The Veloregio project: joint cycling offer with Austria

VELOREGIO, the result of the development of the Szombathely TDM Organisation between 2018 and 2020, offers cycling routes and related cycling-friendly services, cultural and natural attractions for cycling tourists visiting the Austrian-Hungarian border region.

The largest and most diverse cycling region in the Austrian-Hungarian border region, with Szombathely as its centre, it covers the Vas County, Burgenland, Lower Austria and the Vienna Alps. With its varied terrain and tours of varying difficulty, it is an excellent destination for touring cyclists, mountain bikers and road cyclists.

It is advisable to book accommodation in Szombathely or its surroundings, as the VELOREGIO project offers seven cycling routes starting from the county seat of Vas, and seven more Austrian hiking and mountain bike routes, which are not too far from the border town.

This is not the first joint Austrian-Hungarian cycling tourism tender, as the Oberwart Tourist Association, the municipality of Narda and the Savaria Tourism Nonprofit Ltd. have already successfully completed a cycling development project. The current project is a further development and extension of the programme launched at that time, both in terms of space and technical content.

The special feature of the new cooperation is the size of the area covered by the project, which required the cooperation of the partners, a regional approach of both the Hungarian and the Austrian implementers. Indeed, cross-border route offers, the introduction of a common and uniform quality assurance system and joint training courses for cycling tour guides have been implemented.

Cycling tourism is the fastest growing tourism sector, combining the need for sporting activities with the opportunity to discover the unique natural and cultural heritage of the region. The border region between Austria and Hungary, with its diversity of landscapes, mountains and plains, and its natural and cultural richness, is ideal for becoming a top European cycling region. The development of cycling tourism requires an increase in the intensity of cross-border cooperation and the professionalisation of all actors in the distribution chain. The VELOREGIO project provides the conditions for the region to do this.

The project VELOREGIO AT-HU 064 "Development and implementation of joint cross-border offers in the cycling regions of the Austrian-Hungarian border region" has been awarded a three-year grant under the INTERREG V-A Austria-Hungary Programme 2014- 2020. The total value of the improvements is € 1.185.840, of which € 851T+2T is financed by the European Union and € 10 1T+2T by the Hungarian state.

Three Austrian and three Hungarian organisations are involved in the implementation of the activities:

Lead partner:

Regional Development Eastern Styria (A)
Mag. Daniela Adler MBA Managing Director
Gleisdorf Road 43
8160 Weiz
Tel: +43 3172 30930-92
Web: www.oststeiermark.at
Mail: office@oststeiermark.at

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Other partners:
Tourism Association Oberwart Region (A)
Martin Ochsenhofer Managing Director

Tourist Office South Burgenland
Main square 7
A-7540 Güssing
Tel: +43 (0)57-610
E-mail: sued(a)burgenland.info

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Wiener Alpen in Niederösterreich Tourismus GmbH (A)
Mag. (FH) Mariella Klement-Kapeller Managing Director
Castle Road 1
2801 Katzelsdorf
+43 2622 78960
www.wieneralpen.at
info@wieneralpen.at

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Savaria Tourism Nonprofit Ltd. - Szombathely (H)
Stefania Grünwald Managing Director
9700 Szombathely, Király u. 1- 3.
+36-20/425 8015
+36-20/260 8400 (Tourinform Office)
szombathely@tourinform.hu
https://www.facebook.com/savariaturizmus

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Vas County Local Government Office (H)
Dr. Péter Balázsy Registrar
9700 Szombathely
Berzsenyi D. Square 1.
Tel: +36 94 515701
Mail: info@vasmegye.hu
www.vasmegye.hu/

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Kőszeg City Municipality (H)
Béla Básthy Mayor
9730 Kőszeg
Jurisics tér 8.
Tel: +36 94 562 511
Mail: koszeg@tourinform.hu
www.koszeg.hu

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Information about VELOREGIO:
More information about the project is available on request:
Savaria Tourism Nonprofit Ltd.
Stefania Grünwald Managing Director
Tel: 94 510- 160
E-mail: savariaturizmus@tdm.szombathely.hu

For detailed and tailor-made information about the VELOREGIO cycling tourism offer, cycling tourists can contact the Tourinform Office in Szombathely:
Tourinform Szombathely
9700 Szombathely, Király u. 1- 3.
szombathely@tourinform.hu
+36-94/317- 269


Information for cycling tourists about Kőszeg and its surroundings:
ÍROTTKŐ NATURE PARK TDM AND TOURINFORM KŐSZEG
9730 Kőszeg
Main Square 2.
Tel: +36 94 563 120
Mail: koszeg@tourinform.hu

The project is supported by the European Regional Development Fund!