IronCurtainCycling
The geographically, ethnically organic SI-HU CBC region was divided for long by the Iron Curtain enforcing the borderlines set after World War II. Relations faded, municipalities came to a social, economic decline. The CBC region offers great opportunities for bicycle tourism, which might be the breakout point in the rural area. Several projects have already aimed this goal, however a connected and signposted bicycle road network covering the whole region and a complex biker-friendly offer built on this network has not yet been achieved. Realising this, a CBC partnership of 4 Hungarian and 3 Slovenian partners (lead: Zala County Government) will launch the project (in the area of Lenti, Letenye, Őriszentpéter, Szentgotthárd, Murska Sobota, Ptuj, Ormož, Ljutomer, Lendava). Our goal is to develop a complex CBC cycling destination through intertwining local, regional cycling routes connecting to EV13, being the main north-south axis of the region, and through developing cycling-friendly services and supplementary tourism supply with the aim to integrate the area into the international system of EuroVelo. Main activities: Signposting the SI-HU section of EV13, the connecting regional bicycle routes and Iron Curtain sites; Establishing a cycling connection providing a new border crossing point; Improving cycling-friendly services: cycling centres, e-bike chargers, biker-friendly accommodation, joint map and mobile app, thematic routes and tourism packages; Establishing an Iron Curtain historical site; Organizing knowledge transfer events; awareness raising (e.g. workshops, »biker-friendly services« and visitor management booklet); Events (e.g. ICC Day cycling festival, Green Belt family day, EV13 conference); Other promotion (e.g. ICC stamping system, online campaign, branded souvenirs). Through these activities the project will contribute to the diversification of cross-border tourism supplies and to the development of sustainable, common tourism services.