Partnership for the Drava Cycling Route

In 2015, 18 municipalities along the river Drava, i.e. Dravograd, Muta, Vuzenica, Radlje ob Dravi, Podvelka, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Selnica ob Dravi, Ruše, Municipality of Maribor, Duplek, Miklavž na Dravskem polju, Starše, Hajdina, Municipality of Ptuj, Markovci, Gorišnica, Ormož, Središče ob Dravi, 3 development agencies (RRA Koroška d.o.o., RRA Podravje - Maribor, Scientific Research Centre Bistra Ptuj), and the Maribor Tourist Board signed the Agreement on the support of a project proposal – SPATIAL SITING AND MANAGEMENT/COORDINATION OF PROCEDURES FOR DEVELOPMENT/CONSTRUCTION OF THE DRAVA CYCLING ROUTE BETWEEN DRAVOGRAD AND SREDIŠČE OB DRAVI AS PART OF THE DRAVA BASIN SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT PROJECT. The project leader is Regional development agency Podravje - Maribor, which manages the procedures for siting and constructing the Drava Cycling Route (DCR) in 18 municipalities, and coordinates activities with the Slovenian Infrastructure Agency.

The project workgroup considered the establishment of the Partnership for the Drava Cycling Route as a reasonable continuation of the project. The purpose of the partnership is primarily a better integration of 18 municipalities along the river Drava in project execution, better cooperation with other stakeholders (e.g. service providers), and a stronger and more unified interaction with national authorities associated with the project. The partnership was established in June 2016, with partnership president Leo Kremžar.

At the 2nd Meeting of the Partnership for the Drava Cycling Route, held in November 2016, Maribor Tourist Board presented to all municipalities a proposal for a website, visual identity, maps, the process for including providers, and promotion. These activities represent an upgrade to the marking of the Drava Cycling Route and the basis for subsequent marketing. The new website www.dravabike.si allows equivalent cooperation with the Austrian side. Maribor Tourist Board is the lead partner for marketing and promotion of the Drava Cycling Route. The municipalities participating in the Partnership for the Drava Cycling Route and the Slovenian Infrastructure Agency finance certain promotion-related activities.

At the end of 2017, the Drava Cycling Route is fully marked with new signposts in its entire length of 145 km between the border crossings Vič pri Dravogradu and Središče ob Dravi. The route is marked with information boards in accordance with the new Rules on traffic signs and equipment on roads. The boards are red and include the Drava Cycling Route logo of all four countries. The costs of information board purchase and replacement were covered by the Slovenian Infrastructure Agency.

Contact: info@dravabike.si