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Inspiration / January 1, 1970

New Founder's Tours promote sustainable travel

BikeTours.com president and founder Jim Johnson will be heading up a new Founder's Tour series, starting in 2016, to promote sustainable tourism, bicycle travel, and local economies. Read his recent letter to our travelers below. Interested in learning more? E-mail him directly at jim@blog.biketours.com.




jim founder photo

Join me in the Balkans


In the past two years I've fallen in love with the Balkans. It's Europe the way we imagine it once was: farmers tending fields by hand, horse carriages rolling across cobblestones in tiny villages, traditions that haven't changed in centuries.

In fact, on a tour of Macedonia last summer, it wasn't unusual to call out "Horse back!" or "Cart up!" At several points, we also faced what we started to call "Macedonian roadblocks"--hundreds of sheep filling the road with dogs herding them along.

I'll be returning to the Balkans twice in 2016 as part of our new Founder's Tourprogram, where I invite valued clients like you to join me as I check off some of the world's best cycle tours and destinations from my bucket list.

Here are the upcoming Founder's Tours in the Balkans:

Medieval Transylvania Heritage (Romania)



Medieval Transylvania Heritage tour

On May 13, I'll embark on the one-week Medieval Transylvania Heritage tour. On this tour in Transylvania - named a top region by Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016 - we'll visit remote Romanian villages that have much the same feel they've had since the Middle Ages.

Cycling is mostly along quiet country roads and with relatively short distances so that we have time to enjoy cultural and culinary experiences as well.

As we heard from a recent client, "The scenery is lovely, dotted with very interesting villages. Transylvania is beautiful, and the people are very open and happy to meet visitors and talk about their country. Truly, Transylvania is a well-kept secret from most Americans. Our guides had deep knowledge of the medieval sites and the history of the country and were able to communicate that to us throughout the tour."

Albania's UNESCO Sites



Albania UNESCO sites Founder's Tour

The second tour, Albania's UNESCO Sites, starts July 1 and includes a week of cycling followed by three days of kayaking along the "Adriatic Riviera."

Even more so than Romania, visiting Albania is like traveling back in time. Until 1991, when the People's Republic of Albania was dissolved, borders were closed to all foreigners.

Even 25 years later, people in many isolated areas welcome visitors with excitement and curiosity--and warm hospitality. Albania has remained undiscovered by mass tourism, but that will change.

We'll also spend a day in Macedonia’s crown jewel, the city of Ohrid (one of my favorite cities worldwide), and visit Sazan Island, where we’ll be among the first Americans to visit the remote island, a former Communist submarine base that was off-limits and a mystery to almost all Albanians, let alone foreigners. Today it's a nature reserve.







Supporting peace in the Balkans





Both tours are part of an ongoing USAID project I'm involved with. Our goal is to expand bicycle tourism in the Balkans as a means of supporting local economies and gaining acceptance across the many cultures of the region.

What's especially gratifying is that the project has brought together people from 11 countries and multiple ethnic and religious backgrounds. These are people whose homelands were torn by warfare and ethnic cleansing barely 15 years ago.

Today, bringing sustainable tourism to their region is a shared passion and common goal. 

If you're interested, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. And book early, as space is limited and I do expect both tours to sell out.

I look forward to hearing from you.








P.S. Stay tuned for future Founder's Tours in these areas in 2016-2017! 


Have questions? Send me an e-mail.

Tags from the story:

Balkans, Albania, Romania


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