Velotour: four-day tour of Austrian and Hungarian cycling routes

In the first half of May, the Savaria Tourism Nonprofit Ltd. held the VeloTour project's final cycling tour in the framework of the Veloregio programme.During the four days, the participants gained insight into cross-border, Hungarian and Austrian cycling tourism developments. Travelogue by Tivadar Domaniczky.

The development of the Veloregio programme aims to bring the region of East Styria, the Vienna Alps, South Burgenland and Vas County, which has excellent potential, up to the level of Europe's premium cycling tourism areas. The four-day tour was attended by decision-makers, service providers and future users (such as tour operators). The planned route was very promising from the moment it was announced, and the atmosphere was good. The conclusion for cycling tourism in Hungary was simple but not surprising.

Through the Styrian mountains

On the eve of the tour, we met in the parking lot of Hotel Pelikan in Szombathely, which also served as the final stop of our trip. From here we took a minibus to the town of Anger in Eastern Styria, the starting point of the first leg of our tour. The next morning it was time to cycle. Some brought their own bikes, but most of the group took the opportunity to try out the GIANT trekking e-bikes offered by the organisers. With the help of our local Austrian tour guides, we explored the Feistritz river valley, the Feisritztal Radweg R8 cycle route. The trail leads through dense green forests and the Feistritz Gorge to the Herberstein Castle, and from there on to the ApfelLand and then to the thermal and volcanic region of Styria.

On the way, we could hear the Feisritz river rushing by, and fish were swimming in abundance thanks to the special fish ladder of the Stubenbergklamm hydroelectric power station. Right at this point, however, we were confronted with the future dangers of climate change, but also saw the opportunities that the changes bring. The winter tourist season in the Alps is also getting shorter due to the increasing lack of snow in the region, and the lack of snowfall is also reducing river flows. The Stubenbergklamm hydroelectric power station can now supply only 5% of the region's electricity needs and is uneconomic to maintain. The hydroelectric power station is thus being transformed into a museum of the industrial revolution and is giving way to active tourism based on fly-fishing along the river.

Reaching Herberstein, we enjoyed an almost romantic lunch courtesy of the Landgut Riegerbauer restaurant, where we were able to experience local cooperation in the form of food. Afterwards, we were able to learn more about the history of the region at the Schloss Herberstein castle exhibition. At the end of the first day, we reached Großsteinbach beach and took a bus to the town of Mönichkirchen, where we were hosted by Hotel Thier. Over dinner, we had a chat and reflected on the day's experiences: at that time, we could only guess that the need for adaptation dictated by climate change and the need for cooperation (or the blatant lack of it) to promote sustainability would be a recurring motif throughout our trip.

Cycling over 1000 metres

On the morning of the second day of our tour, two members of the Wiener Alpen tourist office joined us to guide us through the highest section of Eurovelo 9. The winding mountain paths at an altitude of 1,000 metres were originally built for local residents and farmers, but with the installation of appropriate signage they now also serve as excellent cycling routes. We rested for a longer descent at the Automobile Museum in Aspeng. Over lunch at the Krumbacher Hof guesthouse, our guides told us about twenty years of work in the area to link local farmers with restaurateurs, ensuring that local produce is served in as many restaurants as possible.

During his mountain bike tours, the owner of Kronbacher Hof, Andreas Ottner, also shows guests staying at his farm the local smallholdings, whose produce he uses to prepare the evening meal. Andreas Ottner's hard work and perseverance have earned him the Wiener Alpen Premium Cycling Inn and he has recently been able to join the Roadbike Holidays premium international cycling tourism network, which so far has only 40 Austrian inns able to join due to strict criteria.

Despite the successes of communities and individuals, the biggest challenge for tourism in the region is to increase the number of nights spent here. One element of this is the development of tourism based on the thermal springs of Bad Schönau. The municipality accommodates the same number of guest beds as there are residents, providing jobs and income sources, all while the town of Bad Schönau has not used fossil energy for 25 years. On the way to the transfer point in Kőszeg that evening, we discovered that even the Kőszeg hills are no match for the May showers. The sudden rain provided a good opportunity for the participants, who had previously received training as cycling tour guides under the project, to prove their skills. After our transfer in the evening, we spent the late-night dinner in a cellar-restaurant in Heiligenbrunn, Burgenland, where we heard more and more Hungarian words again. The characteristic feature of the skanzen-like Heiligenbrunn cellars is that the cellars are maintained on a market basis. Almost all of the houses and cellars are either wineries or, as a key house, catering establishments.

Cycling developments in Burgenland

From Heiligenbrunn we continued on the third morning of our tour. Our host, Helmut Krutzler, owner of the Hotel Krutzler, sent us off with friendly words and a local speciality, a glass of Uhudler wine. In addition to learning about viticulture and winemaking, we were also treated to a journey through time. As well as culinary delights based on local produce, historical monuments of the past and present are also part of the Paradiseroute and Eurovelo 13, the Iron Curtain cycling routes. In Burgenland, the development of cycling tourism is worth €20-30 million and is having quite tangible results. A measuring station at the intersection of several thematic cycle routes at Moschendorf counted 20 000 cyclists in the 4 months covering the main cycling season.

After climbing the Vas Hill we crossed into Hungary, and then made our way to Szombathely. More attention is needed to follow the cycle paths built in the urban environment. But Szombathely's cultural facilities are a great stopover, such as the Iseum Savariense, where you can learn about the city's Roman traditions, or the Water Tower, where you can learn about water and its importance through an interactive exhibition.

On the eastern side of the Kőszeg Hills

On the fourth day we set off from the parking lot of Hotel Pelikan to explore the area of Szombathely and Kőszeg. Saturday morning traffic allowed us to leave the town almost without a care, but we soon took to the back roads as we headed for Szentkút and from there to the viewpoint at Csömötei. We sought refuge from the May heat in the cool forests of the Írottkő Nature Park while exploring the beauty and tourist opportunities of Velem and Cák. Following the Írottkő Nature Park cycle path we reached Bozsok, where the enthusiastic and talkative owner of the Ivcsi Restaurant welcomed us for a hearty Hungarian lunch prepared from his own ingredients.

After lunch, we drove back to the Austrian side for a few kilometres to visit the lake baths and the forest and bird tower at Rohonc (Rechnitz). While we watched the recovering birds at canopy height in the bird tower and admired the work of the facility's staff, we could already see the first bikes of the newly opened Burgenland Trails on the hillside. On the way home, we passed through the village of Bucsu to reach Szombathely, to end our four-day tour in the parking lot of the Hotel Pelikan.

Conclusion

The cycling routes of East Styria, Wiener Alpen, Burgenland and Vas County, which make up the VeloTOUR Veloregion, could be considered as one network, but there are striking differences in infrastructure and services. The foundations on which cycling tourism development can be built are clearly different on the Austrian and Hungarian sides of the border, and are still strongly influenced by the different economic and cultural development paths of the past, created by the Iron Curtain. Although the existence of the Iron Curtain is more than thirty years in the past, it divided the region at a key developmental period. Unfortunately, its impact, and therefore the time needed for regeneration, can be measured not in years but in generations.

Yet, the Hungarian part of the Veloregio, with its organicity and cultural attractions, can be a constructive and even competitive partner for its Austrian partners. The most striking differences are perhaps in the pursuit of environmental and townscape harmony, sustainability and cooperation. These should all be an essential part of economic development based on active tourism.

Tivadar Domaniczky