2nd Meeting (in the Czech Republic)

The second meeting (this time in the Czech Republic) with invited experts from Lithuania

On August 4–5, 2026, as part of the Erasmus+ (KA1) program, a study visit was held by three experts from our partner organization in Lithuania. The program proceeded according to the agreed-upon plan and focused on the practical application of three main educational topics directly in our context.

Everything took place as part of this project:

Project Title: International Cooperation of the Baťa canal, o.p.s.
Project Number: 2025-2-CZ01-KA122-ADU-000371811
Beneficiary: Baťův kanál, o.p.s.
Implementation period: January 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
Grant amount: 14 073 EUR

Practical implementation of three key topics at the second meeting in the Czech Republic:

01. How to spark the general public’s interest in the region, its history, and learning new things ▿

The experts were introduced to specific visitor management tools using the example of the Baťa Canal Information Center in Veselí nad Moravou, the ports in Veselí nad Moravou, Strážnice, and Petrov, the open-air museum in Strážnice, and river transport as a means of interpreting regional history. Another highlight was a visit to Zlín, including Building 21 (the Baťa Skyscraper), where the history of the Baťa company was presented in connection with the region’s history and the construction of the Baťa Canal. They also discussed possibilities for linking the Baťa Canal waterway with educational activities in surrounding communities (Kuželov and other historically significant locations) and the development of the organization’s new website, www.batacanal.cz, as a tool for reaching a broader audience and presenting the region online. What makes this unique is that virtually every stop along the Baťa Canal offers further educational opportunities, whether in the field of history or learning new things, which we would like to make the most of and interconnect.

02. Organizing Education for People with Disabilities ▿

At various stops (the Information Center, Building 21, the open-air museum in Strážnice, etc.), experts discussed specific ways to adapt educational programs to visitors with special needs. The outcome of the discussions was a proposal to create individualized educational programs tailored to various groups of people with disabilities, including a practical demonstration of education directly on board a tour boat during the Strážnice–Petrov cruise, where the feasibility of educational activities in the real-world setting of river transport was verified.

03. Environmental Education and Natural Compliance with Environmental Rules ▿

The program included boat trips along the Baťa Canal in both regions, which served as a practical demonstration of how the waterway functions within the landscape and how it is operated with due care. During the joint reflection session at the end of each day, topics such as visitors’ eco-friendly behavior and ways to naturally integrate environmental education into the organization’s tourism and educational products (e.g., through planned educational videos and content on the new website) were discussed with the experts.

Additional Outcomes of the Meeting:

Beyond the planned agenda, the experts also discussed other organizational development activities that are directly related to the three topics mentioned above: the creation of educational and promotional videos, the development of the organization’s new website (www.batacanal.cz), the design of individualized educational programs for various target groups, and a pilot program to test educational activities directly on a tourist boat.

Selected from the Program (August 4 – 5, 2026):

August 4, 2026 (South Moravian Region)

A welcome and a tour of the harbor in Veselí nad Moravou, followed by a drive to Strážnice.
Tour of the Petrov harbor and the Plže complex.
Boat trip from Petrov to Výklopník.
Visit to the village of Kuželov, known for its historic features.

August 5, 2026 (Zlín Region)

Tour of Building 21 (the Baťa skyscraper) and an explanation of the connections between Baťa and the Baťa Canal.
Continuation of the exploration of Baťa’s history and overall legacy. Discussion of how visitor education ties in with the opportunities available here.
Exploration of the section of the Baťa Canal in the Zlín Region (boat trip from Otrokovice to Spytihněv) and a tour of the marinas.
Visit to Uherské Hradiště.

Summary:

The program was carried out in full accordance with the contractual agreement on August 4–5, 2026, with the participation of three experts from Lithuania. The selected sites were based on their recommendations (these examples also served as a basis for discussing other locations along the Baťa Canal that we were unable to visit due to distance and time constraints, for example). The overall goal was to understand how operations function and to propose improvements in the area of education. Evaluations took place daily in the form of joint reflections with the experts regarding all three thematic areas of the program.

After incorporating all the insights from both visits, we will move on to finalizing the outputs during our final visit to Lithuania, which we are tentatively planning for spring 2027.