Panagua Expedition 2025

Departure for the disputed border region on the Danube

After the territory of Panagua had already been claimed by Duckionary in 2021, the planning of a first expedition to the Balkans began at the end of 2024. After many months of preparation, President Zar Antonov and Consul Spiekermann arrived in Duckionary on 12 August 2025 to meet Archduke Arthur. Following a full day of cultural events and a barbecue, the three set off in the early hours of 14 August 2025 to the railway station in order to reach Graz. Upon arrival, the other three members of the expedition were already waiting: Grandmaster Paul Enzinger, Queen Hanna of Irrland, and Florian, all three belonging to the Sovereign Pastafarian Order of the Noodly Patchwork Family.

With old Yugoslav music playing and full of enthusiasm, the six set off on the motorway towards Slovenia. After a short break in the Slovenian wilderness, they crossed into Croatia and reached Kumrovec, the birthplace of Josip Broz Tito (1892). Tito was President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and his small birth house with statue is part of an open-air museum on peasant life and regional crafts. The journey then continued through Zagreb towards Slavonski Brod, where the expedition members looked across the river Sava into Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically into Republika Srpska. Finally, the journey took them upstream along the Danube to Batina. The Croatian village of Batina was reached in the evening, and after checking into the holiday flat on Zeleni Otok (the temporary operations centre), some of the participants walked down the road to set foot in Panagua for the very first time.

On the morning of 15 August 2025, three participants set out for the Free Republic of Liberland, undertaking the challenging and not entirely risk-free bicycle ride. Liberland is a micronation project proclaimed in 2015 on a 7 km² uninhabited area between Croatia and Serbia on the western bank of the Danube. The territory is disputed under international law: Croatia does not officially claim it, but exercises partial control and seeks to prevent permanent settlement. After an hour’s wait at a Croatian police checkpoint, the three were allowed to continue. On Liberty Island in the Danube, they eventually spotted some tents. One of the participants promptly waded through the shallow waters to investigate the situation. With the news that four settlers were on the island, Zar Antonov and Arthur de Tourneau also made their way across. At the camp, they chatted with the settlers and were offered cool drinks. They also visited the tree houses, the throne, and the beach volleyball court. After about an hour and a half, the three left Liberland and returned to Zeleni Otok. After this exertion, it was time for a typical Croatian meal and beer. In the evening, group photographs were taken in Panagua, boundary markers and a plaque were left behind, and photo and video material was recorded. Later that evening, Paul Enzinger, a Pastafarian, gave a blessing of noodles – another highlight of the expedition.

On the morning of 16 August 2025, speeches were recorded in Panagua, sand and stones were collected, and further photographs were taken. Afterwards, the participants hired a motorboat and travelled a few kilometres down the Danube to take video recordings of Panagua and Liberland from the water. Returning to land, they set off towards the Serbian border and arrived in Apatin, home to the Liberland Ark Village – Liberland’s Balkan base with concerts, tournaments, and various events. There they had a brief meeting with Vit Jedlicka, the founder and President of Liberland. Following this short encounter, the six expedition members continued via Sombor into Hungary to Lake Balaton, where the journey officially concluded with beer and lángos.

Late at night the group reached the seat of the Noodly Patchwork Family near Graz. After a short night, Zar Antonov, Arthur de Tourneau, and Florian travelled into Graz to visit the cultural sights of the city. Tired, yet satisfied with the outcome of the expedition, Zar Antonov and Arthur de Tourneau returned to Duckionary on the evening of 17 August 2025.