Opening of a multimedia centre at Archaeological site Gamzigrad Romuliana near Zaječar

On July 12^th 2016, the archaeological site Gamzigrad Romuliana near Zaječar and Director of National museum in Zaječar, Bora Dimitrijević hosted opening ceremony of multimedia centre of this important Serbian cultural property under the protection of UNESCO.

The event was attended by the Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport, Ambassador of Austria dr Johannes Eigner, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić and director of the Tourist Organization of Serbia Marija Labović.

Felix Romuliana imperial palace, one of the most important archaeological sites in Serbia is now home to the newly opened Multimedia Centre, one of the first of its kind in Serbia. This is one of the outcomes of the EU HERA Project “Sustainable tourism management of Adriatic HERitage” funded through IPA Adriatic cross-border cooperation programme.

Its implementation means that this archaeological and tourist site is getting a multimedia center with the latest technological equipment which will allow tourists to use holograms and computer animation to get an authentic experience on the site.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić said on that occasion that, thanks to the project worth more than 550,000 euros, tourist traffic of the site and the entire Timok region will be increased.

In his remarks during the opening of the centre, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport reminded that the interactive guide through Gamzigrad smart phone app was launched in May 2015 and added that through the funding of the entire project, from feasibility study to the implementation of the project as we know it, the EU “showed concrete support to the development of Serbia and provided continued and consistent support to projects in various fields. All of it with the aim of bringing Serbia closer to the EU and link it to projects and the offer provided by the EU to both EU and non-EU citizens in Europe.”

“Last year in Gamzigrad there were about 28,000 visitors, in the first six months of this year a growth of 20 percent was recorded and I hope that this innovation will interest a large number of domestic and foreign tourists,” said Ljajić.

According to Ljajić, thanks to EU funds and funds amounting to 22 million dinars which the Serbian government has allocated in recent years to develop the site Gamzigrad Romuliana, this site is gaining in importance as a location attractive for tourists. Ljajić added that the government is prepared to allocate additional funds for its development.