From October 28-30, 2024, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vratsa hosted a peer-review meeting and study visit in Vratsa as part of the "ACTIVE ID - Activating Citizens Towards Healthy Lifestyles in Vital EU-Regions with Innovative Data-Driven Solutions" project, funded by the EU's Interreg Europe Programme (2021-2027).
Representatives from project partners across Europe attended, including the LAB University of Applied Sciences and the Regional Council of Paijat-Hame (Finland), University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), Foundation Sports and Technology and the Province of North Brabant (Netherlands), and Region Dalarna (Sweden).
On the first day, participants shared updates on the sports and leisure sectors in their respective regions. In a focused deep-dive session on Vratsa, discussions highlighted local challenges and opportunities in sports and leisure through the project’s key themes: innovation, digitalization, sustainability, and cross-sectoral cooperation.
Over the following days, the group explored good practices and visited regional sites, including Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park, Vratsata, the local karting track, Belogradchik Rocks, and Magura Cave, to see Vratsa’ and the region’s potential for sports and leisure activities. The participants were also introduced to the necessary equipment, safety rules and requirements for rock climbing, as part of good practice - annual extreme sports event “neAlpiniada” held in Vratsa. As a highlight of another good practice - Lions Balloon Festival, the participants rose in a hot air balloon over the Belogradchik rocks.
For more details on the ACTIVE ID project, visit the ACTIVE ID Project.
