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International Conference on Greenways as a Tool for Sustainable Industrial Tourism, 12th European Greenways Award Ceremony & Study Visit by Bike
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Date: Thursday 9th and Friday 10th October 2025,
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Venue: Abanto-Zierbena, near Bilbao (Spain) >> See the venue Ekoetxea of Abanto-Zierbena
The 12th edition of the European Greenways Award will take place on 9 October 2025 in Bizkaia (Basque Country, Spain)
The international conference will be held as part of the 12th European Greenways Awards 2025 events, this time with a special focus on greenways and cycle tourism, linked to heritage and industrial tourism, due to the special characteristics of this territory with an industrial mining past that has forged its history and its present day.
A bike tour is also planned the following day to discover this territory trough the fantastic Montes de Hierro / Iron Mountains greenway, sprinkled with mining and industrial remnants in its surroundings that make up a very unique landscape, and that is now connected by a bike lane with the city of Bilbao, thanks to the investment made by the Department of Tourism of the Basque Government, trought the Priority Action Zones Funds.
This will be a great opportunity to discover inspiring new greenways and to exchange knowledge and experiences with both experts and practitioners from across the continent.
International Conference on Greenways as a Tool for Sustainable Industrial Tourism
Conference Programme Preview.
9:00 Registration
9:30 Institutional Welcome.
10:00 Session 1 Greenways and industrial tourism: Strategies and European funding for their advancement
11:30 Coffee break
12:00. Session 2. Greenways and industrial and railway heritage for active tourism
13:00 Session 3. Strategy and Infrastructure Planning for Active Mobility and Tourism.
14:00 On egin! (Lunch break) & networking)
15:30 Session 4. Flash round table: Inspiring Good Practices from European Greenways
15 min short break – Transition
16:15-17:00 European Greenways Award Ceremony 
17:15: Short visit to the Basque Mining Museum
18:00 Transfer to: Portugalete (Hotel Puente Colgante – (Official Hotel booked) / Bilbao / Vitoria / San Sebastián
Study Visit Friday 10th October 2025
9:00 Visit to the Portugalete “Puente Colgante” (hanging bridge) (UNESCO). It is a spectacular iron structure that links the towns of Portugalete and Getxo.
9:30 – 13:30 Visit two sections of the Greenways Itsastur and Montes de Hierro on foot and by bike. Detailed program to follow.
>> More details will follow shortly. Please stay tuned!
Registration:
- Participation for the Conference and Award ceremony is free, but places are limited, prior registration required. Registration open until 25/September.
- Limited Places. Registration May Close Early. If you’re interested in attending; please register. promptly, as the registration may close earlier if the limit is reached.
- Participant registration for the Conference is already open >> here.
How to arrive?
- See here by public transport: https://tourism.euskadi.eus/getting-here-and-getting-around/
- Daily connections from Bilbao Airport (Loiu), to major European cities, accessible by road (N 633) or commuter train.
- Hotel Puente Colgante, easily accessible from Bilbao by metro, bus, train, and bike (is next to Portugalete “Puente Colgante” (hanging bridge) (UNESCO) see >> here.
- Special transport for Conference and Award Ceremony will be available, by Hotel Puente Colgante, Vitoria. Bilbao and San Sebastian.
- Transport for Study visit, will be available from Hotel Puente Colgante.
About Awards and organisers
The European Greenways Association has been organising the European Greenways Award (EGA) every two years since 2003 to highlight the best practices, initiatives and achievements in Europe in relation to Greenways. EGWA is delighted to celebrate these prestigious awards in Euskadi with such outstanding co-organisers, strongly committed to the development of greenways. Basquetour and FFE are represented on the EGWA direction committee, and the FFE also holds the General Secretary.
>> Basquetour is the Regional Tourism Agency of the Basque Contry. The recovery, boosting and promotion of greenways is key within the Basque Country’s Tourism Sustainability Strategy. For the enhancement of our heritage, greenways are an example of territorial cohesion, accessibility, non-motorised mobility and recovery of our industrial memory, as well as an opportunity to generate services and businesses around these routes. Regional Minister for Tourism, Javier Hurtado Dominguez.
>> Since 1993, the Spanish Railways Foundation has been promoting the conversion of disused railways into greenways. The Spanish Greenways Program is a national and international benchmark in the promotion of greenways.
