On Monday, September 15, 2025, the Lesvos Cycling Club organized the workshop titled “Bicycle Tourism and Mountain Biking: The Case of Mytilene Municipality and Lesvos”, as part of the European Mobility Week. The event aimed to promote the island as a premier cycling destination.
Lesvos Cycling Club Workshop: Bicycle Tourism and Mountain Biking in Lesvos
On Monday, September 15, 2025, the Lesvos Cycling Club organized the workshop titled “Bicycle Tourism and Mountain Biking: The Case of Mytilene Municipality and Lesvos”, as part of the European Mobility Week. The event aimed to promote the island as a premier cycling destination.
During the workshop, proposals for pilot cycling routes and a potential cycling park were presented. Participants were informed about infrastructure projects, development strategies, and best practices in mountain biking.
The workshop took place in the state-of-the-art conference hall of the Saplitsa Warehouses, generously provided to the Club by the Lesvos Ephorate of Antiquities. Attendees included the Mayor of Mytilene, Mr. Christofas, the Deputy Mayor for Tourism and Entrepreneurship, Mr. Giannakas, the representative of the North Aegean Region and Head of the Tourism Department, Ms. Polytaki, the Head of the Managing Authority of the NSRF for the North Aegean, Mr. Plakotaris, the Head of the Lesvos Ephorate of Antiquities, Mr. Triantafyllidis, representatives from the University of the Aegean, Mr. Bakas and Mr. Matsoukas, as well as numerous cycling enthusiasts and local citizens.
The workshop was structured into two thematic sessions: the first focused on Bicycle Tourism, and the second on Mountain Biking.
The opening remarks were delivered by the Mayor, who highlighted ongoing studies and infrastructure projects related to cycling in the city, including the redevelopment of the coastal front from Pyrgos Giannelis to Varia incorporating a dedicated bike lane, the new study and re-tendering of the pier also including a bike lane, improvements to the riverside road along the Evergetoulas embankment with integrated bike lanes, and the project for the Agia Kyriaki Recreational Park, where a bump track—a specially designed cycling track with numerous berms and turns that allow cyclists to gain speed and improve technical skills—will be constructed.
Following the initial presentation by the Lesvos Cycling Club, Mr. Chatzellis from Lesvos Ride and Ms. Georgia-Aspasia Michalelli from Seafari Adventures shared their proposals and professional experiences.
Next, the Club presented a proposal for creating two pilot tourism-focused cycling routes within the administrative boundaries of Mytilene Municipality. These linear routes traverse main and secondary paved roads, dirt roads, and trails.
After a short break, the workshop continued with the Mountain Biking session, where Mr. Giannoulis from Ticket2Ride “Bicycles and Beyond” presented the history and development of mountain biking on the island from 1990 to today. This session was followed by a presentation from Mr. Nanos of Velosolutions, a company specialized in mountain biking infrastructure, who showcased a case study of a cycling park constructed in Norway, highlighting it as an exemplary model for developing a mountain biking park in Lesvos.
The final presentation by the Lesvos Cycling Club summarized the previous sessions and proposed the construction of a mountain biking park in a suitable area of Lesvos, noting the island’s advantage of having multiple locations appropriate for such a facility.
The workshop concluded with an open discussion in the conference hall and the building’s courtyard, complemented by a buffet and refreshments.
In the near future, the Lesvos Cycling Club will compile the workshop presentations and draft two technical proposals—one for each pilot cycling route and one for the mountain biking park—and submit them to the relevant authorities for evaluation. The proposals will also outline existing funding instruments that can be leveraged for the implementation of these projects.
