Welcome to Sombor‡evo, Kolut, Rastina, Riđica, Svetozar Miletić, Stanišić, Stapar and Telečka. Welcome to Sombor 75.1 Serbians 05.9 Croatians 05.7 Hungarians 73.0 Serbians 07.6

Welcome to SomborTown full of HopeGreen Pearl of Serbia

Welcome to Sombor

Facts and Figures

� The budget of the community Sombor was 14. Mio Euro (2006) – 150 Euro for each inhabitant.

� The level of education (97 263 inhabitants)

Secondary school 36 700 (20.7 % men)

Primary school 21 500 (46.5 % men)

4 to 7 classes 11 400 (35.0 % men)

Without any school 03 880 (20.3 % men)

Only 10 percent receivesa higher education:

� The average net income in Serbia is officially 275 Euro, in Sombor it is lower – around 200 to 220 Euro.

� The unemployment rate in Serbia is officially 20 % (without Kosovo), in Sombor currently 34.3 % (September 2006).

– 150 Euro for each inhabitant.

� The birth rate in Sombor is decreasing (minus 7.5 %):

2002 97 263 inhabitants2006 93 000 inhabitants

� The life expectancy for men is 69 years and women 75 years.

a higher education:2 years tuition 03 400 (53.0 % men)

4 years tuition 03 900 (56.0 % men).

Welcome to Sombor

Population� Half of the population of Sombor

lives in town and half around the city in 15 villages and farmhouses (“Salaši”) clustered in 16 small farm settlements - Aleksa Šantić, Bački Breg, Bački Monoštor, Bezdan, Čonoplja, Doroslovo, Gakovo, Kljajićevo, Kolut, Rastina, Riđica, Kljajićevo, Kolut, Rastina, Riđica, Svetozar Miletić, Stanišić, Stapar and Telečka.

Welcome to Sombor

75.1 Serbians05.9 Croatians05.7 Hungarians

73.0 Serbians07.6 Croatians07.6 Hungarians

83.6 Serbians08.4 Hungarians

95.9 Serbians

82.0 Serbians04.6 Yugoslavs

53.2 Croatians24.8 Serbians04.8 Yugoslavs

79.5 Serbians07.8 Yugoslavs

2002 in %

04.6 Yugoslavs04.6 Croatians07.8 Yugoslavs

07.5 Croatians56.7 Hungarians23.9 Serbians08.1 Croatians

52.1 Croatians14.5 Yugoslavs09.5 Serbiansaround 20% Gypsies

64.1 Serbians12.7 Hungarians08.3 Croatians05.2 Yugoslavs

45.9 Hungarians18.3 Croatians17.3 Serbians 72.4 Hungarians

20.6 Serbians

93.2 Serbians

93.9 Serbians

52.0 Hungarians20.6 Serbians

71.0 Hungarians15.3 Hungarians17.3 Serbians

Welcome to Sombor

Traffic� The military airport of Sombor – a

700 ha state owned area –, built in 1944 during the Axis occupation of the Bačka region, will be used in the future as a public one, mostly by tourists.

� During the Nato bombings in 1999 the airport and its two runways of 1100 metres were badly damaged.

� A touristic project in Doroslovo – a small village 22 km from Sombor –depends on this public airport.

Welcome to Sombor

History and present� In Sombor one finds a sharp

contrast between past and present: Turkish, Baroque, Biedermeier, Secession – each period in architecture has left traces on the town. Unfortunately much of this town. Unfortunately much of this gleam of a “Free Royal City” according to the charter of Maria Theresa is fading.

See next side …

Welcome to Sombor

Mainstreet� Most of the house

fronts along the Main street are not in good shape – a project, planned to convince the convince the around 30 banks in Sombor to set a good example, had little result:

With only oneextraordinaryexample …

Welcome to Sombor

Culture and Architecture� There are some more plans – one

of them to form a cultural zone. A preproject called “CentCenteer r of cultureof cultureintegrationintegration –– CentCenteer r of cof creative reative industrindustry ofy of SomborSombor“ concerning the “ concerning the reconstruction and revitalisation of reconstruction and revitalisation of the Grassalkovich Palace (Baroque the Grassalkovich Palace (Baroque 1763) already exists.1763) already exists.1763) already exists.1763) already exists.

