A program for people building businesses with local roots — around people, collaboration and the values that define the region.
Entrepreneurship in Țara Dornelor supports initiatives that draw on the community's nature, heritage and resources. Through access to mentorship, entrepreneurial education, networking and examples of best practice, we turn existing ideas and businesses into projects that create long-term value.
We address people with business ideas, startups and local companies operating in Țara Dornelor. We look for people who want to learn, collaborate and contribute to the region's development through initiatives with a positive impact.
We grow a strong local entrepreneurial community and support businesses to develop sustainably, oriented towards protecting local heritage, collaboration and gradual growth.
In the second part of the program we build, together, a collective local product — the result of group discussions and shared effort. We want the project to leave behind something tangible.
A program can't be separated from the place it's born in. Born at the crossroads of old trade routes, the town of Vatra Dornei built its identity on the diligence of its craft guilds, the free spirit of its merchants and the fame of its mineral springs — becoming, as far back as the Austro-Hungarian era, a spa resort of European renown.
A symbol of that golden age, the Spa Casino — built in 1898 and reopened to the public in 2023 after a restoration that involved much of the Dorna community — shows the region's ability to rebuild itself and to draw value from its historic and cultural heritage.
The area is renowned for the density of its mineral springs, which feed some of Romania's best-known water brands. Its carbonated waters and mofettes — natural carbon-dioxide emanations — have been used in spa treatments for over a century.
Today, the Pearl of Bukovina and the whole of Țara Dornelor shine as a certified ecotourism destination, where history, tradition, natural resources and a new wave of innovation come together. This model of resilience and vision inspires our project to support the current generation of entrepreneurs — capable of turning local potential into lasting success.
Mountains, rivers, craft and restored landmarks: a few images that set the tone for the program.
01
A winter view towards Oușoru, with forests and ridgelines that define the region.
Foto: Mihai Burlacu · CC BY-SA 3.0
02
The Bistrița near Vatra Dornei, running between forested slopes.
Foto: Bernd Schade · CC BY-SA 3.0
03
The town naturally connects to water, bridges and the surrounding hills.
Foto: Andrei Stroe · CC BY-SA 3.0
04
Painted eggs from Bucovina, a strong visual detail for local heritage.
Foto: TwoWings · CC BY-SA 3.0
05
The restored Casino of the Baths shows how heritage can return to community life.
Foto: Adrian Țarcă · CC0
Entrepreneurship in Țara Dornelor supports initiatives that draw on the community's nature, heritage and resources. Through access to mentorship, entrepreneurial education, networking and examples of best practice, we turn existing ideas and businesses into projects that create long-term value.
