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hercegovina

There is no doubt, Herzegovina is currently the most developed cycling destination in the region and a desirable vacation spot for cyclists from around the world. What is it that attracts tens of thousands to this southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina every year?

Toni Zorić, president of the association “HerzegovinaBike”, says that the answer is very simple: “You can find everything in Herzegovina. It is very close to the sea, and thus the Eurovelo 8 route that stretches along the Adriatic coast, and which is connected by our pearl” Ćirina narrow gauge railway “.

Let’s go in order, the association “HerzegovinaBike” was founded as an association for the promotion of cycling, where they specialize in cycling, and since its registration until today, this association has developed over 2,000km of bike trails in order to offer cycling tourism and attract a large number of cyclists world to Bosnia and Herzegovina. By looking at their website, which is really special, we find the foundations of the statement of the president of this association. Certainly the most complete cycling offer (in two languages) with a large number of bike paths, excellent photos, arrangements, destinations to visit and local farms that this association suggests cyclists to visit in order to spend the night or taste local cuisine and gastronomic offer.

Can you introduce us to the idea of ​​HerzegovinaBike?

“Association for the Promotion of Cycling” HerzegovinaBike “is conceptually conceived as an association that should develop the world’s increasingly popular sport of cycling and present Herzegovina, and Bosnia and Herzegovina as an excellent cycling destination, and be the center of cycling and cycling in general, all in one place. From the very beginning, this idea was recognized by the “Federal Ministry of Tourism and Environment”, where through their support we managed to lay the foundations of the Association and today 10 years after its founding we can see how much the team behind the name “HerzegovinaBike” has done a great job. a country that did not know cycling as a form of movement at all, together with our partners we managed to make one of the most desirable cycling tourist destinations “, said Zorić.

Who is behind the name HerzegovinaBike?

“Well, you see, everything started from Mostar with the establishment of the cycling club in Mostar, which brought together cyclists from Mostar, but also people from other parts of Herzegovina where cycling was not developed. I always liked watching things in a slightly wider spectrum and then I sat down with these people and told them that I am glad that they are here in Mostar with us, but also suggested that we spread this story, that they all establish a club in their place of residence, and that together we spread this positive story that promotes Herzegovina as a country. This story lives on today, after 10 years we have 16 clubs in Herzegovina from Tomislavgrad in Hercegbosna County, all the way to Trebinje in eastern Herzegovina.All these associations are gathered under the name “Cluster HerzegovinaBike” and have a common goal, and it is Herzegovina – the biggest cycling tourist destination “.

Truly a commendable and by no means easy job. How much support did you have in your goals?

“Somehow I like to say that the project” Ćira’s narrow-gauge railway “took the cycling tourism offer of Herzegovina to the next level. In fact, I think that all our efforts have actually started to come to light and through this project we have shown ourselves as a healthy and reliable partner. we can boast of numerous collaborations with resource ministries, as well as numerous agencies, such as JICA, REDAH, EU Info Center, UNDP, USAID, and the Government Office for EU Integration, with which we are currently developing the “Cycling Rural” project.

“Our first big collaboration was actually with REDAH (Regional Development Agency for Economic Development) with which we developed a bicycle path project along the former Ćira narrow-gauge railway from Mostar to Dubrovnik, and further to Trebinje in order to promote and expand the cycling tourism offer in Herzegovina. indeed a fantastic project that promoted Herzegovina to the whole world and a project from which we ourselves learned a lot, and we learned what we own and appreciate what we own.Many big media visited Herzegovina and wrote about the tourist capacities of Herzegovina because of Ćira , such as the British magazine “The Guardian“, the American “New York Times” and many others, while Lonely Planet ranked Herzegovina as the fourth most desirable cycling tourist destination in the world “.

