Varaždin joins the Cities and Regions for Cyclists network

It is the first Croatian municipality to become a member

Last week, Varaždin became the first Croatian city to join the Cities & Regions for Cyclists (CRC) network of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF). The CRC is a network uniting local and regional administrations with the aim of promoting cycling and exchanging knowledge, solutions, and strategies. 

Creating a greener city and new opportunities

Varaždin’s decision to join the CRC network exhibits its acknowledgement of how bicycles can improve life in the city. In addition to improving public health by promoting movement, cycling contributes to the reduction of air pollution and creates new tourism opportunities.  

According to the ECF, the location and traffic connections of the Croatian city makes it an ideal place for developing cycling tourism. More specifically, Varaždin is located on the European Drava – Mura Cycling Route, which reportedly connects the 9,950-kilometre-long EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain and various cycling trails along Croatia and Slovenia’s river valleys. 

Varaždin lacks the necessary infrastructure

It is important to note that most households in the city already own and use bicycles. Taking this further, cycling is a convenient and widely accepted means of transport, allowing people to reach any part of the city within 15 minutes. Despite this, the city’s cycling infrastructure is in poor condition. Commenting on this, Mayor of Varaždin Neven Bosilj shared:

“Varaždin is a traditional cycling city, but the existing infrastructure is not satisfactory. We still have a lot of work and challenges ahead of us to improve cycling conditions. We will cooperate with clubs and associations of citizens engaged in environmental protection that have already begun to implement certain projects. I am sure that as members of this network we will have the opportunity to gain new knowledge and solutions to significantly improve cycling conditions in Varaždin.”

By becoming a member of the CRC network, Varaždin joins European cities such as Copenhagen, Ljubljana, and Vienna, among others. In doing so, it can now begin to learn from the knowledge and experience of other cities to find ways of promoting political initiatives that support cycling.