Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus are carrying out an EU financed cooperative project “Exciting bicycle network in Baltic lake district”.

The project involves developing 20km bicycle routes. The Belarusian one is almost ready. It will lie across the territory of Verkhnedvinsky district of Vitebsk region. Informatioal boards and places for rescreation have already been set up along the road.

The project’s plan involves organizing bicycle marathons on every participating country’s territory. Last year such races were conducted in Latvia and Belarus (Gluboksky rdistrict of Vitebsk region), and Lithuania hosted one this July. Belarus was represented by the participants from 5 western districts of Vitebsk region: Miorsky, Verhnedvinsky, Braslavsky, Postavsky and Gluboksky.

“It took us over three years to prepare the project, – Alexander Kolbasich, the head of Gluboksky district council stated in an interview to “People’s word” newspaper. – I hope it will aid the development of bicycle tourism and sport in our country. As a part of this project we’ve learned about the Netherlands’ experience in this sphere. In the Netherlands there are 12 million bicycles per 16 million people, even the prime-minister rides a bicycle to work. There are color-marked bicycle roads in every town and city and in between them, there are special traffic lights for bicyclists, parking spots for up to 5 thousand places. Experience worth taking as an example”.

Andrei Aleksandrov