Creation of Way of St. James

International project “Re-vitalisation of the European Culture Route in the South Baltic Area: Pomeranian Way of St. James”

Kretinga District Municipality Administration as a partner implements the international project “Re-vitalisation of the European Culture Route in the South Baltic Area: Pomeranian Way of St. James” No WTPB.02.03.00-22-012/10 which is financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the budget of Kretinga District Municipality.

The general idea of the project is to create a thematic tourist route covering several countries by means of general signs and the concept “Way of St. James”. The route will go from Lithuania to Germany through Poland. The project includes involvment of local residents/volunteers in maintenance of the created route.

Implementation of the following activities under the project is planned:

Preparation of the general concept for the Way of St. James along the Baltic coast on the basis of the experience of the German partner.

Preparation and implementation of an action plan with a view to creating the routes of each involved region by including the existing tourism infrastructure and related cultural heritage objects, determining the exact direction of the route and mark it accordingly.

Involvment of local youth as volunteers with a view to keeping, maintaining and further developing the route.

Training of local businessmen related to tourism on dissemination of information on the created route and encouraging them to adapt the business to new tourist flows with a view to promoting development of services provided to elderly people and disabled people.

Publicity of the route, preparation of printed material and commercials on television broadcasts, participation in tourism fairs and organisation of pilot excursions for disabled people and journalists.

Lębork County (Poland)

Western Pomeranian region (Poland)

Self-Government of Pomeranian Voivodeship (Poland)

Foundation Szczecińska (Poland)

Pomeranian Tourism Department (Poland)

European hotel administration, tourism and business college (Poland)

Ernst-Moritz-Arnt University of Greifswald (Germany)

Creation of St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church (Russia)

Mecklenburg-Pomerania Tourism Board (Germany)

Education Centre of Kretinga District (Lithuania)

Kretinga District Association of People with Disabilities (Lithuania)

German St. James Association (Germany)

Abakai Lourdes Grotto with a sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Erškėtynas Chapel with a sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Chapel of the Grave of Kretinga Jurgis Ambrozijus Pabrėža

Kretinga Lourdes Grotto with a sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The walls of the tower of Kretinga Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Church

Salantai Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Unemployed young people from 16 to 29 years giving priority to persons without basic education; persons with basic education;

persons with secondary education; persons who are registered in the labour exchange; persons who accomplished vocational education programmes;

persons with higher education.

Organisations (legal and non-legal persons: units, branches, representative offices and other formal formations of legal persons) in which young persons perform voluntary activities.

Representatives of organisations admitting volunteers and supervising youth voluntary activities.

When admitting volunteers, the organisation does not need financial investments (the project is fully financed by the EU funds);

Assistance to employees in fulfilment of the tasks for which more time is necessary;

Organisation of new activities;

The majority of volunteers bring new ideas and thoughts in the organisation;

The employees of the organisation acquire new specific experience and knowledge not provided by qualification improvement courses and other similar trainings through cooperation with the volunteer;

Frequently, the volunteer has a positive impact on employees and customers.

The lead partner of the project is Lębork Municipality

Duration of the project: from January 2011 to December 2013

Total budget: EUR 1,255,468.99

Allocated part of the support: EUR 1,066,298.64

Part of funding by Kretinga District Municipality: EUR 100,200

Other partners of the project:

List of associated project organisations:

Religious Pomeranian Way of James covers the territories from Kretinga (Lithuania) to Rostock (Germany) on the Southern coasts of the Baltic Sea. It should be noted that all sections of the route are characterised by abundance of historical and religious heritage assets. Merging of the afore-mentioned objects into one system or a pilgrimage tourism route will allow to achieve the effect of synergy by promoting tourism development in all countries-partners. The section of the Pomeranian Way of James starts in the territory of Kretinga district, passes Klaipėda and the Curonian Spit. Following the Feasibility Study for pilgrimage Tourism Development in Kretinga District, the following 6 main objects of our region which meet the concept and specific nature of the pilgrimage tourism may be distinguished:

Miraculous powers (e.g. healing effect), links with supernatural phenomena, events (e.g. appearance of Saints) may be attributed to all afore-mentioned objects.

For more details:

www.saintjamsway.com

www.svjokubokelias.lt