Our achievements

The Beskid 5 is the laureate of the “Poland Is Growing Beautiful – the Seven Wonders of the European Funds” competition.

The Beskid 5 has achieved great success: the project „The Programme of Development and Promotion of Tourism and Cultural Products of The Beskid Five,” completed in the past years by the five municipalities of our region and co-financed from the European Funds, was recognized as the best promotional project in a nationwide competition “Poland Is Growing Beautiful – the Seven Wonders of the European Funds.”

The town of Ustroń was appointed the leader of the project, while the municipalities of Brenna, Istebna, Szczyrk and Wisła were its partners. The competition “Poland Is Growing Beautiful – the Seven Wonders of the European Funds” is organized by Smartlink company under the auspices of Pascal publishing company at the request of the Ministry of Regional Development. The aim of the competition is to select the best projects co-financed from the European Funds which have contributed to increased attractiveness of Poland as a tourist destination.

In this year’s competition 137 projects were submitted. Three projects were nominated for the first prize in each of the seven categories. The nominated projects were presented in a ceremony held at the Royal Castle in Warsaw on May 7 2009. The presentation of the prizes resembled the presentation of Oscars – the nominees were kept in suspense until the very last moment. The town of Ustroń, as the leader of the project, and the whole Beskid Five were awarded in the category of Promotional Product.
The Mayor of the Town of Ustroń, Ireneusz Szarzec, and the Mayor of the Town of Szczyrk, Wojciech Bydliński, received the prize on behalf of the Beskid Five. The prize was presented by the Minister of Regional Development, Elżbieta Bieńkowska.
The remaining awarded projects are the following:

- In the category of Tourist / Gastronomic Facility – the project “The Modernisation and Adaptation of a Nineteenth-Century Post-Factory Building for the Museum of Art in Łódź” completed by the Museum of Art in Łódź;

- In the category of Revitalisation – the project “HEWELIANUM Centre: the Construction of Education and Recreation Complex in Gdansk (Stage I)” completed by the “Gdańsk Fortress” Culture Park of City Fortifications in Gdańsk;

- In the category of Monument – the project “The Revitalisation of the Historic Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec” completed by the Benedictine Abbey of the Saint Apostles Peter and Paul in Tyniec;
- In the category of Active Tourism – the project “The Development of the Lakeside of Lake Drwęca in Ostróda – Stage I: the Construction of the Sports Recreational Complex” completed by the Town Council of Ostróda (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship);
- In the category of Transborder and International Tourism – the project “The Jagiellonian Fair – the Promotion of Common Legacy of the East and the West” completed by the Centre for Culture in Lublin;
- In the category of Rural Tourism – the project “The Construction of the Thermal Pool Complex in Uniejów (Stages I and II)” completed by the Town Council of Uniejów.
The first prize in “Poland Is Growing Beautiful” competition is a highly prestigious award. The winning of the prize is followed by large-scale promotional campaign. Above all, the prize is the evidence of great recognition for the idea of cooperation of the five municipalities of our region, functioning as tourist destinations, and for the visible results of this cooperation.

More information available at www.funduszeonline.pl/polskapieknieje

fot. Wojciech Trzcionka

Medal for the Beskid 5

Our microregion has been awarded a medal in the Mercurius Gedanensis competition for the best promotional campaign in Poland. In this year’s edition there have been over 400 participants. 41 entries were judged in nine categories. The award was presented at a closing ceremony of the Fair.