EuroVelo at the Heart of the III Polish-German Cycling Tourism Days 2026

The third edition of the Polish-German Cycling Tourism Days took place in West Pomerania on 17–18 February 2026, bringing together cycling tourism stakeholders from both sides of the border.
The two-day event featured workshops, expert presentations and networking sessions and further strengthened its role as a key cross-border cooperation platform for regions connected by long-distance routes such as the EuroVelo network.
Around 200 participants attended the professional conference on Friday, representing regional authorities, tourism organisations, cycling associations and infrastructure experts from Poland and Germany.

This year’s gathering attracted regional authorities, tourism organisations, EuroVelo route managers, cycling associations and infrastructure experts from Poland and Germany. The event also offered an opportunity to deepen cooperation with the National EuroVelo Coordination Centres (NECCs) in both countries, promoting greater alignment in standards, data collection and strategic planning for international cycling routes. 

Cross-border cooperation along EuroVelo routes

The 2026 programme placed strong emphasis on practical coordination challenges and the need for harmonised approaches to route management. Workshops and expert panels addressed differences in governance, long-distance route development, and joint promotion of cycling destinations.

Although not every session focused exclusively on EuroVelo, the topic surfaced repeatedly across almost all discussions, confirming its central role in both Polish and German cycling tourism strategies. Stakeholders underlined the importance of regular cross-border communication, particularly in connection with EuroVelo 10 and EuroVelo 13, and highlighted how NECCs can facilitate more coherent planning.

Presentation of EuroVelo 10 evaluation results

A notable highlight of the event was the presentation of findings from the comprehensive evaluation of EuroVelo 10 (the Baltic Sea Cycle Route), conducted using the EuroVelo Cycling Data Standard (ECS). More than 2,600 km of the route were surveyed in less than a year, offering valuable insights into route quality, infrastructure consistency, user experience, and areas needing improvement.

These results helped participants compare developments in different Baltic regions and reflected growing interest in data‑driven decision‑making for long-distance route management.

Agreement on unified data standards in Poland

Another important development was the announcement of a new cooperation agreement between the West Pomerania region and NECC Poland to test and implement a national standard for cycling route data collection and evaluation. This pilot initiative aims to harmonise methodologies across the country and eventually allow better integration of Polish datasets with European-wide systems, including those used for EuroVelo.

Stakeholders emphasised that unified data standards will not only support national policy-making, but also strengthen cross-border coordination with Germany, particularly for routes forming part of the EuroVelo network.

A programme focused on expertise, networking and strategic cooperation

The two-day conference included:

• expert presentations on long-distance and cross-border route coordination,
• workshops on tourism promotion and visitor services,
• discussions with NECC representatives from both countries,
• networking sessions aimed at strengthening partnerships.

Even when individual sessions did not explicitly centre on EuroVelo, the network was consistently referenced as the overarching framework connecting many regional initiatives.

Cyclists’ festival attracting thousands

The professional conference was accompanied by a large public cycling festival held on Saturday, which attracted several thousand visitors.

A model for cross-border cooperation in Europe

The 2026 Polish-German Cycling Tourism Days demonstrated the value of recurring, well-targeted networking initiatives in building a shared vision for long-distance cycling tourism. As EuroVelo routes cross multiple regions and administrative systems, such platforms help harmonise standards, share good practices and increase the international visibility of cycling destinations.

The experience from the Polish-German border region—supported by active involvement of NECCs and new data-driven initiatives—provides a strong, transferable model for other European border areas working on EuroVelo development.