Velo-city 2025
Gdańsk
10-13 June 2025

Cycle with us

                 
   

How Gdansk, the 2025 Velo-city Host, energises solidarity through cycling

Gdansk lies at the heart of a metropolitan area with over 1.2 million residents, forming the Tricity with Sopot and Gdynia. Shaped by numerous historical events, from World War II to the Solidarity Movement, Gdansk is now thriving as the city of freedom and solidarity - and the bicycle is driving the city further on this journey. In recent years, Gdansk has made notable progress in cycling, becoming a prime example of a successful starter cycling city. Here is how the city earned its recognition as Poland's cycling capital.  

Gdansk’s cycling infrastructure  

Gdansk's commitment to sustainable mobility is evident in its extensive cycling infrastructure network. The city’s cycling network spans over 850 km of bike-friendly routes, including 155 km of cycling paths, 65 km of pedestrian-cycling paths and an additional 620 km of streets with a 30 km/h speed limit and 57 km of contraflow cycle lanes. This infrastructure development has contributed to a 10% annual increase in cycling traffic since 2022. 
 

By 2030, the city aims to increase the modal share of walking, cycling, and public transport from 59% to 65%. The city closely monitors cycling through 30 automatic bicycle counters and comprehensive traffic surveys once every 7 years, ensuring data-driven improvements to its cycling infrastructure.  

Safer streets  

Gdansk places a high priority on cyclists’ safety. At Velo-city 2009 Brussels, Gdansk along with 60 other cities, committed to setting clear, measurable targets for road safety. The key demand was a reduction of cyclists’ fatalities by 50%. Gdansk achieved this target due to the introduction of 30 km/h speed limits on nearly 70% of the city's streets. In addition, Gdansk has implemented specially designed traffic signs reminding drivers to maintain a minimum distance of 1m when overtaking cyclists, a practice that has been adopted by other local authorities in Poland as well.

Cycling May campaign 

Gdansk knows that soft measures and a bit of fun are just as important in encouraging people, especially pupils, to start cycling. Over 10 years ago, the city launched the Cycling May campaign, initially encouraging 1,200 pupils to bike to school. Since then, the initiative has grown into a nationwide campaign with participation from 250,000 pupils across 1284 schools and kindergartens. These children have made over 5.6 million cycling journeys to and from school in the last edition.  

Cycling May has become the largest initiative in Poland promoting healthy lifestyles and sustainable mobility among preschoolers, primary school students and teachers. Through fun activities combined with a competitive element, cycling is encouraged as a regular mode of transport to school, and this healthy habit often continues even after the campaign ends. 

Cycling May also improves the surroundings of schools and kindergartens by reducing traffic and motivating local governments to invest in safe cycling infrastructure. The campaign’s impact extends beyond the children, as their enthusiasm for cycling positively influences their parents, fostering cycling habits within families. Additionally, children learn to navigate traffic more independently. 

That is not the only initiative happening on school grounds. The city is also committed to improving safety around schools. A series of audits at 30 schools has led to recommendations for improved traffic management and investment changes that prioritise walking and cycling for school commutes. 

Boosting cold-weather commutes 

Gdansk also encourages adults to commute by bicycle. The campaign 'Kręć Kilometry dla Gdańska' ('Weave Your Kilometres for Gdansk') has inspired over 4,500 participants (from nearly 400 companies, 30 secondary schools and 9 academic institutions) to cycle to work in recent editions. Initially held in the spring, the campaign was moved to autumn after the city observed a tenfold drop in cycling activity during the winter. Since the change four years ago, cycling activity during autumn and winter has significantly increased, with an average annual growth of 47%. 

Bike-sharing scaled-up  

What is a cycling city without a bike-sharing system? In Gdansk, every sixth bicycle journey is made on a shared bicycle. The public bike-sharing scheme MEVO covers 16 municipalities within the Gdansk Gdynia Sopot Metropolitan Area, making it one of the largest bike-sharing systems in Europe. With 3,100 electric bikes, 1,000 non-electric bikes and 742 stations, the system connects its 370,000 users from the northernmost tip of Poland to the Vistula River and from the seaside to the Kashubian Landscape Park. Since MEVO’s launch, nearly 3 million journeys have been made, with an average trip distance of 3.6 km. 
 

A crossroad for cycling tourism 

Gdansk is a key junction for EuroVelo routes, making it an essential hub for international cycling adventures. The city intersects with three major EuroVelo routes: EV9 (the Baltic-Adriatic route), EV10 (the Baltic Sea Cycle Route), and EV13 (the Iron Curtain Trail). These routes offer diverse and enriching cycling experiences, connecting Gdansk with the heart of Europe and beyond. 

Energising Solidarity at Velo-city 2025 Gdansk 

The theme of Velo-city 2025 Gdansk 'Energizing Solidarity' reflects the legacy of the Solidarity Movement - a lasting aspiration to improve living conditions through unity and shared goals. It draws upon this spirit to address current mobility challenges, where the bicycle plays a crucial role as a sustainable, inclusive and accessible mode of transport. Velo-city 2025 Gdansk will allow Velo-citizens to explore Gdansk’s rich history and experience how cycling energises solidarity in the city.

Join us from 10-13 June 2025 in Gdansk. Super early bird tickets are available until 14 January.