Velika Gorica received an InterWine space as part of the cross-border wine tourism project

On the feast of St. Vincent, January 22, 2026, the InterWine premises, realized within the framework of the Interreg project, were opened in the center of the old town of Velika Gorica. InterWine - Combining cultural heritage and wine tourism to create a sustainable cross-border destination.

The project is co-financed by the European Union and represents an important step forward in the development integrated tourism product based on cultural heritage i wine tradition.

The InterWine project has a total value of 1,38 million euros and is implemented by the Zagreb County Tourist Board as the lead partner, in cooperation with partners from Croatia and Slovenia. The project aims to develop a sustainable cross-border tourist destination connecting the areas of the Municipality of Brežice, the Municipality of Pušća and the City of Velika Gorica, through the valorization of local heritage and wine tourism potential.

InterWine as a new tourist product of Zagreb County

By opening the space in Velika Gorica, the project moves from the planning to the operational phase. The InterWine space is conceived as a physical point of interpretation, promotion and networking of stakeholders involved in the development of the destination. The focus of the project is on creating a tourist product that connects wine, local tradition, education and contemporary forms of interpretation of cultural heritage.

The project is being implemented in partnership with Croatian institutions - Municipality of Pušća, Vocational College-Institution for Adult Education, City of Velika Gorica - and Slovenian partners, Institute for Entrepreneurship, Tourism and Youth Brežice, Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, Brežice and Posavina Museum Brežice. Such a structure enables the exchange of knowledge, experiences and the development of common standards in wine tourism.

The context of urban regeneration and cultural infrastructure

The opening of the InterWine space fits into the broader context of the revitalization of the historic core of Velika Gorica. As the mayor pointed out Krešimir Ačkar, the project has multiple values ​​for the city and the local community:

"I am extremely pleased that today, on the feast of St. Vincent, we are opening a beautiful, newly renovated space in our city - a space that exudes the Turopolje tradition and combines history and the present. We have received a representative space for meetings, education and socializing, and our winemakers and winegrowers from the Grozd Association a space for their activities. With this project, we continue the renovation and renovation of the historic center of Velika Gorica. The Interpretation Center of the Turopolje Museum has been built in the immediate vicinity, the bell tower of the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been renovated, and we have also completed the renovation of the building in which we are located today, which was once a maternity hospital, then a gallery. Work on the renovation of the Turopolje Museum will begin soon. I would like to emphasize here the successful withdrawal of funds from European Union funds for all these projects, as well as the very good cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the relevant ministries.", said Ačkar.

The role of the Zagreb County Tourist Board

The Zagreb County Tourist Board plays the role of the strategic development leader of the new tourism product in the InterWine project. Director Ivana Alilović She highlighted the long-term value of the project for the destination:

"As the leading partner of the InterWine project, we are particularly pleased to open the InterWine space in Velika Gorica, a space that connects wine, cultural heritage and a view of the future in a contemporary, elegant and meaningful way. InterWine gains its full and tangible dimension here and becomes a meeting place for people, ideas and experiences, a place where tradition is not only preserved as a legacy, but is lived, interpreted and communicated in a way that is close to today's visitor. It is precisely such an approach that gives real value to European projects. I am particularly pleased that this space is opening in my city, Velika Gorica, a city of strong identity, openness and developmental energy, which with this project is gaining a new contemporary point of experience and interpretation of its own heritage. We are proud that InterWine remains permanently present here as a space of connection, inspiration and future development."Alilović pointed out.

Grozd Association as an operational user of the space

The InterWine space will be used by the Grozd Association of Winemakers and Winegrowers, which has around 70 members and has been operating in the Turopolje area for 25 years. Although they are mostly weekend winegrowers, the association plays an important role in preserving the local winegrowing tradition and indigenous varieties.

"First of all, I would like to thank the City and Mayor Ačkar, the TZZŽ and Director Alilović for including us in this commendable project. I hope that this modernly decorated and representative space will contribute to the development of viticulture and winemaking in our beautiful Turopolje and raise it to a higher level. Although we do not have commercial producers, we are dedicated to preserving tradition and producing quality wines. We are especially proud of the Turopolje Škrlet, an indigenous variety, which is the heart of our vineyards and wines. We hope that in the future we will also produce several professional winemakers who will continue this beautiful tradition", emphasized the president of the Association, Vlado Mikulcic. 

Space as a platform for education and networking

The InterWine space is designed as a meeting place for stakeholders in tourism and winemaking, but also as a platform for education, thematic workshops, exhibitions and promotional activities. Such a concept enables continuous use of the space even after the end of the project, with the potential of strengthening local capacities and creating additional value for the destination.

For tourism workers, InterWine represents an example of an integrated approach to the development of eno-tourism, in which infrastructure investments are connected with education, local actors and cross-border cooperation.

Photo source: Zagreb County Tourist Board