PROJECT

Background

Association of cycling lovers Yugo Cycling Campaign from Belgrade and partners MTBA Mostar from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Nature Lovers / OKC from Nikšić and Herceg Novi in ​​Montenegro, realized in 2022 the project “Promoting the network of Western Balkans Greenways”, with the support of the Western Balkans Fund. As part of this, a series of activities were carried out, which included the definition and research of the network of abandoned railways and the creation of promotional posters, leaflets and a website. The crown of the project were three promotional bike-fests and three conferences, in Herceg Novi in ​​Montenegro, Mostar in BiH and Priboj in Serbia. One of the results of the project is the creation of a platform that offers the concept to local governments for further improvement and a proposal for the establishment of a new Euro-Velo route along the former narrow-gauge railway between Belgrade, Sarajevo, Mostar, Dubrovnik and Herceg Novi.

The concept of greenways in the Western Balkans countries already has a long history. The first notable program of converting abandoned railroad tracks into green pedestrian and bicycle paths in former Yugoslavia was realized at the Pet Danica Promenade in Herceg Novi, immediately after the railroad was dismantled. The concept of greenways appeared much later, at the turn of the millennium, and the Parenzana greenway in Istria and the greenway in Herzegovina between Mostar and Trebinje were built according to those standards, as part of the “Ćiro” project, which is rapidly expanding and developing. In Serbia, there are two active greenways, 9 kilometers between Užice and Stapar and 5.5 kilometers between Priboj and Uvac. In 2017, the section in Užice was awarded the European Greenways Award in the category of excellence, which positioned it in catalogs and maps of European greenways (https://www.aevv-egwa.org/event/the-8th-european-greenways-awards-have-been-given/) . In 2015 and 2016, the Yugo Cycling Campaign implemented two research and concept promotion projects in Serbia.

How can abandoned railway corridors be reactivated? Since today’s railway companies are not interested in running trains again on the old routes, a very suitable form of revitalization without large financial investments is to convert those corridors into greenways, adapted for non-motorized traffic: walking, cycling, rollerblading, horse riding, Nordic skiing in winter, etc. Parts under the tracks can be used for tourist tours with restored trains or for the use of quadricycles on the tracks, the so-called rail-bike. The renovation of the station buildings would be particularly significant, which would serve as catering, service and tourist points after the renovation. The revitalization of routes, using them for daily mobility on foot or by bicycle, bringing recreational citizens and active tourists, would be especially important for the economic development of rural areas in less accessible areas that died out due to the shutdown of the railway. The concept is currently developing the most in the European Mediterranean countries, Canada and Israel. Our Balkan countries are also slowly catching up, because in recent years we are increasingly present on the maps and in the agendas of active tourism.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the construction of railway corridors through Šargan Mountain, Ivan Mountain, Neretva canyon, Ovčar-Kablar gorge or through the Đetinja canyon in Užice was a major construction feat that required the construction of gentle curves and levels adapted to the movement of trains, i.e. the construction of tunnels, bridges, cuts and embankment. At that time, the entire former Yugoslavia area was networked with railways operated by trains, fondly and affectionately called Cira. Due to technological backwardness, the system was abolished in the 1960s, and the rails and sleepers were removed or replaced with normal gauge tracks. Our generation inherited the preserved routes of those railways and the buildings of the former railway stations, today mostly neglected and forgotten. Cycling in these protected natural areas is particularly comfortable, attractive and safe, easily accessible for all age groups. Greenways that pass through the city should have an asphalt or concrete base, while in more remote rural areas with a smaller number of users, they can have a macadam or well-trodden earth base. The tunnels would have to be illuminated, and the bridges and embankments secured.

Railway heritage in the Region is managed by technical museums in a few cities: the Railway Museum in Belgrade, the Department of Narrow Gauge Railways in Požega, the Museum of the Battle of the Neretva in Jablanica and several private initiatives. The “Šargan-Eight” museum-tourist railway is particularly interesting with its well-known ride along a unique 16-kilometer long track. A much greater challenge for protection and restoration lies in the neglect of the routes and especially in the physical decay of old station buildings without proper purpose. The paradox is greater because the first look at the architecture of the old station buildings in Uvac, Hum or Valjevo indicates that, apart from their utilitarian traffic purpose, they also served as artifacts of public prestige and that as a kind of castle or villa they contributed to a strong identification of the locals. There are also several bright examples of renovation and adequate use: the station in Herceg Novi was designed for the needs of a film school, but today it functions dominantly as a catering facility, and the renovation of the fairytale architecture Bistrik station in Sarajevo is nearing completion.

OSNOVNE INFORMACIJE

Udruženje ljubitelja biciklizma Jugo cikling kampanja iz Beograda i partneri MTBA Mostar iz Bosne i Hercegovine i Nature Lovers / OKC iz Nikšića i Herceg Novog u Crnoj Gori, realizovali su u 2022. godini projekat “Promovisanje mreže zelenih staza Zapadnog Balkana”, uz podršku Fonda za Zapadni Balkan. U tom sklopu urađen je niz aktivnosti koje su obuhvatile definisanje i istraživanje mreže napuštenih železničkih pruga i izradu promotivnih postera, brošura i web sajta. Kruna projekta bila su tri promotivna Bajk-festa i tri konferencije, u Herceg Novom u Crnog Gori, Mostaru u BiH i Priboju u Srbiji. Jedan od rezultata projekta su izrada platforme kojom se koncept nudi lokalnim samoupravama radi daljeg unapređivanja i predlog za uspostavljanje nove Euro-Velo rute trasom nekadašnje pruge uzanog koloseka između Beograda, Sarajeva, Mostara, Dubrovnika i Herceg Novog.