“Furthermore, through this project we understood the term” cycling guide “, ie we had a trail as a tourist offer, but we needed people to ride with tourists and present our country to them in the best light. From 2015 until today, we have educated over 60 cycling guides, people who do this business, enjoy it and make a living from cycling and tourism in general.Then we worked with Redah on the project “Bike Friendly Standard” where the goal was to introduce local businessmen, owners of restaurants and accommodation facilities to the needs of cyclists, introduce them to the concept of cyclists as guests and what it takes to make their facility meet the requirements for cyclists, and finally get a license “Bike Friendly Standard. Today in Herzegovina we have a large number of restaurants that meet these requirements and turn to cycling and accept guests from all over the world “.

Insight into your website we see a really wide offer, how many trails are presented there?

“Herzegovina as a region consists of four counties: Herzegovina-Neretva County (HNŽ), West Herzegovina County (ŽZH), Hercegbosanska County (HBŽ) and East Herzegovina (RS), where we currently have over 2,000 km of bike paths for the purpose of cycling tourism in Herzegovina. is the biggest job done in ZZH through the project “Cycling Rural” where we presented the cycling tourist offer of western Herzegovina through 1,300 km of bike paths, ie tourists driving through rural parts of western Herzegovina, get to know the lives and customs of people who live here, and of course local cuisine All our work started from HNŽ with the trail “Ćirina uskotračne pruge” in the length of 180 km, and it is important to mention that the project “Ćiro Heritage” is underway, ie another 100 km of cycling offer on the stretch from Počitelj, touring through Stolac Radimlje, Daorson, Boljune, all the way to Hutovo selo, connecting to the existing trail along the Ćira railway. The smallest work has been done in HBŽ and East Herzegovina, but it will certainly not remain so, since our goal is to cover the whole of Herzegovina and its tourist capacities. It is worth mentioning that the “Ćiro 2″ project is currently underway on the section from Ravno, via Trebinje, Nikšić (Montenegro) all the way to Herceg Novi, so that in the years ahead we will be able to cycle along the Ćiro railway line from Mostar all the way to Herceg Novi. in Montenegro. There is still a lot of work ahead of us, but we hope for many positive projects and great experiences. ”

How much did the corona affect cycling tourism in Herzegovina?
“I was just waiting for you to ask that question (laughs). Well, of course it affected, like everything else in the world. In previous years, we had so many cyclists on the Ćira railway that we just couldn’t believe how many cyclists come from around the world. to Herzegovina and tour it by bike.We always looked for a guide more and simply tourism in Herzegovina flourished.But on the other hand this stalemate helped us regroup, complete some big projects, redesign our website and expand the cycling offer to be ready to welcome the end of this pandemic and the arrival of new tourists to Herzegovina “.

What is the next challenge ahead of you? What is the next thing HerzegovinaBike will present to us?

“Well, it is certain that we will finish the started projects on” Ćiro “tracks, and then our web team will post it all on our website and present a new cycling offer, and our goal is to do a good job in Eastern Herzegovina, as well as HBŽ. At the moment, Trebinje is one of the pearls of Herzegovina, which is favored by the proximity of Dubrovnik and excellent tourist offer, so it attracts a large number of cyclists.”

Herzegovina is a special place for cycling because the weather conditions are excellent and you can find flat terrain or climb some of the largest peaks of the mountain, the peak Pločno 2.228mnv. Furthermore, many professional cyclists from the northern regions come to Herzegovina during the winter preparations due to favorable weather conditions to train and prepare for the next season.

We want to point out that Herzegovina offers cyclists of different abilities and desires good opportunities, and all this is accompanied by an excellent gastronomic offer for which Herzegovina is known, as well as natural beauty. We believe that many will agree that Herzegovina is the perfect place to ride a bike, which opens up new opportunities for tourist offers.

The fact that many foreign cyclists choose Herzegovina as their next big destination is not just a happy coincidence and confirms the above.

As Tony said: “You can find everything in Herzegovina.”

