Green Trails on Lošinj: 30 kilometers of trails are being developed in Nerezine, a project worth more than 1.57 million euros
The Lošinj segment of the new international Green Trails project brings concrete interventions to the area of Nerezine and the foothills of Osoršćica, where over the next 30 months the development of 20 kilometers of hiking trails and 10 kilometers of cycling trails is planned. This is a project with a total value of 1,574,628.34 euros, while Lošinj's share amounts to 428,359.50 euros. The project is being implemented within the Interreg Slovenia – Croatia 2021 – 2027 programme, with an emphasis on sustainable and regenerative tourism, better connectivity of local communities, and the creation of new experiences based on the natural and cultural heritage of the cross-border area.
The start of implementation is scheduled for 1 March 2026, and the project duration is set at 30 months. For Lošinj, this means that interventions will be carried out on existing routes in the vicinity of Nerezine with the aim of improving safety, passability, and the overall quality of outdoor stays, but without creating completely new routes that would unnecessarily burden the area. This approach is particularly important in a destination that has been strongly building the image of sustainable tourism in recent years, while simultaneously insisting on the protection of the landscape and local identity.
Works on existing routes below Osoršćica
The planned interventions cover the area at the foot of Osoršćica, in the area of the shepherds' dwellings Halmac and Tržić, that is, terrain that already now has strong natural and heritage value. According to the available information, this is an area where elements of traditional architecture, dry stone walls, ponds, caves, natural vegetation, and wild animal habitats have been preserved. Since the works are being carried out on existing routes, the project is aimed more at restoration and functional improvement than at aggressive repurposing of the area.
In practice, this includes clearing and widening corridors, removing stones and vegetation, repairing dry stone walls, and local landscaping and reinforcement of the surface. This should improve passability and safety for pedestrians and cyclists, but also better direct the movement of visitors through a sensitive area. Managing the movement of guests is precisely one of the key issues of sustainable tourism, especially on islands and in areas where natural heritage and recreation must be in balance.
It is particularly significant that the developed routes will be functionally connected with the Osoršćica mountain transversal and will further connect Nerezine and Osor. In this way, not only recreational infrastructure is being developed, but also a more comprehensive movement system through the northern part of the island of Lošinj. This gives the project broader value than the tourist offer alone: it can benefit the local population, hikers, recreational users, and all visitors who want to experience Lošinj beyond the narrow coastal strip. For those coming to explore this part of the island, the question of
accommodation in Nerezine naturally arises in the text, especially if they want to spread their trail visits over several days.
Info points, signage, and rest areas
In addition to construction and landscape interventions, the project also envisages the installation of equipment that should facilitate orientation and improve the experience of the area. Planned are one photo point, five info boards, a system of directional and safety signage, trail maps at entry points, and two rest areas with a total of four benches and two tables. At first glance, such equipment seems modest, but in projects like this, good interpretation of the area is often just as important as the construction intervention itself.
Quality signage reduces the possibility of getting lost, leaving marked routes, and unnecessarily entering sensitive zones. At the same time, it enables the visitor to better understand where they are, what heritage they are observing, and why that area is valuable. In the case of Nerezine and Osoršćica, this is especially important because it is not just about an attractive landscape, but about an area where mountaineering tradition, pastoral heritage, geological specificities, and island way of life intertwine.
Developed rest areas also have an important function. They do not serve only for rest, but also for directing stays at designated points, thereby reducing pressure on the rest of the area. In destinations developing active tourism, it is increasingly emphasized that infrastructure must be unobtrusive, but sufficiently well thought out to offer the user safety, basic comfort, and clear information. This is precisely what the concept of projects like this is based on, where the goal is to increase the quality of the experience without disturbing the character of the landscape.
Lošinj is expanding its outdoor offer to electric bicycles as well
Through the project, in addition to developing the trails, Lošinj will also procure five electric bicycles and two charging stations that will be installed along the developed routes. In this way, Green Trails does not stop only at terrain development, but also introduces an additional layer of sustainable mobility. Electric bicycles are increasingly a common tool in destinations that want to make active tourism accessible to a wider circle of visitors, including guests who are not ready for more demanding physical efforts, but want to experience the area outside standard tourist routes.
The routing of a road cycling route map from Trbovlje to Mali Lošinj and the preparation of a cycling route plan are also envisaged. This shows that the project also has a cross-border dimension that goes beyond local interventions on the island itself. Connecting different partners through a shared cycling logic can help create a more recognizable product for guests seeking an active holiday, but also for markets where cycling and hiking are among the main travel motives.
At the places where electric bicycles will be rented, the installation of a digital totem is planned, as well as the development of a multilingual digital platform that will connect the subpages of all partners. The aim of such a solution is to consolidate information about the cycling connection, new tourism products, and other offers. In practice, this means that the project does not end with physical works, but also attempts to create a digital framework that is now necessary for the visibility of outdoor content. A visitor planning a longer stay will thus, along with an overview of trails and routes, more easily search for
accommodation near the event location or starting points for tours.
Why Nerezine is an important starting point
Nerezine already occupies a special place in the outdoor identity of the Lošinj archipelago. It is located at the foot of Osoršćica, in an area that naturally connects the sea, island settlements, and mountainous relief, and Osoršćica itself is one of the most recognizable destinations for hikers and lovers of active stays in nature. The official tourist information of Lošinj has for years emphasized the network of hiking and cycling facilities on the island, while Osoršćica is highlighted as a strong landscape and recreational motif of the northern part of the island.
