In 2025, except for the German city of Chemnitz in the former East Germany, its title European Capital of Culture attributed to the pair of cities Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorica (Italy).

With the motto “Go! Borderless” (“Let’s go! Without Borders”), is the first time that an urban area, which spans two different countries, is presented as a cultural capital of Europe.

Around 400 events, dealing with topics such as war and peace, reconstruction, the smuggling economy and green sustainability, are planned after the official opening on 8 February.

What should one know about this Slovenian-Italian project?

A railway station split in two

Italy is a founding member of the EU. Slovenia – formerly part of Yugoslavia – became a member of the EU in 2004 and joined the Schengen Area in 2007. Thus, the visible points of the state border between Nova Gorica and Gorica also disappeared. However, since 2015 and the large migration waves, Italy reserves the right to carry out checks at road crossing points between the two cities.

Since 1947, the border between the capitalist western world (Italy) and the communist eastern bloc (Yugoslavia) passed through the railway station square, which belonged to Yugoslavia. Images of the time clearly show the dividing line.

The then president of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito, broke off relations with Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1948 and began rapprochement with the West. The border between Gorica and Nova Gorica started to become more and more permeable.

Slovenia’s accession to the EU was celebrated in the square in front of Nova Gorica railway station in the presence of the then President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi.

Without Borders and Walls

With the motto “Without Borders”, the focus is on the historical and contemporary significance of borders. “We’ve never had a Berlin Wall here,” program director Stojan Pelko tells dpa. “People had a complex relationship with borders. This complexity is what we want to highlight.”

During the time of socialist Yugoslavia, the border was also a smuggling passage: Citizens imported consumer goods from Italy, which were not available in their country, while Italians visited Nova Gorica for cheap and good food, but also to have fun in the casinos .

Parades, artistic activities and… Sting

The opening of the cross-border capital of culture on February 8, 2025 starts with a colorful parade from Gorica station that continues until it reaches Nova Gorica station. The celebrations continue with an artistic program in front of the town hall of Nova Gorica.

On July 9, at Villa Manin, in Passariano, Italy, Sting will give a concert, while the renovation of the railway station and its transformation into a university campus will be one of this year’s most important projects.

Edited by: Chrysa Vachtsevanu