Revitalization of former Narrow Gauge Railway lines through environmentally responsible tourism route
sille@gravitas.ee
The general aim of the Green Railway project was to create a new non-motorized tourism route "Green Railways" for locals, domestic and foreign visitors, using old narrow-gauge railway causeways in South-Estonia and North-Latvia. Altogether the route is ca 716 km long and during the project's lifetime 38 cultural heritage sites were improved and are part of the route. Besides ca 303km restored former railway causeways, the route includes 33km of original parts of narrow gauge railway lines, ca 122 km of re-routing parts, and segments of bicycle route “Tour de LatEst” of 258 km.
The tourism route is available for hiking and cycling either by foot, bike or by other means of light traffic. Also, on skis in the winter season. In South-Estonia, the route passes Ikla, Kilingi-Nõmme, Mõisaküla, Viljandi, Mõniste, Valga moves smoothly to North-Latvia passing Valka, Ape, Aluksne-Gulbene, Ranka, Melturi, Valmiera, Limbazi, Puikule, Ainazi, Aloja, Mazsalaca, and Rujiena. Moreover, in Latvia, the route is added to the existing and working narrow gauged railway between Aluksne and Gulbene.
Activities that helped to reach and promote the result:
- Restoring, cleaning, and marking more than 300 km of former railway causeways in Estonia and Latvia as Green Railway's cycling and walking paths with 47 information boards and 845 signs. Establishing 11 resting places by the trails.
- Creating attractions at former railway stations – draisine rides at Mõisaküla, rail-bikes at Valka, and Gulbene.
- Promotion events – 27 events at former railway stations and on Green Railways trails in Estonia and Latvia, including sports events (Nordic walking, cycling, hiking, orienteering, etc), draisine riding, and events for kids.
- Creation of maps of Green Railways and website www.greenrailways.eu
- Capacity building of local stakeholders: helping the municipalities and SMEs at workshops and local face-to-face meetings to recognize and develop Green Railways as an asset in the region’s promotion and the basis for activities.
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A cross-border network consisting of all the project partners, who are responsible for maintaining and promoting Green Railways, has been established in order to manage and promote the sites.
The project has been awarded the label of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 and the label is being used in events and communications throughout 2018.
The project got the 1st Prize for Excellence at the 9th European Greenways Award in 2019.
The project got the prize “Heritage Promoter” from the Estonian Heritage Board.
Developing of the Green Railways route will continue in both Estonia - works on restoring a bridge and creating a trail on the original railway track near Abja-Paluoja and Latvia - implementation and planning of several LEADER projects (e.g. in Kocēni), planning of works on Ape – Alūksne former narrow-gauge railway causeway, Lat-Rus project "Greenways Riga-Pskov" in Latvia and Russia on former railways. Also, cross-border cooperation in the further development of greenways using its own funding between Rūjiena and Mulgi Municipalities is under consideration.
One of the greenways knowledgeable partners in the project was the Latvian Greenways Association, which, following similar initiatives in many Western European countries, where thousands of kilometers of greenways have been developed, facilitates the development of greenways in Latvia and neighboring countries. What are the Greenways? - the definition can be read here.
Project materials
6 videos on Vimeo
"Green Railways" route map - ENG, EST, LV
Handbook on Greenways development
Feasibility study in Latvian
Baltic Outlook
Cover picture author: Nils Smelteris