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The Herzegovina-Neretva County, more precisely the City of Mostar as the main host, will host the road race “Herzegovina Classic”, ie the National Championship in Road Cycling – Rise, which will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2020. The organizers of the National Championship are the association “Herzegovina bicikl” and the Cycling Club Mostar, together with the Cycling Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The best road cyclists of Bosnia and Herzegovina will perform at the Championship, and they will fight for valuable UCI points that count for the qualifying norm for the Olympic Games. As the president of the association “HerzegovinaBike” Toni Zorić, who is the organizer of this National Championship, pointed out, BeHa cyclists in all categories will perform at the championship, and it is important to point out that Mostar and Herzegovina will have several representatives.

“We are extremely honored and pleased to host a National Championship, in fact one of the most important races where cyclists fight for the title of National Champion and valuable UCI points. Thank you to the Cycling Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which recognized our work and efforts, and offered to Mostar “This year’s National Championship race is called” Herzegovina Classic “, and our wish is to present Herzegovina as a country of sports and present it as a desirable tourist destination,” said Toni Zorić.

Cycling in Herzegovina is in great expansion, and the work of these two associations has contributed a lot, working hard to improve the conditions for cycling in terms of cycling infrastructure, tourist offer, and presenting cycling as a sport and healthy lifestyle. It is important to point out that these associations, together with the Office of the Government of the West Herzegovina County for European Integration, as the project leader at the beginning of October, organize training for cycling guides, as well as the cycling tour MEET HERZEGOVINA – “Franciskana”. These activities are organized within the project of cross-border cooperation “Cycling routes for the improvement of natural and cultural heritage of Herzegovina and Montenegro – Cycling Rural”, funded by the European Union.

The organization of education of cycling guides is carried out in order to expand the cycling tourism offer of ZZH, as well as the whole of Herzegovina, through the project “Cycling Rural”, and further on this project we will organize a bike ride of some of the most beautiful landscapes that Herzegovina offers. During the ride, participants will be able to visit: the Franciscan Monastery and Museum in Široki Brijeg, Medjugorje, Kravice, the Franciscan Monastery and Museum in Humac, Koćuš, Peć Mlini Adventure Park, Marića Gaj farm in Grude, as well as all local and rural landmarks on these sections, “Zoric said.

“Apart from expanding the cycling tourist offer, we are also making great efforts to work with the youngest groups and promote professional cycling in Herzegovina. For 6 years in a row we are the organizers of the National Mountain Biking Championship “Herzegovina Classic. We believe that this year, despite the problems with the pandemic and the difficult conditions in which we find ourselves, we will successfully present this project and justify the trust given to us for organizing this important event for cycling in BiH,” Zoric added.

The start and finish of the race will be in front of the Mepas Mall starting at 12:00, from where cyclists will ride a closed ride through the city, after which they will face a demanding climb towards Goranci and a fierce fight for the title of National Champion.

The race is organized with the help of the General Sponsor: Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports, Partners: Sports Federation of the City of Mostar, Ministry of Interior HNŽ / K, and sponsors Mepas Mall, LEDA water and restaurant Konoba Goranci.

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Association for the Promotion of Cycling “HerzegovinaBike” in cooperation with the Office of the Government of the West Herzegovina County for European Integration on Sunday; 10/11/2020 organizes a recreational ride called Franciskana, with the aim of promoting the cycling tourism offer of Herzegovina and its tourist facilities.

The cycling race is organized as part of the project “Cycling routes for the improvement of natural and cultural heritage of Herzegovina and Montenegro – CYCLING RURAL”, and all participants will have three trails of their choice, namely: Franciscan MTB 91km; Franciscan A road 138km and Franciscan B road 162km.

On this route we will really feel some of the most beautiful areas that Herzegovina has to offer, so participants will be able to visit: Franciscan Monastery and Museum in Široki Brijeg, Medjugorje, Kravice, Franciscan Monastery and Museum in Humac, Koćuš, Peć Mlini (optional), business household Marića Gaj in Grude, as well as all local and rural sights that we meet on these sections.

