As part of its active work to protect and popularize the European Green Belt – the shared natural heritage along the former Iron Curtain, the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation is launching a new project. “BALKANIA ROUTE: Two steps towards the others” aims to connect existing green infrastructure along the Balkan part of the European Green Belt by creating a concept of long-distance hiking tourism, the environmental organization said on its website Internet.
The new tourist route will cover 3,500 km and pass through nine Balkan countries: Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. The aim is to popularize – and thus get people to protect – wild territories and valuable plant and animal species along the Balkan green belt.
As part of this project, the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation plans to work with partners from Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia and Turkey. The cross-border project won EUR 59,982.06 in funding under the 2nd BESTbelt call for project proposals. The project will continue until the end of 2024.
In an interview for bTV, Petar Vanev from the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation explained that the NGO would prepare GPS maps and information on water sources, accommodation facilities and border crossings along the route. In Bulgaria, the route will include the Western Balkan range, Belasitsa, Slavyanka, Rhodope, Sakar and Strandzha mountains.
/DS/