In the development of border regions, cultural and gastronomic tourism is gaining increasing importance, serving not only to preserve local identity but also to strengthen international relations.
The Lendava Bograč Festival (Slovenia) and the Nagykanizsa Dödölle Festival (Hungary) are two geographically and culturally close events that provide excellent examples of the potential for cross-border cooperation. Both festivals aim to preserve and promote local gastronomic heritage while being deeply rooted in community traditions.
The Lendava Bograč Festival is a joint celebration of the Hungarian community in the Mura region and the Slovenian population, centered around bograč dishes — traditional stews that represent the region’s culinary heritage. Lendava, often called the capital of bograč, hosts Slovenia’s largest bograč cooking competition every year. This well-established gastronomic event has been attracting thousands of visitors for over a decade to the town’s main street, where they can enjoy the bustling activity of the cooking teams throughout the day.
The Dödölle Festival celebrates the iconic dish of the Zala region — dödölle — highlighting the value of rural gastronomy and community cohesion. The festival was launched nearly two decades ago, in 2006. One of its early highlights was a record-breaking attempt to prepare 2,500 servings of dödölle in a single cauldron. Over time, Nagykanizsa has earned the title “the capital of dödölle”, not only locally but also at county and national level. This success is partly due to the organizers’ conscious efforts to create a diverse festival experience including cooking competitions, cultural programs, live music, markets, wine houses, and artisan stalls.
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Both festivals represent significant tourist attractions, increasing regional visitation and economic activity. The similarities between the two events offer opportunities to establish structured cooperation, such as:
- Joint thematic programs: Developing a twin-festival model in which the events host each other annually, showcasing the gastronomic specialties of the partner region.
- Creation of a tourist route: Establishing a “Mura–Zala Gastro Route” linking Lendava, Nagykanizsa, and surrounding settlements with gastronomic and cultural stops.
- Joint promotion and marketing strategy: Developing a unified visual and communication identity to present the region’s cross-border culinary world, potentially supported by EU funds (e.g., Interreg, V-A programs).
- Training and youth programs: Organizing culinary workshops, cooking schools, and community events for young people, promoting heritage preservation and sustainable tourism.
- Development of tourism packages: Creating weekend packages built around the festival seasons, including accommodation and tasting experiences.
The Lendava Bograč Festival and the Nagykanizsa Dödölle Festival serve as instruments of shared cultural heritage and identity, capable of building bridges between Hungary and Slovenia through gastronomy.
The joint tourism product resulting from their cooperation could not only strengthen the local economy but also contribute to the integrated tourism development of the cross-border region and deepen Central European cultural cooperation.
