Cycling on the rise in Croatia

11/08/2006

As an ecologically friendly, inexpensive form of transportation, cycling is becoming an increasingly popular alternative. For tourists, it offers a way to see the country in all its natural beauty and splendor.

By Kristina Cuk for Southeast European Times in Zagreb -- 11/08/06

Bicycling has become popular with tourists in Croatia. [Getty Images]

Italy's Leonardo da Vinci drew the first sketch of a bicycle in the late 15th century. In 1817, Karl von Drais invented an apparatus called a draisienne, which quickly became the bicycle we know today.

The history of cycling in Croatia is a bit shorter. The first bicycles didn't find their way to Croatia until 1860, but by the end of the 19th century Croatia had its own cycling association. Today, Croatia has almost 60 bike clubs and the number of cyclists is rising steadily.

The bicycle is a practical and affordable method of travel since it does not require fuel. It is ecologically friendly and beneficial to one's health and fitness. Moreover, people of all ages can ride.

The bicycle is an ideal form of transportation for tourists who want to truly experience the country. Village roads, forest paths, fields and vineyards make it easy to travel to out of the way destinations. Warm interactions with local residents, picturesque ethnography, the natural taste of well water, old stone houses and romantic chapels are all spices that add to the unique flavour of cycle-tourism.

Biking is ideal for islands too. Ferries frequently shuttle bikers from one island to another and bike rental fees are minimal. The combination of a cruise and island bike tour is becoming more and more popular.

In the past decade, Croatia has lagged behind many of its neighbouring countries in the number and accessibility of bike paths. However, this is being addressed. Many of the national parks in Croatia have marked all their paths and provide maps. Plitvice Lake National Park has one of the most beautiful paths in Europe.

The rise in domestic cycling and membership in bike clubs means more support for efforts to improve cycling infrastructure in Croatia. In Zagreb, a systematic plan to get more cyclists on the streets and reinforce the growing infrastructure has been implemented.

Lately, Croatia has combined the two most ecologically friendly forms of transportation -- trains and bicycles -- to create a new way of touring the countryside. Bikers can buy a single, affordable daily ticket. The train takes them through part of the countryside as a preview and drops them off at any number of scenic bike trails.

In this way, Croatia is quickly catching up to its neighbours and now boasts many beautiful bike paths for tourists, whose numbers continue to grow.