The cross-border dimension
For several years now, the Moselle department and the Saarland have been promoting a policy of Franco-German cooperation. The “Gardens Without Borders” project is one of their most significant concrete achievements. In addition to the high standard of its gardens, the network is also distinguished by its cross-border dimension, which involves numerous partners.
The “Gardens Without Borders” initiative was co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg II and IIIA (1 and 2) Saar-Moselle – (Lorraine) – Western Palatinate programmes, by Objectif 2 Lorraine, and by the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs. Since then, this garden network has been developed by the Moselle Department and its Saarland partners – the Christian Adult Education Centre (CEB) and the Society for Infrastructure and Employment of the Merzig-Wadern district.
Programme planning and tourism development are the responsibility of the Comité Départemental du Tourisme de la Moselle (Tourist Office) and Saarschleifenland Tourismus GmbH. Bilateral working groups meet at regular intervals to discuss common issues such as communication, training, etc. The impact of the garden network on tourism. Its geographical location makes the network a magnet for visitors from north-eastern Europe, who are particularly receptive to this theme. The popularity that garden tourism enjoys today is a guarantee of success. Since the gardens opened, visitor numbers have risen steadily. In 2009, the number of visitors to the network’s gardens exceeded 300,000. That is over 12% more than in 2008. The gardens in the Moselle department recorded more than 115,000 visitors, representing an increase of almost 30% in a single year.