Getting to know #DestinazioneMarche and its many creative cultural delights thanks to our #EuropeTour partnership.

What comes to your mind when you see the hashtag #EuropeTour ? Social Media tells me that more often than not, people get back to us thinking that our European project for the sustainable development of cultural tourism in rural areas is more like a travel agency. Funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, our aim is, however, to first and foremost encourage quality tourism development, an aim that once again drives our most recent project meeting in #DestinazioneMarche, the gently rolling hills behind the coastline of Ancona, in north-eastern Italy.

After our last meeting in the Cantabrian “Picos de Europa” mountain region in Spain, my European colleagues and I gather again in order to develop guidelines for important topics in business development, such as destination management & digital communication strategies. Check out our website for more about the how and why we keep meeting in such beautiful places as Marche region: http://www.europetour.tips.

 

#DestinazioneMarche : A true hotspot of European cultural history – and innovation.

All of us are truly impressed by what the local people of Marche region have achieved over time. Among many other things, they have “invented” a certain type of olive oil that has even won a patent from the European Patent Office: Francesca Petrini’s website will tell you more about it.

Ankommen in Ancona ...

Welcome to Ancona …

 

... heißt über den kleinen Ort Monte San Vito in die Geschichte der jahrhundertealten Tradition der Olivenernte einzutauchen ...

… where visiting the small town of Monte San Vito, in the immediate surroundings, we immerse ourselves in the history of olive oil production …

 

... und von Francesca Petrini ...

… being welcomed by local olive oil producer Francesca Petrini …

 

... sämtliche Tipps & Tricks, sowie Geschichte des "richtigen Verkostens" ihres Olivenöls zu lernen ...

… who teaches us all there is to know about her family olive oil estate, as well as the right way to taste olive oil in the first place …

 

... das Olivenöl hier ganz rechts außen, ist das welches sogar ein Europäisches Patent für seine besonderen gesundheitlichen Vorzüge erhalten hat ... Bravo, Francesca e famiglia !!

… and right here, “Petrini Plus” has even won a patent from the European Patent Office for its extraordinarily beneficial health properties, such as added vitamins in order to help the body better process calcium … Bravo, Francesca e famiglia !!

 

Doch damit nicht genug, gilt es die Vorzüge der Region auch am eigenen Leib spürbar machen und zu erfahren: Etwa beim ersten, gemeinsamen Abendessen ...

What a lovely way to start “feeling” the area we’re in, gathered over dinner here with friends & colleagues from Italy, Poland, Bulgaria & Romania …

 

... in der zauberhaften Region rund um Borgo Lanciano, dessen Geschichte ebenfalls einen Blick wert ist : Hier könnt Ihr mehr erfahren.

… in the area of Borgo Lanciano, whose history is truly worth noticing! The attractive English webpage will again tell you more, and have you want to travel here in no time ..!

 

Borgo Lanciano welcomes us as the small, typical country village that has now been renovated to make for a luxury resort, hosting weddings, company events and leisure clients of all kind. You can find it a good hour’s drive from the coast of Ancona, a quiet retreat before the rising mountains to the west as well as a great base for visits of the surrounding area, for instance to Fabriano: Did you know that Fabriano is home to the oldest (and likely the most fraud-resistant?) paper & watermark museum of Europe? Their beginnings date back even to the 13th century. Check this out.

Aus dem Meeting ...

From the meeting room at Borgo Lanciano …

 

... rund um Social Media Marketing & Co. ...

… where we talk about the nature of Social Media Marketing & more …

 

... sowie der (vielleicht noch wichtigeren) Kaffeepause in Borgo Lanciano ...

… as well as the (perhaps even more important) coffee breaks sweetened by typical “dolcetti” …

 

... geht es direkt weiter in das ...

… we continue visiting the “Museo della Carta e della Filigrana” in Fabriano …

 

... wo auch Besucher eingeladen sind, sich an der kreativen Herstellung echter Papierbögen zu versuchen.

… where creative travellers like us, too, are invited to try their hands at traditional ways of making paper : I last tried it for myself in the Lower Austrian Waldviertel, as well as in Banyoles, Catalonia, Spain!

 

Die Fälschungssicherheit, deren Methoden hier hochgradig weiterentwickelt wurden ...

Very impressive, to learn about the centuries of experience in making first fraud-resistant paper, then money, such as by constantly developing clever watermark techniques …

 

... fließt noch heute in das moderne Geldwesen mit ein ...

… which still today are used in printing money …

 

... Fabriano und sein Museum, ein schöner Ort für einen historisch bedeutsamen Tagesausflug in der #DestinazioneMarche !

… Fabriano and its museum, a beautiful (cultural) hotspot for your next visit of #DestinazioneMarche !

 

Next up is our visit to Giorgio Poeta, whose take on innovation in cultural history goes like this: He is the world’s one & only honey producer who matures his acacia honey in Barrique wine style – #BeeUnique.

What a story! Then of course, Giorgio Poeta is a “true poet”, right! The humble, good-natured, young entrepreneur, who is the same age as me, openly talks about his life and shares his philosophy with us: “I love my bees”, he says, what with honeycomb & bee dance tattoos all over his forearms, “and continuously strive for the best balance in respecting nature and the needs of my bees. The idea to mature honey in Barrique, like you would a good old wine, came naturally to me”, he smiles, his voice filled with warmth. His most famous honey, “Il Carato“, is being sourced by some of the world’s best restaurants, and you can constantly see Giorgio Poeta out & about at trade show events, restaurants, and other innovative producers of all kinds. My personal recommendation for you is this: If you travel in #DestinazioneMarche, you can not afford to miss a sweet visit at Giorgio Poeta’s!

Grazie Giorgio ...

Grazie Giorgio …

 

... per la tua passione ..!

… per la tua passione ..!

 

... #BeeUnique

… #BeeUnique is the motto of this truly outstanding, “sweet young entrepreneur” …

 

... vielen Dank für diesen schönen und sehr schmackhaften Besuch!

… thank you for hosting us to such a wonderful visit in Fabriano / #DestinazioneMarche , dear Giorgio & team !

 

Last but not least, it’s all about getting hands-on. Because what would a visit to Italy be, without doing a proper cooking class of Italian Pasta ..?

All hosted by the “Palazzo Gentili” in the city of San Severino, where we tried to, erm, make an “easy type of linguine”. Easy only to those who’ve been doing it for years though: It’s not as easy as it seems to knead the perfect pasta, then spread it out thinly before cutting the dough. But never mind, it would not have been half the fun if we had all been experts already. And tasty it was, now that’s for sure!

Hand aufs Herz ...

I mean, learning to make Italian pasta …

 

... wer italienischen Köchen auf die Finger schaut ...

… from the hands of a true local chef …

 

... kann seine Kochtechniken doch nur verbessern ... oder ?!

… what could possibly go wrong here ?!

 

Wie dem auch sei ...

Well. Whatever …

 

... gemundet hat's jedenfalls ...

… the result on our tables finally was very, very delicious …

 

... und ich denke, auch unsere Köche hatten so ihren Spaß mit uns! Grazie per l'amore nella cucina !

… and I believe the chefs also had their share of fun with us! Grazie per l’amore nella cucina, cari amici nelle Marche !

 

Check out more pictures from our study visit to Marche region here:

 

And you: When will we see you next in Marche?

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