Krka Bike: 470 km of cycle routes through Croatia’s Krka National Park

Croatia’s Krka National Park covers an area of 109 km² of very attractive sections of the Krka River and the lower course of the Čikola River. The national park is a vast and primarily unaltered area of exceptional natural value, including one or more preserved or insignificantly altered ecosystems. The purpose of the park is primarily to serve science, culture, education and recreation, while tourism activities have also been introduced for visitors.
The Krka National Park has enormous potential as a recreational area. Cycling can bring more visitors to the park while being compatible with the resources that are managed there. The creation of 14 new circular cycle routes with a total length of 470 km included the development of risk studies and GPS tracks and the creation and installation of cyclo-touristic signaling. The analysis of the possible routes was performed through a method of placing the proposed routes on cartographic backgrounds coupled with field recording using satellite positioning devices. More than 300 signs were placed.
The cycle routes offer a completely different way to explore the park in areas that were previously difficult to access. The Krka Bike project extends the stays of visitors for a few days, which contributes to the sustainable development of the entire area. The main stakeholders are the managing authority, the Public Institution "National Park Krka", with local residents and (cycle) tourists/visitors benefiting primarily from it.