Paper short abstract:

The aim of this paper is to present a model of sustainable use of cultural heritage through the creation of cultural tourism product, based on elements of the industrial heritage: case study of the Railway open museum Šargan Eight from Serbia

Paper long abstract:

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the introduction of narrow gauge railway through the mountain villages of western Serbia brought many changes into the lives of rural communities. In a mountain village Mokra Gora, the railroad called Šargan Eight, was built in 1925 as the part of a track that connected Belgrade with Sarajevo and Dubrovnik. Even then Mokra Gora had became recognizable by the Šargan Eight one unusual rail loop in the shape of number eight, as a unique engineering solution in Europe. After forty years of regular service, traffic on the Šargan Eight is dysfunctioned, and eventually devastated and destroyed railroad has become part of the collective nostalgic memories of Mokra Gora inhabitants. In the mid nineties, the local community has launched an initiative to restore the railway for touristic purpose, thus recognizing this segment of cultural heritage as a potential for sustainable rural development. This vision is realized through the creation of the Šargan Eight, an open museum - touristic railway, which is one of the most attractive destinations in Serbia today. The study analyzes the process of activating the local community as a holder of transformation of the "forgotten" heritage into the factor of sustainable development. The aim of this paper is to present a model of sustainable use of cultural heritage through the creation of cultural tourism product, based on elements of the industrial heritage.