REFER created a National Greenway Plan in 2001, with a view to redeveloping and reusing the railway lines and corridors that were not in use in some parts of Northern and Central Portugal and in the Alentejo region.
The plan was implemented on the basis of contractual agreements with the municipalities through which these deactivated lines and tracks pass. REFER conducted preliminary studies for landscaping projects, which subsequently served as the basis for the projects that developed each of the greenways.
This entire experiment included the creation and registration of a National and European Brand (ECOPISTAS). Moreover, REFER also became a member of the European Greenways Association.
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