
WWF Austria – World Wide Fund for Nature Austria
The Amazon of Europe Bike Trail invites you on an unforgettable adventure along the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers. You can cycle more than 1,250 km through the world’s first 5-country UNESCO biosphere reserve where you can discover natural river landscapes of pristine beauty, floodplain forests and beautiful cultural landscapes and villages. There are 27 stages available offering unique sights, various activities and genuine hospitality which you will carry in your heart and memories forever. Book your next cycling adventure with us and also give something back to nature. We are proud to donate part of the booking proceeds to nature conservation programmes in the region.
Besides cycling, you can take part in:
For a comfortable cycling adventure, the Amazon of Europe Bike Trail has its own Service & Booking Centre where clients can book their full-package cycling holidays.
The packages include:
The official Amazon of Europe Bike Trail Booking Center is here to help you plan and realize your perfect cycling adventure. Deeply connected with the local destination organizations we are always best informed about what is happening in the Amazon of Europe destination. Our known and proven Kingfisher Service doesn’t leave any wishes left open.
The name “Amazon of Europe” describes the area of the three transboundary rivers Mura, Drava and Danube and was introduced by WWF in 2009 with the aim to strengthen the conservation of these uniquely preserved riverine landscapes. Though there is only one Amazon in the world, the Mura-Drava-Danube area is comparable with the Amazon. When experiencing the area from within and being present at the river you have a strong feeling of being in the real Amazon. The name also suggests these rivers and their floodplains’ significance as one of the most biodiverse areas in Europe. Meanwhile, the Amazon of Europe has become a widely known and used brand for the international Mura-Drava-Danube river landscape.
The Amazon of Europe Bike Trail was initiated in 2015 by WWF to link the conservation of the rivers with sustainable tourism that would bring economic benefits to local communities of the 5-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube. A network of more than 50 committed local and regional stakeholders across the five countries was formed and, in cooperation with EuroNatur and international trail and tourism experts from Revital and Trail Angels, the Bike Trail concept was developed. In 2018, the implementation of the Amazon of Europe Bike Trail project started under the leadership of Iskriva, Institute for Development of Local Potentials (Slovenia), funded by the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme.
Biosphere reserves are areas of biological significance for sustainable development, designated under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere programme. The goal of the biosphere reserves is to maintain ecosystems and encourage education, research and monitoring, while developing the region in a sustainable way that benefits people and nature.
UNESCO´s World Network of Biosphere Reserves currently counts 701 sites in 124 countries all over the world, including 21 transboundary sites. The 5-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube located in the larger area of the Amazon of Europe, is the world’s first biosphere reserve established across five countries. The establishment of this biosphere reserve aims to improve human livelihoods across the area and to enable an equitable sharing of benefits, while safeguarding the area’s natural and managed ecosystems. The Amazon of Europe Bike Trail is the first joint innovative approach to economic development on a five-country level, striving to be socially, environmentally and economically sustainable for this large area.
The Amazon of Europe Bike Trail Destination Management Organization (DMO) is a network of engaged organisations that have joined forces to ensure long-term functioning of the Amazon of Europe Bike Trail as an international tourism product. The main goal of the DMO is to create an economic and environmental framework for sustainable success of the AoE Bike Trail.
The responsibilities of the AoE BT DMO include:
Vision: The Amazon of Europe Bike Trail is the most well-known long-distance bookable cycle trail in Europe, offering responsible travel to discover unique river landscapes along the Mura, Drava and Danube.
Mission: Our mission, based on the unique 5-country UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube, is to open with the Amazon of Europe Bike Trail new perspectives for sustainable development in the river landscape of the area, by connecting responsible tourism with the preservation of nature:
Meet the members of the AoE Bike Trail DMO:
WWF Austria – World Wide Fund for Nature Austria
Balaton-felvidéki National Park Directorate
West Pannon Regional and Economic Development Public Non-profit Ltd.
Public Institution County Development Agency of Osijek-Baranja County
WWF Adria – Association for the Protection of Nature and Conservation of Biological Diversity
Tourism Board of Međimurje County
Entrepreneurs’ Centre of Somogy County Foundation
Municipality of Apatin
Municipality Velika Polana
Public institution for the management of protected parts of nature and ecological network of Virovitica-Podravina County
Koprivnica-Križevci County
Varaždin County
City of Sombor
Tourism Association Region Bad Radkersburg
Trail Angels GmbH
Iskriva, Institute for Development of Local Potentials