The paper is aimed at exploring the tourism potential of company towns’ heritage
in the region, related to the presence in its territory of three relevant assets: the mining village of
Cave del Predil, the shipyard settlement of Panzano and the agricultural-industrial new town of
Torviscosa, both dating the early 20th century. Up to now investigated singly, neglecting their
connective significance, both from a logistic and thematic point of view, the three company
towns, in their complementary essence, close to important tourist locations, represent for the
authors a cultural tourism potential to be investigated. Having in mind the issues of a
differentiated offer, meeting the needs of young and elder people, fragile stakeholders, soft
mobility and slow tourism, the study defines opportunities of sustainable development, getting
advantage from a unique geographical position, in the centre of Europe, at the crossroad of
German, Italian and Slavic cultures and cultural routes.
