Ecotopia Biketour is a self-organized environmental and social activist bicycle tour that has been cycling through different parts of Europe each summer since 1990. On our way we visit social and environmental projects and groups, to learn about their struggles and visions, to exchange knowledge, to create connections and to support them by participating in actions or doing some physical work. Read more about what the Ecotopia Biketour is.

Ecotopia Biketour 2017 will go through Germany, France and may be to Switzerland and eastern Spain. A more specific route will be announced on the website as soon as it is decided. If you have some recommendations for projects, groups and events for us to visit on the way or would like to help preparing the tour, write to 2017@ecotopiabiketour.net. Read more about Ecotopia Biketour 2017.

Biketour concepts

Participation guidelines

Because we all have different visions of life and diverse personalities, Ecotopia Biketour has developed a set of basic values, which helps all of us to create similar expectations from this project.

Self-Organisation

As we oppose any leadership or hierachical structures, the Biketour is organised in an open way where everyone can be a part of.
>how it's prepared
>consensus
>circles

Online Tools

We try to use free and open-source software as much as possible in the preparation process. The same goes for sharing photos and videos in the group.

On the road

Everyone should be able to cycle with the Biketour. Therefore we keep distances low and have scouts going ahead who mark the route. Everyone can follow the signs on their own level of speed. Any tasks like scouting, cooking or pulling a trailer are shared.

=>tasks & rota

=>trailers

=>wildcamping

Food

All communal food on Biketour is vegan and cooked with wood on our mobile rocket stove. Whenever it's possible we go dumpster-diving and buy food from local farmers and small shops.
> veganism
> rocket stove
> dumpster-diving

Activities

We plan and make many activities on the tour: skill-sharing, helping at projects, joining actions and protests, bike-fixing and other events.
> skill-sharing

Latest blog posts

Austria < Slovenia Border Crossing...

kate August 14, 2013 August 26, 2013

…Oh how did that get there ?

Art Centre Slovenia…hey ho!

kate August 13, 2013 August 26, 2013

Art Centre Slovenia, a former Border Guard House, was another gem in our trip so far…nestled somewhere between the hills and fruit trees in a secluded part on the border of west Slovenia. We spent three glorious days here helping on the project, learning about the local struggle to keep the project from the eager grips of the municipalities, sampled the local produce from pumpkin seed oil to home grown vegetables from the centre and of course the local ale around the fire. We also had time for some of our own workshops: Most of the help needed was preparing…

Eslovenia!

kbra August 12, 2013 October 28, 2013

Across the borders, now we’re in Eslovenia! crossing yesterday a beautiful border, with a heart between the two countries (Austra and Slovenia) so close you can kiss across boarders! Nice arrival in the Art Center Slovenia, where today some people helped with a human chain carrying wood for the winter, and preparing the wood shed and straw house, with nice songs and original dancing! aiwo! aiwo!

Vorwahlgrenzen

grenzblog August 12, 2013 December 3, 2014

So wie auch schon beim Ueberqueren der deutsch-tschechischen und der tschechisch-oesterreichischen Grenze haben wir uns auch heute wieder eine neue SIM-Karte fuer unser Tour-Mobiltelefon gekauft. Denn leider gibt es ja noch keine globalen oder EUropaeischen Mobilfunknetzwerke, die nicht an Grenzen die Preise schlagartig erhoehen wuerden und fuer die es ueberall Auflade-Nachschub gaebe. So muessen wir eben neue Karten von Land zu Land kaufen, um unsere Gebuehren wenigstens fuer Inlandsgespraeche klein zu halten und um ueberhaupt an Auflade-Bons zu kommen. Soweit, so “normal”: Heutzutage haben Staaten/Laender/Nationen eben nicht mehr nur ihre Flaggen, Hymnen und andere abstrakte Symbole, um Identifikation mit ihnen…