Joachim Gauster, Lukas Hartwig, Paul Pfaffenbichler
Institute for Transport Studies, BOKU                                 Vienna, 28/10/2020

Introduction

On October 14, 2020, a team of five people from the EcoVeloTour partner BOKU-ITS and the Climate and Energy Model Region Schwarzatal demonstrated the practical applicability of the principles developed in EcoVeloTour. The format chosen was a one-day excursion. The destination of the day out was the National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel in northern Burgenland (Figure 1).

Source: http://www.nationalpark-neusiedlersee-seewinkel.at/eckdaten.html, Accessed: 28/10/2020

Figure 1: Extension of the National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel

Journey to Illmitz

In line with the EcoVeloTour concepts, the journey was made environmentally friendly and intermodal, by rail and bicycle (Figure 2). From the railway station Neusiedl am See the journey to Illmitz continued on the bicycle route Neusiedler See Radweg B10, which was rated by the Germans ADFC with five stars (Figure 3). First parts of the national park were crossed on this part of the journey [Detailed information about the route could be found here].

Figure 2: EcoVeloTour Transnational Event Nationalpark Neusiedler See - Seewinkel - Journey by train  

Figure 3: EcoVeloTour Transnational Event National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel - Neusiedler See cycle path

Workshop National Park information centre Illmitz

At the National Park information centre in Illmitz additional participants were connected to our workshop on cycling and ecotourism via video conference (Figure 4). Paul Pfaffenbichler from the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna started the workshop with a welcome address and a short general introduction to the EcoVeloTour project. Via video conference, Alice Wanner from the Institute of Landscape Development, Recreation and Conservation Planning at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna gave a short overview of the basics of the concepts ecotourism and payments for eco-system services (PES). Josef Harasser from the Centre for Market-Oriented Tourism Research at the University of Passau, also connected via video conference, reported on the results of the stakeholder analyses and market research carried out in the EcoVeloTour project. The event was concluded with a presentation by Lukas Hartwig from the Institute for Transport Studies on the pilot studies and results of the EcoVeloTour project. Between the presentations, the topics were intensively discussed with the physical and online participants.

Figure 4: EcoVeloTour Transnational Event National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel – Interactive workshop in the information centre

Guided tour through the National Park

Following the lecture part of the workshop, the physically present participants completed a guided bicycle tour through the southern part of the National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel. Starting from the information centre (Figure 5), the route first led through Illmitz to the cycle path “Lackenradweg” (Detailed information about the route could be found here). The first stop was at a place called “Sandeck”, where a herd of white donkey lives (Figure 6 and Figure 7). There, the National Park ranger explained the importance of the donkeys and water buffaloes in keeping the reed short and creating unique habitats. The white donkeys are a Hungarian domestic animal breed from the Baroque period, which was later forgotten for a long time. A breeding project serves to preserve their population and maintain the biotope quality in this section of the lake dam. The sand wasp Bembix rostrata, for example, needs the sandy areas created by the donkeys to dig its breeding burrows.

Towards the east, the mountain “Schneeberg”, already snow-covered due to the heavy rainfall of the last few days, could be seen (Figure 8). After this first stop, the tour continued towards north on the bicycle route “Lackenradweg” (Figure 9). A further stop was made at the saline lake “Illmitzer Zicklacke”. There is a viewing platform, which can also be used by wheelchairs, and a bicycle service station (Figure 10). Here the National Park ranger explained the unique fauna found at saline lakes. Unique plants (halophytes), which adapted to the salty conditions and whose closest relatives can be found on the sea coast, are growing here[2]. After this second stop, the path led back to the information centre.

