatia 2014-2020.