With the application prepared by the Tourism Sector, the project was included among this year’s finalists of the ECTN Awards 2026, European awards in the field of cultural and sustainable tourism.
The achievement is all the more significant, since this year 72 projects from 23 countries, including 19 EU member states, applied for the call. Out of all the applications, the expert jury selected only 19 finalists. The Drava Bike project was selected with the application “Drava Bike: A Sustainable Cycling Journey Through the Cultural Heritage of the Drava River” in the category Active, Slow and Accessible Cultural Tourism.
The Drava Bike tourism product is managed by the RRA Podravje – Maribor in cooperation with local communities and Austrian and Croatian partners. Drava Bike is part of the international Drava Cycling Route, which connects Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. The Slovenian part of the route, which runs through Carinthia and Styria, allows visitors to actively explore the natural and cultural heritage, local stories, towns, castles, wine-growing areas and numerous experiences along the Drava River.
The Drava Cycling Route today connects 20 municipalities along the Drava River, includes a network of more than 60 tourist providers, 20 rest areas, more than 500 directional and information signs and 16 interpretation units. All this allows visitors to experience the rich heritage of the Drava River in a modern way. More than 25 million euros have been invested in the development of the corridor through 24 projects, and the route is used by approximately 90,000 cyclists annually.
