site.btaVeliko Tarnovo Begins Meetings with Partner Cities Designated European Capitals of Culture

The city of Veliko Tarnovo has begun meetings with partner cities that have been designated European Capitals of Culture. The reason for this is the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo's intention to apply for the prestigious status in 2032. 

The first visit by a delegation from Veliko Tarnovo began in Maribor on Thursday at the invitation of the mayor of the Slovenian city, Sasa Arsenovic. He met with representatives of the Bulgarian delegation immediately after the large-scale ballet performance, titled “Tango Under the Stars” on the open stage in the city's central square. Arsenovic said that he would be happy to visit Veliko Tarnovo, as the development of culture and tourism are leading priorities in his administration, and he would exchange experiences with Mayor Daniel Panov.

Maribor was declared European Capital of Culture in 2012. The most important thing that has happened in these 13 years is that Maribor has firmly established itself as one of the preferred tourist destinations in Europe, said the city’s Deputy Mayor. 

The second largest city in Slovenia, with a population of around 95,000, continues to develop both its natural assets and the opportunities that have opened up since it was declared European Capital of Culture. One of the highlights of the coastal street all year round is the oldest vine in Europe, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. 

Every year, the new creative season of cultural institutions in Maribor begins with the big Ballet under the Stars event, which is organized in one of the city's squares. This year, the production was the work of Romanian-born choreographer Eduard Klug. The representatives of the delegation from Veliko Tarnovo shared the experience of the Bulgarian municipality, with the Stage of the Ages Summer Opera Festival  and the Arbanassi Summer Music Summer Festival for Classical Chamber Music. This year, the Plovdiv Opera's ballet Romeo and Juliet during Stage of the Ages was choreographed by Valentina Turcu, director of the Maribor Theater Ballet.

The partnership agreement between Maribor and Veliko Tarnovo was signed in 2016. Both sides expressed their hope that cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism would continue. In addition to the delegation from Veliko Tarnovo, which included experts from the Directorate of Sport, Youth Activities, Tourism, International Cooperation, and Demographic Policies, the hosts also welcomed representatives of twin and partner cities from Serbia and Hungary.