International Conference on Greenways at the 12th EGA 2025

International Conference on Greenways as a Tool for Sustainable Industrial Tourism, 12th European Greenways Award Ceremony & Study Visit by Bike
Date: Thursday 9^th and Friday 10^th October 2025,
Venue: Abanto-Zierbena, near Bilbao (Spain) >> See the venue Ekoetxea of Abanto-Zierbena – Gallarta

The 12th edition of the European Greenways Award will take place on 9 October 2025 in Bizkaia (Basque Country, Spain), organised by the the European Greenways Association, Basquetour, and the Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles, in cooperation with the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, and the local entities Enkartur and Enkarterrialde.

The international conference will be held as part of the 12^th 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

9:00 Guest and Press Registration

9:30 Institutional Welcome. Regional Minister for Tourism of Basque Country; Biscay Provincial Council; EGWA, Mayor of Abanto-Zierbena

10:00 -11:30

Session 1 Greenways and industrial tourism: Strategies and European funding for their advancement

Greenways in Europe, contribution to sustainable tourism. EGWA
Industrial Tourism (current situation in Europe, Spain and the Basque Country). Javier Puertas ERIH, European Route of Industrial Heritage / Basque Association of Industrial Heritage and Public Works.
Sustainable Tourism, European Agenda. Ramune Genzbigelyte-Venturi. European Commission. DG Mobility and Transport. MOVE.001-Tourism Team (On Line)
Sustainable Tourism, Funding Regional initiatives. Action of the Committee of the Regions. Dorota Tomalak. Deputy Head of Unit. Secretariat of the Commission for Natural Resources. European Committee of the Regions (Belgium)
Greenways Program and the “Experimenta Vías Verdes” project, Next Generation funded. Arantxa Hernández Colorado. Greenways Manager. Spanish Railway Fundation. (Spain)
Greenways and industrial tourism in the Basque Country. Daniel Solana, Director of Basquetour, Regional Tourism Agency of the Basque Country.
Just transition funds for greenways, and showcase of a greenway integrating sustainability in a holistic way. Michael Fitzsimons, Manager Product Development – Activities. Fáilte Ireland, and David O’ Malley, Senior Executive Engineer. Tourism, Recreation & Amenity, Mayo County Council. (Ireland).

11:30-12:00 Coffee break

12:00 – 13:00

Session 2. Greenways and industrial and railway heritage for active tourism

Italy / RFI. Ilaria Maggiorotti Head, Asset Management. Rete Ferroviaria Italiana RFI SpA (Italy)
Institutional collaboration in Portugal: infrastructure and tourism promotion. Paulo Rodrigues, Manager of greenways and Historical and Cultural Heritage Unit, IP Patrimonio and João Portugal. Turismo de Portugal, Product Manager (Portugal)
Making off: Berlin Industrial Heritage Bike Routes. Antje Boshold. Project Coordinator. Berlin Centre for Industrial Heritage and member of ERIH (European Route of Industrial Heritage). (Germany)

13:00 – 14:00

Session 3. Strategy and Infrastructure Planning for Active Mobility and Tourism

Round table: cycling infrastructure and greenways plans in: Bizkaia, Alava and Gipuzkoa, the tree territories of Basque Country. Representatives of the three territories.
State Bicycle Strategy. Rodrigo Pérez, Representative of the National Coordination of the Cycling Office – Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. (Spain).
Enhancement of railway infrastructure for active mobility in the city of Rome. Eugenio Patanè, Deputy Mayor for Mobility of the City of Rome (Italy).
Overview of Poland, and showcase of a leading example. Piotr Kalisz. Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Infrastructure for the Bicycle Mobility. (Poland). Representative of the Marshal’s Office of the Małopolska Region (TBC)

14:00 15:30 On egin! (Lunch break & Networking)

15:30 – 16:00 PM

Session 4. Flash round table: Inspiring Good Practices from European Greenways

France: greenways surfacing, challenge preconceived notions for an eco-friendly choice. Philippe Marchina. Treasurer AF3V (French Association for the Development of Greenways).
Girona: Impact studies and creation of transport services for cyclists. Àngel Planas.Manager, Girona Greenways Consortium. (Spain)
UK: construction of small length of greenways, by local initiative through work camps. John Grimshaw. Greenways and Cycleroutes Ltd (UK)
(…)

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)

>> Simultaneous translation: English/Spanish

>> Live streaming; link will be posted here

Study Visit Friday 10th October 2025 – NEW! The study tour is full; there are no places left!

8:30 Visit to the Portugalete “Puente Colgante” (hanging bridge) (UNESCO). It is a spectacular iron structure that links the towns of Portugalete and Getxo.

9:00 – 13:30 Visit two sections of the Greenways Itsaslur and Montes de Hierro on foot and by bike. Detailed program to follow.

>> Please stay tuned for updates!

Registration:

Participant registration for the Conference and Award Ceremony is open >> here.
Participation for the Conference and Award ceremony is free, but places are limited, prior registration required.
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.

Venue:

Ekoetxea Meatzaldea (sede Gallarta): Bº Campo Diego, s/n. Abanto y Ciérvana-Abanto Zierbena

Web: ekoetxea.eus/es/meatzaldea

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
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.