For about two decades, World Wide Fund Austria is working for the protection of the Central Europe´s largest natural river system of the Mura, Drava and Danube, shared between Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia. More precisely, the world's first 5-Country Bioshpere Reserve is planned to be established, which includes 12 major protected areas such as Nature Parks, National Parks or Natura 2000 areas. Along the lower course of the rivers Mura and Drava, leading into the river Danube, a truly European treasure habiting rare species of animals and plants, could have been preserved. Due to the extraordinary species richness and beauty of this riverine ecosystem, WWF Austria invented the name »Amazon of Europe«.

Biosphere reserves are model regions where conservation goes hand in hand with sustainable regional development for the benefit of local people. Therefore, as an eco-tourism flagship project for the planned Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere reserve, WWF and EuroNatur, as two international nature conservation organisations, initiated the development of the Amazon of Europe Bike Trail. In a stakeholder process with more than 50 local partners across the five countries and together with international trail and tourism experts, an implementation concept has been developed in the years between 2015-16 (see link: http://www.amazon-of-europe.com/en/aoe-bike-trail/), which is now being implemented within this project.

WWF Austria as nature conservation organisation focuses within this project on the nature oriented implementation of the Amazon of Europe Bike Trail. WWF Austria takes care that nature is respected in all aspects of project implementation and Bike Trail planning.

Photo credits: © G. Šafarek