The Green Trails project therefore does not appear in an empty space, but builds on the already existing outdoor offer and tries to improve it at targeted points. This is also its importance for the local economy: developed and well interpreted trails can extend the season, relieve the most exposed coastal points, and attract guests seeking an experience of nature, heritage, and movement, and not only a classic summer holiday. In such a development model, Nerezine can be further strengthened as a starting point for exploring northern Lošinj, Osor, and the surrounding trails.
In addition, this type of investment can also have a broader social effect. The local population gets a better arranged space for recreation, and traditional landscape elements, such as dry stone walls and shepherds' dwellings, gain new visibility and function. In this way, heritage is not viewed as static décor, but as an active part of the area that still lives through contemporary, but controlled use. For guests coming for hiking, cycling, or getting to know island heritage, the issue of organizing their stay is also important, so many will also find information about
accommodation offers on Lošinj near the route useful.
The project as part of a broader sustainable tourism strategy
The goal of the project is not only to develop trails, but to encourage the transition towards sustainable and regenerative tourism, strengthen the resilience of destinations, and improve the management and protection of the natural environment. This is particularly important at a time when more and more tourist destinations are trying to answer the question of how to increase the value of the offer without placing an additional burden on the area. In that sense, Green Trails enters a broader European framework that does not view sustainability merely as an ecological label, but as an operational model of destination management.
The project envisages linking tourism with the cultural and creative sector and developing new experiences of active and experiential tourism based on local tradition and cultural heritage. The emphasis is also on involving the local community in the development of tourism products and on encouraging circular business models in tourism. This means that value should not be created only through the number of arrivals, but through better connection of local stakeholders, longer guest stays, and stronger integration of heritage, space, and services.
Such an approach also corresponds to the profile of Lošinj, which in recent years has stood out strongly in the segment of sustainable tourism. The Tourist Board of Mali Lošinj announced that Lošinj received the international recognition Green Destinations – Gold Award, thereby becoming the first island in the Mediterranean with that recognition. The certification itself is based on demanding sustainability criteria, and its importance is also given by the fact that it relies on international standards recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. In that context, Green Trails can be viewed as a concrete continuation of a policy that does not keep sustainability at the promotional level, but translates it into interventions on the ground.
Partners from Croatia and Slovenia and a shared brand
The project brings together partners from Croatia and Slovenia, including the Municipality of Trbovlje, the Public Institute for Tourism and Culture Kočevje, the Tourist Board of the Town of Labin, OTRA, and the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj. This cross-border structure is important because it enables the exchange of experiences, comparison of different management models, and the creation of a joint tourism product that does not remain confined within administrative borders.
Within the project, a comprehensive strategy of a shared marketing approach and advertising under the 5 Green Trails brand will be developed, with communication adapted to target groups of visitors. In tourism terms, this is an attempt to unite several locations and experiences under a recognizable identity, instead of each destination appearing individually with limited reach. Such brands can have an effect only if there is real content behind them, and not merely marketing packaging, so the success of Green Trails will depend precisely on the quality of implementation on the ground and the ability of the partners to jointly maintain standards.
Educational workshops and lectures are also planned for partners and representatives of the local community. The first such workshop has been announced in Mali Lošinj on 16 and 17 April, with examples of good practice from Croatia and Slovenia and an emphasis on sustainable tourism. In this way, the project shows that it wants to accompany infrastructure development with knowledge development as well, which is especially important in smaller communities where the quality of the tourism product often depends on how much local actors are involved, informed, and ready to cooperate.
A festival after the completion of the project and possible effects on the destination
After the completion of the project, the organization of a joint festival under the name 5 STAR OUTDOOR FESTIVAL is planned, through which the public would be presented with the new arrangement of outdoor areas and new tourism products. Such events generally have a dual role: they serve promotion and visibility creation, but at the same time test whether the new infrastructure can become part of the real tourism and social life of the destination.
If the project is implemented according to the announced guidelines, Nerezine and the wider foothill area of Osoršćica could gain a better arranged and more clearly interpreted network of trails that will benefit both visitors and the local community. The long-term effect will not be measured only by the kilometers of arranged routes, but also by whether the new contents will help more even movement of guests, the strengthening of the pre-season and post-season, greater visibility of heritage, and a more responsible attitude towards the area. In a destination that is already developing the image of a sustainable island, Green Trails is therefore not only an infrastructure project, but also a test of how possible it is to combine tourism, environmental protection, and the everyday life of the local community in the same area.
Sources:- EU Funds Croatia – news on the signing of 17 new projects within the Interreg Slovenia – Croatia 2021 – 2027 programme, with the signing date and programme objectives (link)- Interreg Slovenia – Croatia 2021 – 2027 – official description of the goals and orientations of the cross-border cooperation programme (link)- Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj – announcement about the Green Destinations Gold Award recognition and explanation of the meaning of sustainability certification (link)- Green Destinations – official description of the awards programme and standards for the certification of sustainable destinations (link)- Visit Lošinj – official information about the destination, outdoor offer, and current events on the island (link)- Novi list – overview of the existing network of hiking and cycling trails in the area of the Town of Mali Lošinj as context for the development of outdoor infrastructure (link)
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