Figure 6: EcoVeloTour Transnational Event National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel – “Sandeck” and the white donkeys

Figure 7: EcoVeloTour Transnational Event National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel – “Sandeck” and the white donkeys

Figure 8; EcoVeloTour Transnational Event National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel – View towards the mountain “Schneeberg”

Figure 9: EcoVeloTour Transnational Event National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel – On the bicycle route “Lackenradweg”

Figure 10: EcoVeloTour Transnational Event National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel – Stop at the saline lake “Illmitzer Zicklacke”

Return journey to Vienna

The return journey from the information centre in Illmitz was again made by bicycle via Apetlon to Pamhagen (Detailed information about the route could be found here) and from there by train back to Vienna. On the way to Apetlon the sun was visible for the first time that day (Figure 11).

Figure 11: EcoVeloTour Transnational Event National Park Neusiedler See - Seewinkel – On the way back to the railway station in Pamhagen

Conclusions

The term ecotourism can be defined by the three keywords "close to nature", "education" and "sustainability principles". In ecotourism, nature serves as a setting or a necessary element for tourist activities. In ecotourism, proximity always provides a link to the local level. Education is an integral part of ecotourism, either in its classical form (history, tradition, biodiversity), awareness-raising or as edutainment. The keyword sustainability principles includes the preservation and protection of natural areas, avoidance of negative impacts ("low impact"), respect for the local population, a community-based approach and support for the local economy. Or as Alice Wanner put it in her presentation: "Ecotourism uses nature, but also contributes to the preservation, protection, education and appreciation of the natural environment".

In the EcoVeloTour project, new sustainable tourism products for the Danube region are being developed from a combination of eco-tourism, environmentally friendly travel to and from the region by public transport and the use of bicycles during the stay. Handbooks for ecotourism and sustainable tourism mobility support these developments (Gauster et al. 2019; Hegedűs et al. 2019). In addition to classic cycle tours lasting several days with changing accommodation, the handbooks also deal with the topic of one-day cycle trips (Gauster et al. 2019, 13). Such a one-day cycle tour with a visit to a national park was selected to demonstrate the application of the EcoVeloTour principles in form of a practical example.

The journey to the national park was intermodal, using a combination of train and bicycle (Gauster et al. 2019, 61 ff). There are hourly direct connections from Vienna Central Station to Neusiedl am See. The journey time is 40 minutes. Bicycles can be can be transported on the train for a fee. During the summer season, there is also a bicycle rental service directly at the railway station Neusiedl am See. The Neusiedler See cycle path B10, awarded five stars by the ADFC, connects Neusiedl am See with Illmitz. The journey, which is roughly 30 kilometres long, is largely on bicycle only paths through the conservation zone of the Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park. Nature serves here as the setting for the tourist activity. The educational aspect of ecotourism was taken into account both in the workshop and in the guided bicycle tour. The guided tour covered the aspects of history, tradition, biodiversity, but also the preservation and protection of the natural environment and conflicts of interest between nature conservation and (agricultural) economy. The return journey was made again intermodally via the closest railway station in Pamhagen (approx. 12 kilometres). From here there are also direct hourly connections with a travel time of one hour and 23 minutes to the main railway station in Vienna.

Overall, the event more than lived up to the eco-tourism motto "Small group, big experiences".

Copyright

All photographs used in this document © Joachim Gauster

The translation from German was supported with the free version of www.DeepL.com/Translator

The EcoVeloTour project is co-financed by the European Union (ERDF, IPA).

References

Gauster, Joachim, Lukas Hartwig, Michael Meschik, and Paul Pfaffenbichler. 2019. “EcoVeloTour WP3 Ecotourism Planning - Guidelines for Sustainable Bicycle Tourism.” Vienna. http://dtp.interreg-danube.eu/uploads/media/approved_project_output/0001/36/cfb8514ba973699218d4caf1fb4ec0371766d5d9.pdf.

Hegedűs, Sára, Kata Kasza-Kelemen, Réka Ildikó Nagy, György Pataki, Ivett Pinke-Sziva, and Ákos Varga. 2019. “WP3 Ecotourism Planning - Guidelines for ESS-Based Ecotourism Strategy.” Budapest. http://dtp.interreg-danube.eu/uploads/media/approved_project_output/0001/36/a92d419c2ec3f67ce47bcc311774b703931c53ea.pdf.