At the end of January 2025, the Inter Bike III partners met in Koper to review the work done and agree on future activities. The Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica and Torre Natisone GAL are in the final stages of defining the route of the FVG3 and D7, which will take cyclists from Friuli (Venzone) through Gorizia, the Karst and Brkini to Opatija in six stages of around 40 km. The route is connected in Venzone to the Alpe-Adria Salzburg-Grado cycling route. The new Alpine Mediterranean Cycling Route will be developed into a new tourism product. It will be uploaded to the www.bike-alpeadria.eu, which is being upgraded. The partners are also planning to organise training sessions for tourism operators along the route and have already started to improve the offer. Last year, the Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica bought 7 new bicycles for rent at the town's tourist information centre. Torre Natisone GAL will also purchase at least 10 equipped bicycles for its area in spring. Three more e-bike charging stations will be set up in the municipality of Ilirska Bistrica. The lead partner RRA ROD Ajdovščina will introduce a bus service for cyclists between Ajdovščina and Cividale del Friuli in the summer.
Vegal has already set up a bridge on the Lemene River in the municipality of Concordia Sagittaria, where a boat built within the project will dock. The Italian partner Caorle.IT is in charge for this activity. The catamaran will be able to carry up to 25 passengers and bicycles along the canals of the Caorle lagoon and the Lemene river. The boat service will start this summer. It will be the first vessel with solar panels and electric motors.
From this spring, cyclists will be therefore able to find information on new cycling links and new transport services between Friuli and the Adriatic Sea and in the Eastern Veneto.
The Obalno-Kraška region focuses on improvement of public passenger bus transport, which could be partly adapted for cyclists. To this end, a study is being prepared with a proposal to improve bus routes and provide the necessary financial resources.
