Phase I

About the project

The project titled “Historical and cultural Route around the Tatras” assumes the realisation of the first part of the cycling route connecting Poland and Slovakia. Ultimately, the route will encircle the Tatras, starting in Nowy Targ, through the areas of the historical settlement development of Podhale, Orava, Liptov and Spiš, located on both sides of the Tatra mountains.

The realisation of the project serves as the local governments’ response to the lack of proper communication infrastructure, giving access to unique natural, scenic and historical qualities of the Polish-Slovakian borderland. Not exploiting the full touristic potential of the borderland by the inhabitants, tourists and investors, stems from the lack of paved and labelled paths. After the project, the partners will continue to cooperate when it comes to the preparation of further stages of this investment. What is more, the scope of the partnership will be constantly extending - including more and more places along the route.

As part of the project, until November 2015, we will create 93.12 km of asphalt or gravel cycling routes, running through the areas of high natural, cultural and historical values. The routes will include 35 km of an uninterrupted transborder section from Nowy Targ, created on the former railway line to the Slovakian border in Suchá Hora, and further to the town of Trstená, and sections in Spiš (Vrbov-Kežmarok-Huncovce) and Liptovský Mikuláš, which in winter can be used as the routes for cross-country skiers, including:

Czarny Dunajec Municipality – 46.51 km

Town of Nowy Targ – 12.75 km

Szaflary Municipality – 0.504 km

Nowy Targ Municipality - 4.21 km

Mesto Kežmarok –5.23 km

Obec Hladovka – 3.334 04 km

Obec Huncovce – 1 km (signage)

Obec Liesek – 5.702 56 km

Mesto Liptovský Mikuláš – 3.213 km

Obec Nižná – 0.825 km 

Obec Suchá Hora – 1.857 54 km

Mesto Trstená – 3.507 31 km

Obec Vrbov – 4.392 km

Along the route, you can find historic railway bridges, which will be renovated. It was also planned to create observation and rest spots, as well as a parking lot in Czarny Dunajec. The cycling paths, created as part of the investment, will serve as the routes for cross-country skiers during winter.

Project realised from February 2014 to November 2015.

Objectives of the project

The main objective of the project is to improve communication and transportation of the inhabitants of the Polish-Slovakian borderland, which will influence the touristic attractiveness of the region (development of tourism, leisure and sports facilities, etc.), as well as to provide the spatial coherence of the border areas while preserving its natural qualities.

Specific objectives of the project include:

the establishment of long-term cooperation of the Polish-Slovakian borderland municipalities when it comes to the creation of proper infrastructure, which improves the availability of the border areas for the inhabitants, tourists and investors;

the improvement of direct connections between the Polish and Slovakian border areas, as well as the increase of the availability of the unique natural, scenic and historical areas for the inhabitants, tourists and investors through the creation of 78.14 km of cycling routes (also used by cross-country skiers during winter and other hikers all year round);

the increase of the touristic and investment attractiveness of the municipalities through the improvement of communication infrastructure and promotional and informational campaigns (event summing up the realisation of the project, together with the presentation of the project’s partners and cycling competitions).

Target groups:

Project is aimed at the inhabitants, tourists, entrepreneurs and unemployed. The project will be beneficial for the local community, tourists and investors. 

Project’s budget:

Project’s total value: 6.765.996,45 EUR

Co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (85%): 5.751.096,98 EUR

Funding of the state budget for the Slovakian partners: 249.458,86 EUR

Own contribution: 765.440,61 EUR

Project’s partners

There are 13 partners involved in the realisation of the project - 4 from Poland and 9 from Slovakia.

Project’s realisation:

The realisation of the project titled “Historical and cultural Route around the Tatras” takes place in 5 phases. The cooperating partners engage in the realisation of the activities on both sides of the border, starting with the development of the project, up to its full realisation. 
Phase 1 - investment

This phase started in February 2014. As part of this phase, there were plans to build 42.962 km of cycling routes in the area of 12 municipalities of the Polish-Slovakian borderland, which includes:

- construction work connected directly to the creation of the historical, cultural and natural Route around the Tatras (41.137 km) on the area of Czarny Dunajec Municipality, City of Kežmarok, City of Nowy Targ, Obec Hladovka, Obec Liesek, City of Liptovský Mikuláš, Obec Sucha Horá, City of Trstená, Obec Vrbov;

- signage of the 1.825 km of the cycling route in Obec Huncovce and Obec Nižná.

Phase 2 - project’s promotion
The substantial undertakings of the projects are accompanied by the promotional activities, with the aim of spreading the knowledge about the Route and the project. Each part of the cycling route will be equipped with information and memorial boards, with a total number of 52 of them. Some of the boards will inform the users about the unique cultural and natural qualities of the Route. The webpage of the project will be created, together with media coverage in local newspapers and television. It is planned to publish promotional and informational materials also, such as leaflets, brochures or folders. As a finishing part of the project, on the Polish and Slovakian part of the border, 2 promotional events for the inhabitants and tourists will be organized and they will include the municipalities’ presentations and cycling competitions. 
Phase 3 - project’s management
This phase assumes the creation of coordination and management team and the organisation of the partners’ meeting in Czarny Dunajec Municipality at the beginning and at the end of the project’s realisation. 
Phase 4 - additional investment

The annex to the grant agreement, dated 30th December, 2014, broadened the scope of the project with the following undertakings:

- the construction work connected directly to the creation of the historical, cultural and natural Route around the Tatras (19.46 km) in the area of Czarny Dunajec Municipality, City of Kežmarok, City of Nowy Targ, Obec Nižná and the signage of the 11.8 km of cycling routes in Czarny Dunajec Municipality;

- the creation of 4 service facilities for the users of the Route around the Tatras, including 3 recreational rest stops: 2 in the area of Liptovský Mikuláš and 1 in Czarny Dunajec Municipality, as well as a free parking lot for the users of the Route in Czarny Dunajec;

- the production of promotional video, which will present over 70 km of the cycling routes and will be created in an innovative way (shots of the Route around the Tatras in summer and in winter will be made with the use of drone cameras).