Koncept zelenih staza u državama Zapadnog Balkana ima već podužu istoriju. Prvi zapažen program pretvaranja napuštenih ćirinih pruga u zelene pešačke i biciklističke staze u južnoslovenskim zemljama ostvaren je na Šetalištu Pet Danica u Herceg Novom, odmah posle ukidanja pruge. Koncept greenways se pojavio mnogo kasnije, tek na prelomu milenijuma i po tim standardima napravljene su staza Parenzana u Istri i staza u Hercegovini između Mostara i Trebinja, u okviru projekta Ćiro, koja se brzo širi i razvija. U Srbiji postoje dve aktivirane i posećene zelene staze, 9 kilometara između Užica i Stapara i 5,5 kilometara između Priboja i Uvca. Deonica u Užicu je 2017. godine nagrađena Evropskom nagradom zelenih staza u kategoriji izvrsnosti, što je preporučilo da se nađe u katalozima i mapama zelenih staza (https://www.aevv-egwa.org/event/the-8th-european-greenways-awards-have-been-given/) . Jugo cikling kampanja je je tokom 2015. i 2016. godine realizovala dva projekta istraživanja i promocije koncepta u Srbiji.

Na koji se način mogu ponovo aktivirati napušteni železnički koridori? Pošto današnja železnička preduzeća nisu zainteresovana da na starim trasama ponovo jure vozovi, veoma pogodan vid oživljavanja bez velikih finansijskih ulaganja je pretvaranje tih koridora u zelene staze, ili greenways, prilagođene za nemotorizovani saobraćaj: pešačenje, biciklizam, rolere, jahanje konja, zimi za nordijsko skijanje, itd. Delovi pod šinama mogu poslužiti za turističke obilaske restaurisanim vozovima ili za korišćenje četvorocikla na šinama, tzv. šinocikli ili dresine. Posebno bi značajna bila obnova staničnih zgrada, koje bi nakon obnove poslužile kao ugostiteljski, servisni i turistički punktovi. Revitalizacija trasa, korišćenje za svakodnevnu mobilnost pešice ili biciklom, dovođenje građana rekreativaca i aktivnih turista, posebno bi bila značajna za ekonomski razvoj ruralnih područja u teže dostupnim predelima koja su gašenjem železnice zamrla. Koncept se trenutno najviše razvija u evropskim mediteranskim zemljama, Kanadi i Izraelu. Naše balkanske države polako hvataju korak jer smo poslednjih godina sve više na mapama i u agendama aktivnog turizma.

Probijanje železničkih koridora kroz Šargan, Ivan planinu i kanjon Neretve, Ovčarsko-kablarsku klisuru ili kroz kanjon Đetinje u Užicu bio je početkom 20. veka veliki građevinski podvig koji je zahtevao izvođenje blagih krivina i niveleta prilagođenih kretanju vozova, odnosno izgradnju tunela, mostova, useka i nasipa. Ceo južnoslovenski prostor tada je bio premrežen prugama kojima su operisali vozovi od naroda milo i blisko nazivani ćira. Usled tehnološke zaostalosti, sistem je šezdesetih godina ukinut, a šine i pragovi uklonjeni ili zamenjeni prugama normalnog koloseka. Naša generacija je u nasleđe dobila sačuvane trase tih pruga i zgrade nekadašnjih železničkih stanica, danas većim delom zapuštene i zaboravljene. Vožnja biciklom ovim danas zaštićenim prirodnim područjima posebno je komotna, atraktivna i bezbedna, lako dostupna za sve starosne grupe. Zelene staze koje prolaze kroz grad bi trebalo da imaju asflatnu ili betonsku osnovu, dok u udaljenijim ruralnim područjima sa manjim brojem korisnika mogu imati i makadamsku ili dobro utabanu zemljanu podlogu. Tuneli bi morali biti osvetljeni, a mostovi i nasipi obezbeđeni.

Železničkom baštinom u Regionu se bave tehnički muzeji u republičkim centrima, Železnički muzej u Beogradu, Odeljenje uzanih pruga u Požegi, Muzej bitke na Neretvi u Jablanici i nekoliko privatnih inicijativa. Posebno je zanimljiva Muzejsko-turistička železnica Šarganska osmica sa svojim poznatim programom vožnje jedinstvenom prugom dužine 16 kilometara. Mnogo veći izazov za zaštitu i obnovu leži u zapuštenosti trasa i posebno u fizičkom propadanju starih staničnih zgrada bez odgovarajuće namene. Paradoks je veći jer nam prvi pogled na arhitekturu starih staničnih zgrada u Valjevu, Višegradu, Uvcu, Humu ili u Trebinju ukazuje da su, osim za utilitarnu saobraćajnu svrhu, služili i kao artefakti javnog prestiža i da su kao svojevrsni dvorci doprinosili snažnoj identifikaciji meštana. Postoji i nekoliko svetlih primera obnove i adekvatnog korišćenja: stanica u Herceg Novom na Škveru uređena je za potrebe filmske škole, ali danas funkcioniše dominantno kao ugostiteljski objekat, a upravo se privodi kraju i obnova stanice bajkovite arhitekture Bistrik u Sarajevu.