The Alternative
The landscape of the Oder is very diverse and is one of the most fascinating regions in Central Europe. There are many treasures to be found along this great river that are an alternative to building an industrial waterway.
The transport of goods on the E30 waterway would be slower, more expensive, more polluting and less reliable than the electrified railroad. Therefore, the construction of the E30 waterway does not make sense. To cover commercial traffic, the governments of Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland should instead modernize border crossings, increase train capacities and speeds, and improve logistics infrastructure to handle cross-border trade. A railway network along the corridors of the Danube, Oder and Elbe already exists.
The near-natural and largely free-flowing Oder, the unique biodiversity and the rich cultural heritage offer enormous potential for near-natural tourism. There are already individual providers. It is important to network these and create further offers. You can build on what already exists, such as the long-distance cycle paths “Szlak Odry” and “Oder-Neisse cycle path”, bird watching and canoeing tourism. The cultural capital of Wrocław, located directly on the Oder, is an example of how cities are turning back to the river and its banks.
The challenge now is to create the necessary structures so that existing and future providers can develop and establish a common vision of sustainable tourism. For this, political framework conditions for planning security and start-up funding are urgently needed. The tourist development of the Loire Valley in France can provide inspiration for this.
