Category: From the member stations
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FORTE CULTURA represented at Brutal Assault festival in Josefov (CZ)
Author: Tomáš Jirouch Photos by: Tomáš Jirouch, Tomáš Karlík; https://brutalassault.cz/sk/o-brutalu Every August, Josefov in the Czech Republic transforms into one of Europe’s most remarkable cultural destinations. Tens of thousands of visitors from across Europe and around the world gather inside the eighteenth-century military fortress to attend Brutal Assault, one of the world’s leading festivals dedicated…
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Experience the Ulm Federal Fortress (DE): Guided Tours, Insights & Living History
The Ulm Federal Fortress is one of Europe’s most significant fortification systems, but many visitors only appreciate its scale, history and hidden structures through a guided tour. Each year, Ulm/Neu-Ulm Touristik GmbH and the Förderkreis Bundesfestung Ulm e.V. offer family-friendly tours as well as exclusive visits to rarely accessible outer forts.
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Online exhibition about Suomenlinna (FI) during the 20th Century
The Degree Programme in History at the University of Helsinki and the Ehrensvärd Society have jointly published an online exhibition about the 20th century at Suomenlinna titled Sveaborgs 1900-tal – vägen till världsarv (“Sveaborg in the 20th Century – The Road to World Heritage”).
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Kłodzko (PL) and Josefov (CZ): Fortresses without borders II – cross-border interreg project
Fortresses Without Borders II is a cross-border tourism development project supported by the ERDF under the Interreg Czech Republic–Poland programme (2021–2027).
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“PEACE MUSEUM Bridge at Remagen” becomes new FORTE CULTURA station on the Rhine
The PEACE MUSEUM Bridge at Remagen is located in the towers on the left bank of the Rhine of a fortified bridge, the former Ludendorff Bridge. The railway bridge near Remagen was planned in 1912 and built between 1916 and 1918 during the First World War to transport troops through the Ahr Valley to the…
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Discovery Tours along the Ulm/Neu-Ulm Fortifications Route and the “Höhenweg Ulm” (DE)
The Ulm Federal Fortress can be experienced not only through guided tours but also independently: two excellently developed routes – the 12.5-kilometre Ulm/Neu-Ulm Fortifications Route and the panorama hiking trail in Ulm, the “Höhenweg Ulm” – offer varied opportunities to explore the fortress landscape, Glacis parks and natural surroundings of Ulm step by step.
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Celebrating 100 Years of Guided Tours in Josefov’s Underground (CZ)
In 2026, Josefov proudly celebrates a remarkable milestone: 100 years since the first official guided tours of its underground corridors began.
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Giżycko (PL): LTPL00354 FORT-UNION – cross-border interreg project
The cross-border interreg project FORT‑UNION is carried out by a coalition of partners: Municipality of Giżycko, Kaunas City Municipal Administration, Kaunas Fortress Park, Army Museum in Białystok, Boyen Fortress in Giżycko, Varėna District Municipality and associated organizations: Biebrza National Park, and Varėna’s Entrepreneurship Education Centre (among others).
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FORTE CULTURA Online Member Meeting 2025
Sharing Tools, Strategies and Good Practices On 16 December 2025, FORTE CULTURA held its annual Online Member Meeting (OMM), bringing together fortress managers, researchers and partners from across Europe to focus on communication tools, the EICR certification path and inspiring local projects. Speaker from 8 countries informed each other about current projects and activities in…
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Ohrid (MK) wins Živa Award 2025
We are happy to inform you that National Institute for Protection of Monuments of Culture and Museum – Ohrid (FORTE CULTURA member) is the winner of the prestigious Živa Award 2025 for the “Best Slavic Heritage Site”.
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Dracula Journey: A Case Study of a Family-Oriented Dark Tourism Event in Josefov (CZ)
The Dracula Journey is one of the most successful history-oriented events organized in the fortified ideal city Josefov (CZ). The event takes place in early November and spans two evenings, capturing the spooky and eerie emotions associated with this time of year.
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Alessandria (IT) becomes sixth FORTE CULTURA Station in Italy
The Citadel of Alessandria was designed by Ignazio Bertola on behalf of Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy after the Treaty of Utrecht. Built between 1728 and 1732 by King Charles Emmanuel III, it was intended to serve as a barrier on the old Spanish military road between Genoa and Savona and to support the defence…
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The Fortress Königstein (DE) as Cultural Ambassador in China – our exhibition in Nanjing is opened!
We made it! On June 21, 2025, our exhibition “Königstein: The Safest Fortress of Germany” was solemnly opened in the City Wall Museum of Nanjing – and we were present there with a small delegation.
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Belfort (FR): Belfort fortress system becomes FORTE CULTURA station in France
Belfort was fortified from 1687 according to Vauban’s plans and subsequently extended. The fortress played a particularly important role in the 103-day siege of Belfort in 1870/71, one of the last major battles of the Franco-Prussian War. The centrepiece of the fortress is the Belfort Citadel on a rocky outcrop above the old town, with…
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Valle Sabbia (IT): Rocca d’Anfo fortress becomes FORTE CULTURA station on Lake Idro
In February 2025, Giovanmaria Flocchini, President of the mountain municipality of Valle Sabbia, signed up to the FORTE CULTURA network. The aim is to further develop and valorise the mountain fortress for tourism…
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Msida (MT): University of Malta becomes FORTE CULTURA member
With the Department of Tourism Management of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accounting at the University of Malta, FORTE CULTURA has a strong partner…
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Sant’Oreste (IT): Bunker Soratte becomes new FORTE CULTURA station in Italy
The Soratte bunker is an underground bunker complex in the Italian municipality of Sant’Oreste, about 50 kilometres north of Rome. It was built between 1937 and 1943 in the Monte Soratte Mountain and served as the headquarters of the Wehrmacht units in the Mediterranean region until June 1944. The huge bunker complex was intended to…
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Daugavpils (LV): Daugavpils Fortress becomes FORTE CULTURA station in Latvia
Daugavpils Fortress (Dünaburg, Dwinsk) is located on the banks of the Daugava River in southeastern Latvia. It was built in 1810-1878 and, as a fortified ideal city with an area of more than 2 square kilometres, is an impressive example of European military architecture. As early as 1812, during the Napoleonic Wars, the fortress, which…
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Helsinki (FI): Suomenlinna Fortress becomes FORTE CULTURA Station
The Suomenlinna sea fortress is located about 15 minutes by sea from Helsinki. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an outstanding example of European military architecture of its time. The fortress is an irregular bastion fortress with its own unique character due to its role in the defence of three countries – Sweden,…
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FORTE CULTURA Guide Workshop in Büdingen (DE)
Büdingen tour guides train for the FORTE CULTURA certificate (Photo: Arnika Haury) On the initiative of the Büdingen tourist information centre under the direction of Arnika Haury, around 20 tour guides from the fortress town met at the end of January to be trained as FORTE CULTURA guides with a certificate. In the two-hour workshop,…
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Nysa (PL): Fort Prusy becomes new FORTE CULTURA station in Poland
Fort Prusy (Fort Prussia) is part of the Nysa Fortress in the Opole Voivodeship. The Nysa fortress was a key element of the Prussian defence system on the former border with Poland. Due to its strategic location, it was the scene of numerous conflicts and battles. In 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars, it successfully repelled…
