Study tour by bike and ferry in the Fertő region (in Hungary and Austria)

Study tour by bike and ferry in the Fertő region (in Hungary and Austria) – 17.06.2013

On the day before the partner meeting held in Eisenstadt (Kismarton), Westpannon Ltd. as lead partner invited project partners and professionals working on the field to a study tour in the Lake Fertő area in Burgenland, Austria and Hungary. Participants visited sustainable transport and tourism projects, and had presentations and discussion about the projects shown.

The tour started in Sopron (Ödenburg), from the train station run by the GYSEV - Rabberbahn public transport operator company.

A Mobility Center is located at the station, created within the framework of the GREMO project the financed by the AT-HU European Territorial Co-operation programme, and led by Land Burgenland. Find more information about Mobility Center:

http://www2.gysev.hu/gremo_pannonia/mobilitas_kozpont/374 , http://www2.gysev.hu/galeriak/mobilitasi_kozpont/19

Sustainable offer for cyclists (in HU):

http://www2.gysev.hu/files/tiny_mce/Letoltheto%20dokumentumok/Ker%C3%A9kp%C3%A1ros%20lehet%C5%91s%C3%A9gek.pdf

GREMO project: http://www.b-mobil.info/en/projects/gremo-pannonia

Partipants of the tour cycled to Hegykő (Heiligenstein) on the cycle path surrounding Lake Fertő that is 140 km long, of which 40 km is located in Hungary. The cycle path is mostly separated from the highway traffic and is part of EuroVelo 13, the Iron Curtain Trail. The quality of the Hungarian track built in the mid ‘90s, has declined largely in several locations, so most of the path will be renewed in spring 2014.

The Austrian-Hungarian Fertő region received the UNESCO World Heritage title in 2003 in the cultural landscape category. There are separate world heritage organisations on both sides of the border responsible for maintaining the harmony of the natural and built heritage, and to support the development in the region. In terms of sustainable transport, tourism and resource management, the Fertő Lake area is also managed by a joint National Park on both sides.

Hegykő, Iron Curtain Memorial

There are numerous individual (former border guards), municipal or civil initiatives to present the era of the barbed wire along the track of the Iron Curtain. In Hegykő, the recovery and the presentation of the Iron Curtain on its original place, in the reeds of Lake Fertő was initiated by Mayor István Szigethi.

Hegykő, Tornácos Pension

Hegykő is the main tourism destination of the Hungarian Fertő region. The village with 1,400 inhabitants realizes 100.000 nights spent in hotels and similar establishments a year, thanks to its thermal spa and to the various cultural programmes. Hegykő is one of the beneficiaries of cycling tourism in the Fertő region, which topic has been discussed with representatives of the local government and entrepreneurs of the tourism sector: Zsolt Jakab, notary, Tibor Radovits, Sá-Ra thermal spa (http://www.saratermal.hu/home), József Hospely, Tornácos Pension (http://www.tornacos.hu/szabadidoa/,the pension offers a set of biker friendly services).

Fertő Hanság National Park, László Manor

In addition to preserving the natural values, the cross-border national park plays an active role in the eco-tourism of the region, thus in the establishment and maintaining of the infrastructural conditions of cycling tourism. In the László Manor, opened in 2012, the indigenous species and crafts characteristic of the region are presented.

More information at: http://www.ferto-hansag.hu/index.php?lang=en

The visitor centre and the regional developments of the cycling path were presented by Attila Fersch, deputy director of the park.

The Alpokalja Ikva-mente LEADER Association is developing products (tours, services, quality assurance systems) related to sustainable tourism in the region, as part of rural development based on local cultural and nature values. Csilla Páliné Keller introduced projects realized within the Regional Operational Programmes 2007-13 and presented activities implemented within the transnational Naturama Alliance partnership.

More information at: http://www.fertotaj.info/hu/koszontjuk!.html

Tours: http://www.fertotaj.info/Naturama_Turautvonalak_terkep.pdf

Crossing Lake Fertő from Illmitz to Mörbisch (Fertőmeggyes) by ferry. The region of Lake Fertő is a popular cycling tourism destination in Central Europe also due to natural and cultural values and the flat landscape. In addition to the dense cycle path network, the bicycle ferries connecting the villages in a cross-border way make the region even more attractive.

Paneuropean Picnic Memorial

On 19^th August of 1989, the Hungarian opposition round table organised a picnic on the Austrian-Hungarian border aiming at the dismantling of the Iron Curtain parting Europe. Several hundreds of families from the German Democratic Republic attended the picnic, taking the opportunity to flee into Austria „breaking through” the gate of the barbed wire. The event was a major stage towards the reunion of Germany.