The Black Sea Route initiative will connect towns and resort areas near the sea—between the Danube Delta, Constanta, Varna, Burgas, and Istanbul. And why not further afield? It is planned to cover a variety of natural, cultural, historical, and archaeological attractions near the coast, providing safe and secure passage along the coast by bike or on foot.
The initiative was launched in 2012. It is expected to be agreed upon with municipalities and responsible institutions in the next two years and implemented in the third year. We owe our optimism to Boyko Stoyanov from the Black Sea Way Association. The project includes a combined cycling and walking route along paths without artificial surfaces, as close to nature as possible.
The initiative is driven by the Black Sea Road Association, which includes the Ustrema cycling club, Velo Weekend, and the Rodni Balkani tourist association. It is supported by official letters from almost all Black Sea municipalities, the regional governors of Varna, Dobrich, and Burgas, the ministries of tourism, transport, agriculture and food, youth and sports, innovation and growth, as well as economy and industry. The Romanian municipalities of Constanta and Tulcea, as well as the European Ramblers’ Association, are also behind the initiative. Official GPS tracks for the walking and cycling versions of the route have already been published, which overlap by about 90%.
Cycling tours are being organized to promote it. The first edition of the walking tour from Constanta to Rezovo, organized by the Black Sea Road Association, is planned for next spring.
The association is currently studying the Black Sea municipalities’ plans for developing cycling infrastructure in order to base the cycling version of the route on them. Next year, coordination with them is planned to avoid surprises such as interruptions due to investment intentions, for example. After approval by the European Ramblers’ Association, the marking of the route will begin.
At the beginning of this year, the association held a meeting with representatives of the municipalities of Kavarna, Shabla, and Balchik. In addition to the concept, the possibility of financing bicycle infrastructure under the INTERREG VI-A program was also presented. Municipalities can apply for funding to build part of the route—from Constanta to Balchik, as well as the two sections connecting Silistra-Dobrich-Balchik and Silistra-Dobrich-General Toshevo-Durankulak.
The Black Sea Route will serve more of a tourist function. The idea is to build bicycle infrastructure along it, such as gazebos, bird watching towers, fountains, a system of vending machines, chemical toilets, and bicycle repair and refueling stations.
Before marking it, the Black Sea Route Association plans to create an information platform and mobile application that will serve for navigation, presentation of companies and places to buy tickets for bus, rail, and water transport, assistance in choosing accommodation reservations through a selection of so-called “bike-friendly” locations, information on infrastructure useful to tourists, such as water sources, gazebos, observation towers, service stations, and shops for bicycle, sports, and tourist equipment, etc. Currently, the Black Sea Route’s cycling and hiking GPS tracks are uploaded to nine of the most popular platforms for sharing GPS tracks for hiking and cycling tourism. There is also a map on Google Maps that anyone can use for navigation. It contains information about the hiking and cycling route in Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey, alternative trails, and tourist infrastructure.
The Black Sea Route will serve more of a tourist function. The idea is to build cycling infrastructure along it, such as gazebos, bird watching towers, fountains, a system of vending machines, chemical toilets, repair and refueling stations for bicycles, etc.
The implementation of the Black Sea Route initiative is thanks to a handful of enthusiasts, avid cyclists, and active citizens who are working on the idea on a voluntary basis. To build the bicycle infrastructure, municipalities can apply for various programs such as Interreg Danube, Interreg Black Sea Basin, Interreg Bulgaria-Romania, Interreg Turkey-Bulgaria, and TEN-T. Local authorities have the opportunity to implement projects for tourist infrastructure or transport links between the respective countries. In addition to sustainable modes of transport, such as walking and cycling, they can develop water, rail, and bus transport, including through multimodality. The ball is in their court.
Continued – Transport poor: the utopia of the “National Cycling Plan”
See: Transport poor: With a bike in the trunk, 12 km from the sea
