Organised for the fifth time, this year’s Tour de Culture put together more than 700 cycling enthusiasts in the Eastern part of Kosovo. The tour started from Stublla e Epërme/Gornja Stubla an uphill picturesque village, with a special cultural and heritage value in Kosovo. It continued to Partesh/Partes to visit one of the village’s most interesting churches. The tour ended after 26 kilometers in the music school of Gjilan/Gnjilane. The most important contribution of this tour still remains on the establishment of the environmentally friendly modes of transport, with an emphasis on culture and heritage as an alternative way of its promotion.
The participants of the tour were gathered from 7 main municipalities of Kosovo, starting from Stublla, they were hosted by the deputy mayor of municipality of Viti/Vitina Mr. Abdyl Bajrami and the eparchy of Stublla. Participants of the tour had a chance to visit and know more about the first Albanian school in Kosovo, the church of St George (XVI –XIX centuries). Led and followed by the Kosovo police, ambulance and bike mechanics to respond to the participants needs, the bikers had the first stop for refreshments and food. The next stop was in the middle of the tour, approximately after 13 kilometres at the St.Parascheva church in Partesh/Partes, where they were hosted and greeted through a welcoming speech by the patriarchate and the deputy Mayor, Mr. Dejan Jocic. In his speech Mr. Jocic highlighted the importance of an active and participatory approach in planning and the promotion and protection of cultural heritage, such as the case of this day’s tour.
The conclusion of this tour took place at the city of Gjilan in the Mustafa Pasha’s Palace (XIX century) which nowadays is known as the school of music. The mayor of Gjilan, Mr. Qemajl Mustafa, hosted the cyclists and greeted them in his welcoming speech through emphasising the importance of such activities in Kosovo in regards to the protection of environment and cultural heritage. He also committed himself to the support similar activities in the future.
“Tour de Culture” was organised for the first time in 2008, with a small number of enthusiasts. Today this activity has become one of the traditional and most attractive recreational events in Kosovo, and its effect has started to be seen today in Kosovo’s streets where the number of cyclists is growing every day.
Tour de Culture was also registered as an event in the “I’m a city changer” worldwide campaign with the aim of sensitizing and creating awareness among citizens on urban issues to achieve better cities. It is also related to the World Habitat Day 2012, where Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme has organized a seminar in Prishtina under the theme “Changing Cities, Building Opportunities”.