#CULTROUTE Experience exchange with cultural specialists

On 8–9 October 2026, the Municipality of Fehérgyarmat hosted an experience exchange organised under the CULT.ROUTE – Thematic Route of Castles 2 project. The event brought together representatives of the project partners and specialists in culture and heritage, who had the opportunity to get to know first-hand some of the most valuable castles and manor houses in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.

The first day began at the Luby Castle in Nagyar, which was also the main venue of the event. After the registration of participants, the castle was presented, followed by a guided tour. Participants learned about the history of the building and the Luby family, as well as how the castle was restored and brought back into cultural and tourist use.

In the afternoon, the group travelled to Cégénydányád, where they visited the Kende Manor House. The guided tour offered an insight into the architecture and history of the manor and its park, one of the most beautiful historic parks in the area. Discussions during the visit focused on solutions for preserving, making the most of and promoting heritage buildings.

On the second day, participants set off for Mándok, where they visited the Forgách Castle. The guided tour highlighted the historical and architectural value of the castle, as well as the efforts made to rehabilitate and showcase it. The specialists were able to compare the experiences of the different sites visited and identify good practices that can also be applied to the castles and manor houses included in the cross-border castle route.

The event concluded with a meeting of the project team, during which the partners discussed the progress of the activities and the next steps. The experience exchange helped strengthen the relationships between the partners and between cultural specialists in the cross-border area, and contributed to identifying solutions for promoting the shared cultural heritage.

The main objective of the CULT.ROUTE project is to strengthen cultural cooperation by extending the thematic route of castles that promotes the shared cultural heritage of the cross-border area. The current project is a continuation of the SMAR.T.OURISM project implemented by the Satu Mare County Intercommunity Development Association between June 2021 and November 2023. The main activities of the CULT.ROUTE project are: the rehabilitation of the park of the Vécsey Castle in Livada, the rehabilitation of the roof of the Tapay Manor House in Fehérgyarmat, the provision of IT equipment for several castles and manor houses, the creation of a website promoting the castles and manor houses of the cross-border area, and the organisation of cultural festivals and experience exchanges. The project partners are: the Satu Mare County Intercommunity Development Association as lead partner, the Livada Town Hall, the Department of Investments, Projects, International Relations and Promotion of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council (Ukraine) and the Fehérgyarmat Town Hall (Hungary).

The total budget of the project is EUR 758,832.10, of which EUR 682,948.89 is the contribution of the European Union through the Interreg VI-A NEXT Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine Programme. The project has an implementation period of 24 months, starting on 3 February 2025.

This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Executive Committee of Ivano-Frankivsk City Council and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

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