�� The value of the project is The value of the project is 450 000 Euro.450 000 Euro.

Welcome to Sombor

Culture and Architecture� A special team has made a strategic

plan of development for tourism in Vojvodina. An art center in Sombor could become a new tourist attraction in Vojvodina as for example the Petrovaradin fortress.

The vision - inside…

� With 150 seats in the amphitheatre and activities which emphasize the traditional culture, Sombor can be recognized as a city of art and culture and a city of festivals. In the future there could be literary meetings, concerts (jazz, rock, blues, classic, choirs, etno), painting colonies and shows.

Sombor

KarloBjelickiTownLibraryLazaKostićCulturalCentreMilan

KonjovićGalleryArchdeaconSaintStephan‘sMonasteryArt

AteliersSerbianReadingRoomNationalTheatreTheTownM

useumZupanijaAmadeusChildrenOrchestraCulturalArtAs

sociationsHungarianKaszinoTamburitzaPlayersVocalGro

upFishingHuntingPannonianPeaceTrailSportfacilitiesBarupFishingHuntingPannonianPeaceTrailSportfacilitiesBar

ačkaEcologyClassroomGornjePodunavljeSpecialNatureR

eserveKraljevskaTracesofTourismPrepelicaAgroTourist

ComplexMikiZooKolutDidaHornjak’sSalašinGradinaPriva

teCollectionofDollsinSokacPeasantCostumesShip‘slocko

ntheDanubenearBezdanSilkDamaskWeavingFactoryNovi

tetDunavBezdanTheTobaccoMuseuminTelečkaConoplja

LakeGuidingToursTheFiacreGrassalkovichPalaceHolyTri

nitySquareSaintGeorge‘sSquareTheCareliteChurchTheC

hapelofStJohnofNepomukTheChildren‘sLibrary …

TracesofTourism

Sombor – Traces of TourismFacts and Figures� At the moment the District West

Bačka offers 257 touristic and gastronomy facilities with 667 beds.

� The government in Belgrade has spent 50 Mio. Euro in 2006 for touristic development in Serbia –

Is Sombor

ready to

receive

tourists? -touristic development in Serbia –the recipients are Belgrade, Novi Sad and other already well-known places.

� Currently Sombor has 23.240overnight stays per year. The touristic income consists only of tourist taxes.

� My conclusion after two months in the city: Sombor is a sleeping town as others are in the eastern part of Europe, but the touristic ground is fertile.

tourists? -

Only some

of the people

are starting

to think

business.

Sombor – Traces of Tourism

Bike Tourism� The 80 kilometre

long bicycle route “Panonski Put mira“, an NGO-Initiative between Sombor and Osijek, was opened in October 2006 –the Peace Trail connects the two connects the two nature reserves Dunav Drava (Croatia) and Gornje Podunavlje (Serbia).

� The third Peace Trail in Europe after Berlin and Dublin connects the cities Osijek and Sombor in former enemy countries Croatia and Serbia –a part of cross border cooperation after the war in 1991.


Bike Tourism� In Bački Monoštor

there is only a place near the street with information about the bike trail and web information about „The Gate“ about „The Gate“ or „The Pearl of the Gornje Podunavlje Area“, a special nature reserve in Serbia with two large marshes Monostorški and Apatinski Rit.

� These two nature reserves are a magnificent area for nature lovers, adventures and bird watchers.


Bike Tourism� Let`s take the

route through Bezdan …


Bike Tourism� … and on the

Croatian side of the Danube through the Baranja, a region located between the Drava and the Danube rivers, Danube rivers, through Suza and Sokolovac …


Bike Tourism� … towards Osijek.

Here we pass by the Kopački Rit, a national park at the mouth of the Drava into the Danube, one of Danube, one of the most preserved european swamp areas, a birds paradise.


Four Examples…� … of Agro- or Ruraltourism in

Doroslovo, Bački Monoštor, in Sombor and in Bilje (Croatia).

Example 1:

� C. Arvedi has 40 years of experience with agrotourism. Following the hunters other tourists should also come to Doroslovo – for sport activities in the “Re Di Quaglie” sportscenter.Example 1:

� Doroslovo – soon a villagemade only of tourists?

