HUSK Limes Romanus knocking on UNESCO´s door

The municipality of Iža, in cooperation with the Hungarian municipality of Almásfüzitő, applied for funding under the Interreg V-A Slovakia-Hungary Cooperation Programme through a project named “Limes Romanus knocking on UNESCO's door”. The aim of the cooperating municipalities was to expand the existing tourism offer, to attract a wider range of visitors and stimulate further development of the cultural and creative tourism. Within the framework of the project, facilities on both sides of the border - the Roman and Ethnographic Museum in Iža and the Roman Camp Azaum in Almásfüzitő - built in a previous successful project, were further improved with the above mentioned aim. In Almásfüzitő, a Roman-era playground, a labyrinth, an interactive presentation area and a military village with historic houses were added to the Camp. In Iža, a new building of 1 136 square metres was constructed in the courtyard of the museum, based on the designs of the architect Nándor Litomericzky. The building housed 16 craft workshops, two of them with barrier-free access. Roman and traditional crafts are presented in the workshops, with the opportunity to learn their basics for those interested. There is also a communal area with a kitchen, a dining room and an atrium courtyard, where outdoor furnaces have been placed for the purpose of craft workshops - that is, for firing various ceramic products. An important and spectacular feature of the construction are the two watchtowers built on Roman models, which were constructed at the eastern and western ends of the village, along the main road. The top of the watchtowers can also be accessed, which makes them function as small lookout towers. The built features are eye-catching and distinctive, effectively drawing the attention of passing drivers and cyclists to the fact that they are passing through a place with a rich history dating back to the Roman Empire, thus promoting tourism and the attractiveness of the cross-border area.