The Franciscan bicycle path is thematic and is designed as a path that connects Franciscan religious buildings and museums in Herzegovina. The longest section we drive on Sunday “Franciskana B” passes through the places: Široki Brijeg, Uzarići, Dobro selo, Žitomislići, Šurmanci, Međugorje, Kravice, Ljubuški, Grab, Veljaci, Koćuša, Tihaljina, Ružići, Grude, Posušje and back to the monastery in Široki Brijeg.

It is important to mention that lunch and socializing is planned for all three sections in the Marića Gaj restaurant in Grude, and all other accompanying activities will be published on social networks and official websites.

View of Franciscana Trail A

Promo video

The project “Bicycle routes for the improvement of the natural and cultural heritage of Herzegovina and Montenegro” is implemented within the Cross-border Cooperation Program Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro, funded by the European Union.

The project officially started on October 1, 2019, and implementation will last 18 months. The total value of the project is 495,000.00 euros, of which the European Union finances 400,000.00 euros.

The project partners are the Office of the Government of the West Herzegovina County for European Integration as the project holder, the City of Široki Brijeg, the City of Ljubuški, the Municipality of Posušje, the Municipality of Grude and the Tourist Organization of Herceg Novi.

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Organized by the Cycling Club Ljubuški and the Cycling Club Metković, on Saturday, March 14, 2020, on the playground of the Elementary School Ivana Brlić Mažuranić Ljubuški — Gračine, Kids Race 2020 will be held starting at 12 o’clock.

The trail is without a climb, adapted to the age of the children.

Detailed children’s race program:

11:00 – collection of applications
12:00 – children’s program
13:30 – start of the first race
14:00 – barbecue
15:30 – raffle and medal distribution

The organizers note that helmets are mandatory, as well as registrations that can be made earlier on the club’s FB page, by e-mail biciklistickiklubljubuski@gmail.com and on Viber 063 810 165 with the name and age of the child, or on the day of the race until 12 o’clock.

Medals are provided for all participants.

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The presentation of the project “Cycling routes for the improvement of natural and cultural heritage of Herzegovina and Montenegro – CYCLING RURAL”, at which the project partners also signed a partnership agreement on the project, was held today at the Bigeste Hotel, Ljubuski.

The project “Bicycle routes for the improvement of the natural and cultural heritage of Herzegovina and Montenegro” is implemented within the Cross-border Cooperation Program Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro, funded by the European Union.

The project officially started on October 1, 2019, and implementation will last 18 months. The total value of the project is 495,000.00 euros, of which the European Union finances 400,000.00 euros.

The project partners are the Office of the Government of the West Herzegovina County for European Integration as the project holder, the City of Široki Brijeg, the City of Ljubuški, the Municipality of Posušje, the Municipality of Grude and the Tourist Organization of Herceg Novi.

The European Union is financing this project with the aim of strengthening and diversifying the quality of the tourist offer, as well as the development of cycling and outdoor tourist offer in rural areas of the cross-border regions of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The project will result in the creation of a new and attractive offer under the brand “Cycling Rrural” which will become part of the overall tourist offer of both countries, as well as the tourist offer of the Adriatic hinterland.

In Western Herzegovina, the goal is to connect all four municipalities through bicycle routes and thus integrate cultural and natural heritage into a recognized tourist product. Local roads, which will be networked into bike paths, will pass through less populated areas that are not recognized or visible. In Herceg Novi, the goal is to integrate attractive, but still unrecognized mountain bike trails in the hinterland, into one tourist product that will also contain rest areas and lookouts, and will be promoted through the “Cycling Rural”.

The project will also introduce the “Bike Friendly Concept” quality standard, thus adding value to the tourist offer in the entire region, which will directly lead to an increase in activities in the rural areas of Herceg Novi and the West Herzegovina County.

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