TRAVELLER'S CAMPAIGN's: VISIT BALTIC MANORS clossing event

Dedicated to the Centenaries of Lithuania Independence restoration and Latvia and Estonia Independence declaration and European Year of Cultural Heritage, on 16th of September the traveller`s campaign “Visit Baltic castles and manors – Celebrate together!” successfully finishes. On Sunday, 28th of October the Closing Event of travellers campaign took place at Vecgulbene manor, in Latvia.

The travellers’ campaign was the cooperation project in between three national associations (Estonian Manor Association, Estonian Manor School Association, Latvian Association of Castles, Palaces and Manors and Lithuanian Association of Castles and Manors) and was organised as a cross-border event that allowed visitors to look into the diversity of their national networks and their offered services.

President of Lithuanian Castles and Manors association Gintaras Karosas, addresing the attendees of the Closing Event said: 

"It is such a great pleasure that the most significant dates of the statehood of the Baltic States: the Centenary for Reinstatement of the Independence of Lithuania and Announcement of the independence of Latvia and Estonia, were celebrated in a such meaningful way.

This project of Exploration of the Baltic Castles and Manors has demonstrated that castles and manors as the most historically important pillars of these states still remain of great importance in our days. Once our ancestors used to defend our castles and manors, yet in our days we are restoring and nourishing them, thus guaranteeing distinctiveness of our countries.

Owners and managers are entrusted with a responsible mission – to preserve these important values for future generations. This means, that we need to share awareness with the public, protect the authenticity of these objects from transformation, often giving up even material benefits. In order the spirit of manors would remain as an opportunity for travelling in time even after a hundred years. This is absolutely not a selfish goal, rather one of the ways to explore, when occurring in such a unique space in a such peculiar landscape, which is also a home of the people who created our art and culture.

I would like to express my gratitude to the colleagues from Latvian and Estonian Associations of Castles, Palaces and Manors for a great collaboration. As well as for the travellers for their active participation, feedback and critics.

Our sincere thanks to Latvian people. You have inspired us for such a meaningful journey of the Centenary of our Freedom. We have a very close relationship through our languages. You are close to me personally as well. In the seventeenth century my ancestor was given a noble title for the defence of the Ludza castle in the territory of Livonian Duchy against the Moscow Army. During these times Livonian lands belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Thus, everything in regards of time and internal spiritual links.

I would like to congratulate all travellers who visited the greatest amount of castles and manors. After all, among them there were those who visited all 131 castles and manors which participated in the project!

We would like to express our sincere thanks to President of the Latvian Association of Castles, Palaces and Manors Emerita Gruzde, all boards members, Ms. Aira Andriksone, Ms. Riin Alatalu, Ms. Ilona Kalnina“.

The symbol of the campaign – the key was used as a reference to the manor or castle opening their doors to new discoveries in cultural heritage. It travelled through all three Baltic States, recording feedback from visitors about their experience, felt and found new discoveries.

We would like to stress that the interesting about this campaign was surprisingly wide in all three Baltic States manors and castles has enjoyed the wide range of offered services and excursions. The reaping of the prizes for most active visitors took place in the Closing event of the campaign at Vecgulbene manor.

www.visitbalticmanors.com
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For additional information, please take contact with national representative:
Lithuania, Vilma Deckute Zukauskiene, projektai@dvarai.lt