Road of Poem and Border
Funded by Euregio Karelia Neighbourhood Programme 2001-2006

Objective of the project

The goal of the project was to create a travel route, The Road of Poem and Border, which covers the entire Interreg Karelia region. The Road of Poem and Border was planned to consist of an extensive Via Karelia entity, which would connect the travel destinations and local attractions in Finland and the Republic of Karelia and join the international Via Baltica Nordica route.

Main activities

• Building of the basic service structure for the route such as road signs and information signs for suitable rest areas, • Increasing of awareness of the Road of Poem and Border, • Brochure printing.

Achievements

The road was to be marked as a sightseeing road using road signs during the project. Marking the attractions with signs along the road was not completed, as the Finnish Road Administration had not defined the necessary prerequisites for doing so. Marketing of the road was done via press releases. As part of the project, 3,000 copies of a shared brochure for the Road of Poem and Border and the Karelian Pilgrim Route were printed. During the project, the brochure was distributed through travel agencies, some large service stations and at tourist attractions along the road. The Via Karelia entity was also included in the 2005 car travel guide and the Finland guide. The planned Road of Poem and Border website was not completed within the framework of the project. The Road of Poem and Border received official sightseeing road status from the Finnish Road Administration, which has an essential significance in the marketing of the road. The Road of Poem and Border does not yet extend to Russia; however, Via Karelia is an active and functional part of Via Baltica Nordica.