The Roman town of Nove (1^st to 4^th C AD) is situated 4 kilometers east of the town of Svishtov. It is officially pronounced for cultural monument of national importance. The ancient town sprang up as a legionnaires camp near the high Danube s coast. The Nove fortress was a capital of the Kingdom of Osgot and a Residence of King Theodorih The Great. In 5^th and 6^th C, the town of Nove was famous as an Episcopalian center. Joint Bulgarian-Polish excavations of the town were initiated first in 1960. The researchers found numerous churches (currently the archeologists study one of the largest basilicas of the Balkan Peninsula from the second half of the 5^th C), statues, dedication signs, parts of bronze statues, coins, glass and ceramic dishes, medical instruments, mural paintings, clay lamps all of them are exhibited in the Archeological museum of Svishtov. The project aimed to popularize this rich culture and archeological heritage, and to attract local and foreign tourists and investments.

PROJECT GOALS: Restoration and presentation of the culture tourism in Svishtov through creation of integrated tourist product. Increasing the financial income of the tourist sector and opening possibilities for new income and providing of permanent employment. Additionally, the project aims to establish close relations among the culture heritage, tourism, and social-economical development of the region, as well as more effective use of the integrated strategy for local and regional tourism development with the active participation of the main economical agents (local and regional authorities, NGO s, private businesses). The project collaborators are convinced that this is a necessary investment in the future of the municipality and its region.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES:

1. Development and applying a marketing strategy and business plan for cultural tourism development in the town of Svishtov; organization of conferences for popularization of the results, as well as printing of brochures and hand-outs, and burning CDs with information about the Nove fortress and the Municipality of Svishtov. This stage of the project also includes building Internet connections between the sites of the Municipality of Svishtov and Economy Academy D.A.Cenov , and creation of non-official net for promotion of the cultural tourism in Bulgaria.

2. At its second stage, the project includes building a visitors center near the Nove fortress, which would offer to the tourists groups an exposition hall, a guides hall, a conference room, a coffee shop, and a parking lot. The archeological discoveries will be cleaned and cadastral photographed with the cooperation with the working on the site archeologists. The project plans to build an alley from artificial stones that would connect the Visitors Center with the West gate of the fortress. All along the alley there will be information tables. The project partners will offer to the visitors tourist routes not only with Nove fortress visitations, but also including important historical sites in the Town of Svishtov: churches, museums, renaissance houses, etc. The area around the fortress will be cultivated and the communication and transportation connections of the region will be significantly improved.

Through the development of culture tourism and increasing the number of tourists in the Municipality of Svishtov, the project collaborators expect to encourage the economy development of the whole region improving already existing activities such as restaurant businesses, hotel services, transportation (land and river), art development, crafts, exhibitions, and opening of new possibilities for employment.