Can the forgotten rail section Bjelovar-Garešnica, soon to mark 50 years of traffic cancellation, come back to life in the form of an attractive cycling route which could become part of international cycling routes? The answer lies in many Croatian institutions whose representatives usually don’t view optimistically projects they don’t have benefit from, but require their work. For example, the industrial railroad leading from the Bjelovar train station to the silos, although out of function for years, has no indication of being turned into an ideal city promenade, Bjelovarac.hr reported on October 29, 2016.
But, Bjelovar cyclists Hrvoje Supančić, Davor Malčić, Zoran Segin and Dražen Paripović, initiators of new life for the Bjelovar-Garešnica railroad, are not smitten by typical Croatian discouragement and lack of faith in any type of activity. They yield a line of convincing arguments with which they hope to break the routine of bureaucratic inertia.
“The idea is to combine sports spirit and tourism, which would make the Bjelovar-Bilogora County very quickly a top destination as cycling is today the widest sports-recreation field in the developed world, including family farms and in that sense the county economy,” said Hrvoje Supančić, main coordinator and lobbyist of the informal group of Bjelovar cycling enthusiasts.
“We traced the track, it is mostly passable and in certain section already converted to a dirt road. Old railroad bridges are especially attractive and can be used as cycling bridges, while certain old train station can be converted into rest stops,” considers Supančić. As examples of old railroad converted into cycling routes he mentions Jesenice (Slovenia) - Treviso (Italy), 88 kilometres long and almost completely paved with asphalt, built with EU funds. There is also the most used Istrian cycling route Parenzana, also built with European money on the track that used to connect Poreč with Trieste.
Besides wonderful scenery and unspoiled nature, the Bjelovar-Garešnica track is unique as travelling on it, famous Croatian children novelist Mato Lovrak was inspired to write his renowned work, Train in Snow.
The future cycling route may be interesting to Zagreb residents as well. There is an old railroad section connecting Garešnica with Banova Jaruga, so residents of the capital could take the train to Jaruga and then pedal to Bjelovar.
“The only guiding light is the legacy ofr our children and an attraction which only a few nations in this part of Europe have. We want to help officials and institutions through the idea, prepare the field which they must recognise and start the project through a development agency,” said Supančić. The connection with EU funds is seen in the connection to the Balaton-Lonjsko Polje route.
Although Bjelovar supporters of the railroad conversion have not established an association or any other formal association, they have done plenty in planning, even promoting the future cycling route. Recently they were joined on the route by a well-known bike-blogger in Croatia, Dražen Breitenfeld. His journey was published in the form of a reportage available on the website of Večernji List and judging by the text, the cyclist was very pleasantly suprised.
“I expected a lot of suprises along te route. Especially the scenery which is similar to Istria, amybe with lower hills that are easier to ride and enjoy. Countless roads, gravel and asphalt which are almost not used at all. Lovely climate and views that span from even smaller heights are good bait for cyclists. Lots of forests, small lakes, and streams. Over one of them is a railroad bridge that seems to defy everyone. While Davor and Hrvoje were bouncing on the broken bridge, we stopped to admire the water lilies. And they seemed to say like kids from “Train in Snow:” ‘What are looking at while we freeze here,’ in fear of falling of the bridge,” Breitenfeld wrote. The cyclists presented their idea to Bjelovar Mayor Antun Korušec who gave them support, while their next step is to meet with the county prefect and county development agency whose support is greatly needed.