� Doroslovo: 1830 inhabitants57 empty houses17 houses have been purchased by Comte Pietro Arvedi D‘Emilei, a rich Italian, since 1998.Now he wants also to buy the rest.

Quaglie” sportscenter.� The plan: The Italian wants to teach

the inhabitants how to prepare their guestrooms for visitors. In addition to doing sports they can stay overnight at Doroslovo locals.

� Til now 2.5 Mio. Euro have been invested, the next stage will cost3 Mio. Euro.


Re Di Quaglie� Let`s have a closer look at

“Re Di Quaglie”.


Four Examples…� …of Agro- or Ruraltourism in

Doroslovo, Bački Monoštor, Sombor and Bilje (Croatia).

Example 2:

� A homepage in three languages provides information about tourism and other local topics.

� In summer the „Bodrogfestival“ awakes the legend of an old village name – this old village has not yet

Example 2:Bački Monoštor: A villageand its ideas� Bački Monoštor 3920 inhabitants.� The little village has its own

visio n of life in 2020.� Bački Monoštor is relying on

ruraltourism.� Eventually the village wants to

have 60 beds for tourists –currently there are 30 available.

name – this old village has not yet been found.

� Contrary to other regions the Roma population in Bački Monoštor is quite open to the tourist plan.


Bački Monoštor� Let`s have a look at the house

of Janja Šomođvarać, one of the new pleasant hosts.


Four Examples…� … of Agro- or Ruraltourism in


Example 3:

� In 2005 she made a plan to open her salaš (one of 16 around Sombor) to tourists.

� After Spring 2007 she will have eight beds for bike-tourists. The bakery oven, the kitchen and the old

Example 3:� Sombor – a salaš and

its possibilities� Population of Sombor 51 471� Aranka Hornjak-Mijić, a handball

player from Sombor, wants to renovate her old family salašfrom 1901 along the new „Panonski Put Mira“.

bakery oven, the kitchen and the old furniture: All will be in the old Vojvodian style.

� She will offer her guests traditional Vojvodian cuisine.


Salaš Hornjak� And now a closer look at

“Salaš Hornjak”.


Four Examples…� … for Agro- or Ruraltourism in


Example 4:

� Ankica Bilandžić, president of the local tourist organisation (and a workshop participant), and her friend Marija Stipetić, opened the third guesthouse in 2002.

� Now her house “Crvendać“ (Robin) Example 4:� Bilje – one of the pearls

around the Kopački Rit� In 2002 in Bilje there was not one

overnight stay, now 200 beds in 22 houses are available – from january til november 2006 there were 7000 bookings and perhaps even more.

� Bilje has become primarily a resid ence for American ship tourists.

� Now her house “Crvendać“ (Robin) with eight beds is ranked first in Baranja and third in Slavonia.

� Remarkable is the courage of Ankica and Marija: In 1991 Ankica was forced from Luč in Croatia. She was in Germany as a refugee and was sent back to Osijek in 1998. With a loan from the government Ankica bought a war-damaged house. Now she’s staking all on tourism …


Guesthouse “Crvendać ”� Let’s have a closer look at the

Guesthouse Crvendać”.












Some touristic sins and what I missed most …

Nature and Trash

Stray dogs on the streets

Parking instructions

just in Serbian

Restaurant menusRestaurant menus

just in Serbian

No foreign newspapers (except

Monday when excerpts from

„The New York Times“ are in

„The Politika“)

Plastic bags are lying around

Public toilets

Internetcafés

And …


The „Panonski Put Mira“ to the Salaš Hornjak in Sombor is notin good shape – if there are to be more bike tourists in the futurethe municipality has to do more …the municipality has to do more …


Sources:

Jovan SlavkovićBranko KrtinićZoran MilerAranka Hornjak-MijićDragan JurovićDragan JurovićBogdan CujićSnežana MileševićFedor ProdanovAnkica BilandžićMarija StipetićSekula TanjevićRuth und Csaba MeröIvan und Manda Prising

and others …

Thank you

for listening

Documents

Welcome to Sombor‡evo, Kolut, Rastina, Riđica, Svetozar Miletić, Stanišić, Stapar and Telečka. Welcome to Sombor 75.1 Serbians 05.9 Croatians 05.7 Hungarians 73.0 Serbians 07.6