Amazon of Europe: Earth’s First 5-Nation UNESCO Biosphere Reserve:

Protecting and celebrating Europe’s most pristine waterways

A new long-distance cycling route has opened in the hinterlands connecting Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia. The route follows one of Europe’s most vibrant yet undeveloped river systems: following the Mura, Drava, and Danube rivers.

Conscientious travelers now have the opportunity to be among the first to traverse these twin trails through wine regions and nature preserves, scenic villages and Baroque castles, organic farms and fragrant floodplains.

Activities abound for travelers to immerse themselves in the local culture: They can try their hands at handicrafts and ceramics production, truffle hunting and gold-panning, museum and winery tours, birdwatching and river rafting expeditions, all along a scenic, and leisurely cycling path, with luggage transfer service available.

The region includes 27 stages split into two trails for a combined total of 1250km of cycling: one north of the rivers, and one on the southern bank. Mureck, Austria is the starting point, and Mohacs, Hungary is the ending point.

A significant benefit of a journey on the Amazon of Europe, is that travelers are helping to support and sustain the environments they are visiting: part of the contribution from one’s cycling holiday is used for financing nature conservation projects in the region.