A number of project implementers, which were approved by the Ministry of the Environment as the implementer of part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic, met in the framework of a joint initiative to support development projects for the transformation of the Muránska Planina National Park region. The meeting, organised by the Administration of the Muránska Planina National Park, was aimed at presenting the current status of individual projects and coordinating future actions.
"We are making progress in every direction and we are very pleased about that," said Vladislava Kosova, coordinator of the development of natural tourism from the National Park Muránska planina. She stressed that the individual projects are being implemented according to the planned schedule and are bringing visible results in the field of sustainable tourism development. Out of a total of 15 approved projects, 12 are in the process of implementation, while 3 projects have been completed. In total, projects worth around EUR 8 million are being implemented in the territory of the Muránska Planina National Park under the component "Adaptation of regions to climate change with emphasis on water retention, nature conservation and biodiversity development".
The meeting provided a space for mutual exchange of experiences, review of priority activities and discussion on funding opportunities for further projects. The Muránska Planina NP administration continues to support cooperation between the various actors in order to create attractive and environmentally sustainable conditions for the development of tourism in the region.
One of the mentioned projects, which are being implemented, is also the project "Sustainable development of cycling tourism in NP Muránska planina", which is implemented by the Development Agency of the BBSK. Currently, extensive restoration and maintenance of cycling signs is underway in the entire territory of the national park, its protection zone and the immediate surroundings.
In total, around 400 km of cycling routes will be renewed, including the replacement of around 600 signposts and more than 120 signposts (the characteristic yellow posts with directional signs). The remaining signposts will be refurbished or left as they are, depending on their condition. The data on the signposts will be updated and unchecked through the application we use to digitally record cycling infrastructure.
The project also includes the marking of new cycling routes, which are currently in the process of being legalised. Once the administrative steps have been completed, these routes will be included in the marking. "We expect that approximately 50 km of new cycling routes will be created, which will help to direct the flow of cyclists out of the core of the national park and contribute to the development of tourism in the surrounding villages," evaluated Peter Krušinský, project coordinator.
Some of the cycling information elements are in a rather poor condition. Whether they are destroyed, broken, outdated or negatively affected by weather conditions. For painted signage, the rule of thumb is that it should be renewed every 3-5 years depending on the location and local weather conditions. A resurvey and inspection of the condition of the signage conducted in the fall of 2023 found that some routes had not been renewed for many more years than this recommendation and painted signage is nearly invisible.
Digital monitoring of sign renewal
"The whole process of restoring the markings is carried out through an application, through which we enter, monitor and track the progress of the work. Through the application we can also more easily analyze the altitudes, distances between individual signposts and its overall use is a huge benefit for the work of markers in the field, as well as administrative maintenance," explains Peter Švehla, GIS analyst.
"We have divided the process of sign renewal into four packages, which in the end will form the expected whole," said Peter Krušinský. "We are delighted that cycling in the national park is growing in popularity. As we have cyclist counters, we have the opportunity to compare and analyse the movement of cyclists in and around the National Park. We believe that quality signage will contribute to the development of cycling tourism and also to the overall tourism in the region," he added.
The maintenance and restoration of the cycling signage will run until 31 December 2025 and is funded by the Slovak Republic's Recovery and Resilience Plan.
