The event took place between 11:30 and 13:00, departing from Mirabellplatz. With a fully booked event and an engaged crowd of people from Salzburg and beyond, the morning offered a lively and accessible way to mark Europe Day – one that moved beyond traditional conference formats and met citizens where they are. This kind of event reflects a broader ambition within the Alpine Space programme: to make EU cooperation tangible and visible at the local level, shining a light on project outputs and on the ways in which the programme communicates with the citizens of the Alpine region.
A new format for citizen engagement
The EU Bus Quiz was conceived as a format that combines two things: the accessible, social energy of a pub quiz, and the unique setting of a public bus journey through Salzburg. By anchoring the event in everyday mobility infrastructure — in partnership with Salzburg Verkehr, the regional transport operator — the organisers were able to reach an audience that would not necessarily attend a conventional EU information event.
Questions covered a broad range of topics: the history and institutions of the European Union, the geography and culture of the Alpine region and Europe, music and the specific work of the Interreg Alpine Space programme and European projects in Austria. The format was deliberately inclusive: no prior expertise was required, and the quiz was designed to reward curiosity as much as prior knowledge.
An engaged and diverse audience
The atmosphere on board was friendly and engaged. Participants responded competitively to the quiz format, and the event generated lively exchanges that continued after the bus ride concluded at the Europa Café offered by Europe Direct Salzburg.
Europe Day and the Interreg Alpine Space mission
The EU Bus Quiz was a small but meaningful expression of this mission. By creating a space for participants to engage with European themes in a relaxed, accessible, and entertaining format, the event demonstrated that outreach and citizen engagement need not be formal to be effective.
The success of the EU Bus Quiz format opens possibilities for future editions, whether in Salzburg or in other cities across the Alpine Space programme area. The combination of a strong partnership model, a distinctive setting, and a content approach that balances accessibility with substance offers a template that could be adapted and repeated.
The Interreg Alpine Space programme will continue to explore opportunities to engage with citizens across the Alpine region in ways that make the programme’s work visible, relevant, and enjoyable.
Thank you to our partners and our participants, if you were on the bus with us, please take a moment to send us your feedback and download photos below!