Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević, EU Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, and Mayor of Niš Dragoslav Pavlović, along with municipal leaders from Svrljig, Merošina, and Gadžin Han, as well as the Director of the Regional Development Agency “JUG,” visited the Niš Fortress on 27 September 2024, where the renovation project of the studio and former casemates, which will be turned into a centre for creative industries, is underway. This project, supported by the European Union through the EU PRO Plus programme in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration, covers the city of Niš and the municipalities of Svrljig, Merošina, and Gadžin Han.
The project, valued at EUR 1 million, envisages the revitalisation and activation of the studios and former casemates within the Niš Fortress, ensuring this historic monument’s preservation and long-term sustainability. The initiative also aims to promote the region’s rich cultural heritage by transforming Niš Fortress into a hub for creative industries, traditional crafts, and artists, providing a space for them to produce and showcase their work.
On that occasion, Minister Miščević stated that when the money had been allocated to this project in June, it marked the beginning of joint work with the City of Niš and the EU to restore Niš Fortress, making its interior spaces a modern canter for creative industries with an impact beyond the local environment.
“The restoration of part of the fortress is part of a project that the EU, in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration, supports through the EU PRO Plus programme, not only in Niš but also in the municipalities of Svrljig, Merošina, and Gadžin Han. We want the ultimate goal to be to also restore existing public spaces in these areas in order to protect the cultural heritage but in a way that gives it a new role in heritage promotion so that it is available to more than 50,000 citizens of these municipalities, especially young people, to express and show their creativity,” Miščević emphasised.
Ambassador Giaufret expressed his pride in the partnership between the European Union and the city of Niš in revitalising parts of the Niš Fortress. “We are implementing this project with our partners from UNOPS, and it is significant, among other things, because it also involves the surrounding municipalities in preserving cultural heritage and raising the socioeconomic aspects of the involved local self-governments.”Mayor Pavlović underscored the significance of the partnership between Niš and the European Union by saying, “The European Union is an extremely important partner of the city of Niš. The best proof of this is the wastewater treatment plant in which the EU is investing EUR 60 million. The project at the fortress site is also very significant. The fortress guarded Niš for centuries; now it is our turn to defend it from the ravages of time. The Niš Fortress is a symbol of Niš. They stand like two sides of the same coin. We are grateful to the EU, whose funds of EUR 1 million have been allocated for the project to preserve the cultural treasures of the fortress. With this, they showed that being a part of Europe, above all, means being your own.”
In addition to the restoration of Niš Fortress, the project includes the establishment of three information points in Svrljig, Merošina, and Gadžin Han, as well as an info corner in Niš. These points will offer visitors educational and informative experiences, including details about cultural and historical sites along the Tabula Peutingeriana cultural trail, which connects significant landmarks in the region. The project also plans the installation of physical markers and interactive displays along the trail, as well as digitisation through 3D displays, virtual reality, and augmented reality.
Alongside physical works, this initiative aims to develop tourism by promoting the Via Peutingeriana cultural-historical trail, which includes sites such as the old fortress in Niševac, the Church of the Holy Ascension in Veliki Krčimir, and the Roman basilica in Merošina.
This project stems from the territorial strategy developed for the urban area of Niš and the municipalities of Svrljig, Merošina, and Gadžin Han, which the EU supported through the EU PRO Plus programme. The city of Niš led the development of the strategy as a foundational and strategic document for the further development of the territory, covering all four local self-governments. The goal of the project is to activate the potential and resources of the area, address common challenges through the combined efforts of Niš and its partner municipalities, and involve the civil and business sectors and local communities.
Source: The Ministry of European Integration, The Government of the Republic of Serbia