In addition to projects to strengthen the judiciary or local administration, the improvement of the business climate in our country is also financed by means of European pre-accession funds. One of the projects that receives continuous support from the European Commission, specifically through EuForBiznis funds, is the revival of the tourist route that was once used by the narrow-gauge train Ćiro.
The BHT1 team traveled the path that our grandfathers and grandmothers used to walk, and today it attracts foreign guests.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a narrow-gauge railway connected Dubrovnik with Sarajevo and the rest of Europe, and due to unprofitability, it was discontinued at the end of the 70s of the last century. Today it is the beginning of a unique tourist experience.
“Just in the fifth month, we had a group of Belgians of the so-called third age, pensioners who came to cycle along the Ćiro railway and they return to the Ćiro railway every year because it is easy, beautiful to see and we visit a lot of destinations, starting from Stari Most , Blagaja, Žitomislići Monastery, Počitelja…”, said Toni Zorić from the “Herzegovina Bike” Association.
Most of these projects need financial help from donors to start, and the Ćiro bike trail proved to be a recognizable tourist brand before the European Commission, twice now.
“Sometimes you have open calls that support ecological projects, that support social projects, and sometimes we have projects that are purely related to supporting the economic sector, especially what is interesting for us, tourism, especially recently rural tourism, agro-tourism and agriculture,” explains Himzo Tule from REDAH Agency.
Interest in the Mostar-Dubrovnik cycle tour is growing. A new so-called transit destination has recently been Stolac, and Hutovo Blato is also applying for cross-border funds and is developing into a bike-friendly destination.
“First of all, we created a beautiful interpretation center here, then we arranged a dock on pontoons, we acquired boats with solar awnings and electric motors, we arranged a beautiful educational and recreational park, for all ages, from kindergarten to adults”, points out Nikola Zovko, representative of the Hutovo Blato Nature Park.
The Ćiro steam engine left an indelible mark on the development of Herzegovina.
“We are going through the most famous places. We went through Sarajevo, Mostar, we had rafting on the Neretva, we went to Livno and now we are going on a canoe-safari on Trebižat”, said one of the tourists.
“We are on the Ćiro trail itself, here we have today’s railway line and the one that used to pass by us, which was built for us by Austria-Hungary. We are today at the location that is the starting and ending point of our canoe-safari trip and today we are hosting a team from Poland, Przygody, who have been coming back for years,” tour guide Stanislava Borovac tells.
The European Commission appreciates our rich history because it teaches us tolerance and diversity, and it is up to us to offer ideas like the Ćiro bike trail and achieve financial impulses for the development of domestic society.