Phase 5 - additional investment 2

The annex number 2 to the grant agreement, dated 29.09.2015, broadened the scope of the project with the following undertakings:

- the construction work connected directly to the creation of the historical, cultural and natural Route around the Tatras - 17.12 km (new routes - 4.09 km, the improvement of the availability of the existent gravel paths by creating the asphalt pavement - 13.03 km) - PW Czarny Dunajec Municipality and PP4 Nowy Targ Municipality;

- the implementation of protective barriers in the necessary places along the cycling route: PP5 Obec Hladovka, PP7 Obec Liesek, PP10 Obec Sucha Horá and PP11 City of Trstená;

- the placement of informational boards on 3 new cycling routes in Czarny Dunajec Municipality, proceedings of the coordination and management team.

Timeline

Timeline of the most crucial undertakings connected to the realisation of the historical, cultural and natural route around the Tatras

On 5th March, 2004, the Congress of the Euroregion “Tatry” adopted a resolution initiating the project of the historical, cultural and natural Route around the Tatras.

The Inter-Governmental Commission for Cross-border Cooperation, in their IX session in Cracow (1-2 July 2004), expressed agreement for the project.

In 2005, as part of the project co-financed from the Joint Small Project Fund of the Poland-Slovakia Cross-border Cooperation Project Phare, realised by the cooperation of Czarny Dunajec Municipality with the CIty of Nowy Targ and municipalities: Czorsztyn, Nowy Targ, Łapsze Niżne and Szaflary, historical, cultural, natural, scenic and urban planning case studies of the Polish part of the route were created.

The project was presented in the working group’s session for programming transborder cooperation Poland - Slovak Republic 2007-2013, which took place between 30th and 31st of July 2007 in Bratislava. This body gave a high rating to the concept of the aforementioned project and claimed it was strategic to realize it within the Operational Programme for Transborder Cooperation Poland - Slovak Republic 2007-2013.

The council of Euroregion “Tatry”’, in the sitting on 20th February 2007, recommended the Polish-Slovakian project titled “Historical, cultural and natural Route around the Tatras” (hiking, cycling, skiing, educational and horse-riding routes) for the Operational Programme for Transborder Cooperation Poland - Slovak Republic 2007-2013.

On 22nd February 2007, Euroregion “Tatry” reported the project of the Route around the Tatras as strategic to the Ministry of Regional Development.

XII Euroregion “Tatry” Congress, on 28th February 2007, recommended the project “Historical, cultural and natural Route around the Tatras (hiking, cycling, skiing, educational and horse-riding routes) as strategic for the co-funding within the Priority 1 of the Transborder Cooperation Programme PL-SK 2007-2013 and imposed the obligation on the council, in cooperation with interested municipalities, to oversee the development and submission of the project “Historical, cultural and natural Route around the Tatras” (hiking, cycling, skiing, educational and horse-riding routes) within that programme. The same resolution was adopted by the XIII Euroregion “Tatry” Congress on 16th March 2007.

In 2008, the druženie Region „Tatry” in Kežmarok created the case studies: Route around the Tatras - cultural, historical and touristic report - Spiš within the microproject co-financed by the ITERREG IIIA Poland-Slovak Republic 2004-2006 Programme, as well as Route around the Tatras - cultural, historical, touristic and communication report - Liptov and Orava, realised within the SPERA Programme.

The project was recommended as strategic in the Common Polish-Slovakian Development Strategy of the Euroregion “Tatry” for 2008-2015 and  approved by the XIV Transborder Euroregion “Tatry” Congress on 28th March 2008 in Spišská Nová Ves.

In the years 2007-2008, the development of common infrastructural projects took place, which included the construction of cycling routes together with accompanying infrastructure on the first part of the route. The construction work included local municipalities, through areas of which the first part of the route would run. The project, being in the conceptual stage without the developed and approved technical documentation, received a low rating in the C category and was not recommended for realisation. In 2009, the partners completed the documentation. Most of them received the building permit, environmental impact analyses and prepared the economical and financial analyses. Project was resubmitted in the second call of the Transborder Cooperation Programme PL-SK 2007-2013.

During the XIV sitting between 13th and 14th of November, 2008 in Bešeňová, the Polish-Slovakian Intergovernmental Commission for the Transborder Cooperation approved the endeavours of the Euroregion “Tatry” regarding the realisation of the common  Polish-Slovakian project “Historical, cultural and natural Route around the Tatras”, aimed at constructing the cycling route and promoting the touristic and cultural values of Podhale, Orava, Liptov and Spiš. The Commission asked the Žilinský samosprávny kraj and the Lesser Poland Voivodeship to speed up the process of approval for the changes in the area development plan for the benefit of this project. 

In March 2010, Czarny Dunajec Municipality together with 12 partners from Poland and Slovakia, submitted the application for funding of the first realisation phase of the Route around the Tatras within the Transborder Cooperation Programme PL-SK 2007-2013 Priority 1. Development of transborder infrastructure. Theme 1. Communicational and transportation infrastructure, intervention category 24 cycling routes. The project was granted the recommendation, however, was placed on the standby list. Not until December 2013, were the partners informed that the savings of the Transborder Cooperation Programme PL-SK 2007-2013 allow for the realisation of the project. It was updated by the Polish and Slovakian partners and the realisation of this great project has started.