Preservation of cultural heritage and development of tourism in the Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Gulnara Roll, Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation Tartu, Estonia Foto: Peeter Unt

Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation is an international non-profit institute, which works to promote balanced development of border areas, especially in Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe region. Main directions: - environment and water management; - local development; -cross-border and development cooperation Foto: Peeter Unt

Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe is shared by Estonia (44%) and Russia (56%). Finland Estonia Sweden Russia Russia Estonia Tartu , Estonia Lake Peipsi Latvia TARTU Denmark Lithuania PSKOV Poland

Challenges to the regional development The lake area is large, not accessible everywhere due to the wetlands and weeds on the lake coast Mostly rural periperal areas with poor economic infrastructure – roads, internet, tourist infrastructure Young people leaving the peripheral areas Lacking skills for enterpreneurship and service sector Foto: Peeter Unt

Praaga peculiar place where people live without roads there are only waterways Foto: Arne Ader

There are over a milion birds passing Peipsi areas Foto: Peeter Unt

Mustvee - Little town with 4 churches

Mustvee oldbelivers museum - History of Russian oldbelivers - History of Mustvee Foto: Peeter Unt

Rajaküla oldbelivers sanctum

Russian oldbelivers villages near Peipsi - Unique way to experience different culture Foto: Peeter Unt

Värska the center of historical Setomaa - famous with it´s mineral water and healthy mud Foto:Merlin Lõiv

What has been done so far?

Lakes Life Room Permanent exhibition in Kallaste Foto: Peeter Unt

…neck of the Peipsi woods are tourism paths… Foto: Kärt Leppik

Cross-border cooperation summer school aiming to promote intersectoral and cross-border cooperation between Euroregions, NGOs, local municipalities and state institutions Foto: Peeter Unt

BEN - Baltic Euroregional Network to promote spatial development and territorial integration in the Baltic Sea Region by strengthening Euroregions as competent partners with national authorities and international institutions Foto: Peeter Unt

Application of the creative businesses concept for the Plans Application of the creative businesses concept for the local development projects Establishing a local museums’ network around the lake Long term objective of establishing thematic tourist routes around Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe Foto: Peeter Unt

Mapping needs of the museums Planned activities: Mapping needs of the museums Support to developing capacity of the museums’ specialists to build their capacity in organization management, marketing, publicity, services etc. Infrastructure development Feasibility studies for the tourist routes’ development A film about the region’s cultural heritage Foto: Peeter Unt