The European Greenways Association (EGWA) announces the call for candidacies for the 12th European Greenways Award (EGA) 2025

 

The objective is to promote examples of best practices and to support their replication on other greenways all over Europe. The European Greenways Award will only be granted to greenways under the Lille Declaration, as well as to initiatives already in existence.

This biennial award will recognise examples of greenways best practices in three categories:

A) Excellence awards

In this category the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes will be awarded to three exemplary greenways that show the best integration of the various characteristics which define greenways (Art. 1 of Regulations) and that also demonstrate specific strengths which, in the opinion of the jury, make them exemplary. (…)

B) Exemplary initiatives

 A 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize will be awarded to exemplary initiatives carried out in relation to greenways. This category is open to any activity related to greenways in its broadest sense: (…)

C) Special award, Green transition in greenways

A single award will be granted to reward actions that contribute to green transition in the greenways ecosystem, and contribute to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initiatives will be related to the greenway itself, or to greenway-based tourism services or products that integrate sustainability criteria, and aimed at either one or more of these trails.

The Special award will be addressed only to greenways using disused railways, as a special form of circular economy.

This special award is part of the activities promoted by EGWA in the co-implementation of the Transition Pathway for Tourism, to recognise initiatives addressing green transition challenges in the greenways ecosystem, and to showcase how the green transition happens on the ground.

 

  • Deadline for the submission of candidacies: Wednesday 21 May 2025 at the latest.
  • The awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 9st 2025 in Abanto -Zierbena, a small locality in Bizkaia province that lies in a unique natural setting, just 20 minutes from Bilbao. >> See the venue Ekoetxea of Abanto-Zierbena

Regulations

Application forms:

>>Excellence awards

>> Exemplary initiatives

>> Special award, Green transition in greenways

>> Updated info : www.europeangreenwaysaward.org

International Conference and visit by bike: a sustainable mode to recover and discover heritage and industrial tourism  

  • An international conference will be held as part of the awards 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..

To include in your agenda!

  • 9 October 2025 European Greenways Award Ceremony and International Conference
  • 10 October – Visit by bike, discovering the Montes de Hierro greenway
  • For EGWA members the General Assembly will be held previous day, in the afternoon.

>> More details will follow shortly. Please stay tuned

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.

See >> here the announcement made by Javier Hurtado Domínguez, Regional Minister for Tourism of the celebration of the prestigious European Greenway Awards in the Enkartaciones county, made from the Montes de Hierro greenway (Iron Mountains greenway) itself, accompanied by the Director of Tourism of the Bizkaia Provincial Council, Leire Sáez, the Mayor of Abanto-Zierbana, Iñaki Urrutia, and representatives of Enkartur.

 

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All activities undertaken by EGWA to promote greenways are only possible thanks to our members! Many thanks!

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Location: Abanto-Zierbena, Bizkaia - Basque Country, Spain