1st Prize to the first mountain-bike trail in Romania built with Swiss Funds

Local news, 29.09.2017

“Transylvania Bike Trails for revitalising Tarnava Mare cultural heritage”, project implemented by ADEPT Foundation under the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme in the frame of the Swiss Contribution to the Enlarged European Union, has won the European Cultural Tourism Award - Sustainable Cultural Tourism Destination 2017 awarded by the European Cultural Tourism Network. The project has been co-financed in its different stages through grants from Switzerland and Norway. 

Transylvania Mountain Bike Trail to revitalize Târnava Mare cultural landscape, Romania
1st Prize for Sustainable Cultural Tourism in Târnava Mare, Romania awarded to a project financed through the Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union © ADEPT

ADEPT Foundation in Saschiz, Mures County implements a broad range of conservation and rural development projects aimed at practical conservation linked to local economic and social benefits. The awarded project started in 2011 and achieved to build up the first 100 kilometres of a mountain-bike trail in Romania, by connecting eight Saxon villages, from Viscri to Sighisoara town, making thus a base for the sustainable tourism in the area. The project started at first with support through a grant from Innovation Norway and it was finalized with the contribution of a grant from Switzerland through the Swiss Contribution. The impact of the project mirrored in promoting the natural, cultural and historical landscapes in the area, which are unique in Europe and through the development of tourism in the area and of small local businesses based on traditional products, on services and volunteers. The bike trail covers the designed areas of the network but also the grassy hills, old forest roads, the lanes in villages, yards of the fortified churches. The network includes the villages of Viscri – Bunesti – Crit – Mesendorf – Cloasterf – Saschiz – Archita – Daia villages, the final destination being the medieval town of Sighisoara. European Cultural Tourism Network is an international association aiming to bring together the tourism and cultural industry professionals from the different regions of Europe and to develop new approaches and innovations.