The BAB project at Velo-city 2025 in Gdańsk – promotion, cooperation, and discussions about the future of bicycle tourism

June 2025 will go down in history as a special moment for cycling enthusiasts from around the world – it was then that Gdańsk hosted the largest international conference dedicated to cycling mobility – Velo-city 2025!

On June 10–13, under the slogan “Connecting through Cycling,” over 1,500 participants from around the world gathered at the European Solidarity Center to discuss the future of sustainable transport and exchange best practices in cycling policies, innovation, infrastructure, and tourism.

The event was attended by partners of the Bike Across the Baltic (BAB) project, who met in Gdańsk not only to summarize their joint work on the project, but also to actively participate in a broad international debate on mobility and cross-border cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.

The Pomorskie Tourist Board (PROT), a partner of the BAB project, was present at the conference with its own promotional stand. Over four days, we welcomed hundreds of visitors – representatives of local governments, European institutions, non-governmental organizations, the tourism and transport industries, as well as cycling enthusiasts from all over Europe and the world.
At the stand, we presented our activities in the field of cycling tourism development, including the results of the BAB project, materials promoting the EuroVelo 10 route in Poland, and regional initiatives in the area of sustainable mobility. The premiere of the final promotional film for the BAB project, which was shown on screen throughout the conference and was very well received, attracted particular interest.

The film can be viewed here:

PROT’s participation in Velo-city 2025 was also an opportunity for many direct discussions with experts, decision-makers, and partners from the Baltic Sea region. Together, we discussed the possibilities for further development of the EuroVelo network, infrastructure needs, user education, and the creation of attractive, safe, and accessible cycling routes in Northern Europe.

Discussion on challenges in EU projects – PROT on the Velo-city stage

A special moment for the Pomorskie Tourist Board was the participation of PROT representative Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło, Director of International Cooperation and Coordinator of the Tourism Thematic Area in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) – in a panel discussion entitled “Overcoming challenges in EU-funded projects”, which took place on June 12 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the Freewheel stage. The session aimed to discuss the challenges faced by beneficiaries and applicants of EU projects – both at the stage of preparing the application and implementing the projects. Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło, together with Hunter Reinhardt, a representative of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region program, presented specific experiences and challenges that arose in the BAB project. The importance of clear communication in international partnerships, adaptation to changing local contexts, and the need for a flexible approach to cross-border project management were emphasized.

Renowned experts also took part in the discussion:

• • Philip Amaral, Policy and Development Director at the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), session moderator

• • Bonnie Fenton, Senior Consultant at Rupprecht Consult (Germany)

• • Fariya Sharmeen, Associate Professor of Mobility and Urban Planning at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)

• • Goran Lepen – Project Director at ECF, associate partner of the BAB project.

The audience was able to not only hear specific examples, but also ask questions to the panelists and get practical advice on how to deal with difficulties in European projects.

Of particular importance to the BAB project partners was the plenary session entitled “Cycling for Joy and Health,” which took place on June 12 from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m. During the session, the importance of cycling and recreational tourism as a gateway to everyday cycling was discussed, especially in the context of Central and Eastern Europe. From the perspective of the BAB project, the participation of our Finnish partner, Henna Palosaari from The Finnish Center for Cycling Tourism – Bikeland, was extremely valuable. She shared her experiences related to the development of national coordination of cycling routes and the promotion of long-distance cycling tourism in Finland. Her presentation reinforced the message that cycling tourism can be not only a source of joy and health, but also an effective tool for changing mobility to a more sustainable one throughout the Baltic Sea region.

Velo-city is the world’s largest and most prestigious conference on cycling policy. The event is organized by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), and the host of the 2025 edition was Gdańsk – a city with a strong cycling identity, which has been consistently developing infrastructure for cyclists for years. The conference attracts urban planners, decision-makers, engineers, scientists, representatives of social organizations, and the private sector—all those involved in creating cyclist-friendly cities and regions.

Velo-city 2025 included over 60 thematic sessions, workshops, presentations of international projects, test rides, and accompanying events. The main topics included: spatial planning, public health, climate, digitization of mobility, and bicycle tourism—including the Bike Across the Baltic project. Participation in Velo-city 2025 showed that Bike Across the Baltic is not only an infrastructure project, but also a platform for cooperation, knowledge exchange, and the promotion of common values—sustainable mobility, cross-border cooperation, and the promotion of the Baltic Sea region as a unique cycling destination. We were proud to represent Pomorskie on the international stage, showing how effectively we combine regional strategy with practical actions for sustainable tourism.

Thank you to everyone who visited our stand and took part in the panels and discussions. See you on the EuroVelo 10 route – cycling around the Baltic Sea!