greentourism.ro

Being involved in sustainable tourism development through the widespread use of the bicycle as a means of transportation and recreation (cyclotourism), we are interested about bike trails in other European countries, to see where we stand and what can we learn from  others experience.

When Tempo Club, a nonprofit organization with green views from Montana, focussed on hiking and biking activities, invited us to make a two days study trip in the north-west part of Bulgaria, we haven’t lost a minute to go.

Tempo Club was funded in 2004 to promote interest among people of all ages  in outdoor activities like hiking and biking, to promote physical, mental and emotional wellness through connection with nature. They are involved in improving hiking and biking trails for a better tourist experience and in organizing tours for people of all ages.

The regional and national biking routes proved to be more developed than in Romania from the signing and info point of view.

The president of the club, Volodia Asparuhov was a very good guide, showing us some of most beautiful  and not always well known and promoted places in the north-west part of Bulgaria.

Also, in the visited area the tourist road stops were in a very good shape, clean and very well equipped for all tourist (with 4 or 2 wheels) needs.

We were happy to find even “vallachian” sheperds in the region and later we found out there is also a valachian association in Bulgaria.

We appreciated the rural, less developed appearance of Northen Bulgaria that hides a big tourism potential.

We were glad to set the basis of the future collaboration, including the “Targoviste cultural route”, possibly on bike, as many of our members come from Targoviste, near Bucharest.

In case you didn’t know, in Romania there are two communities named Targoviste, in Bulgaria three and in Serbia one.