Hybrid carriages presented as part of cross-border project

Murska Sobota – A ride with an innovative horse-drawn electric carriage developed as part of a Slovenian-Austrian EU-sponsored project was demonstrated on Tuesday at the Rakičan Mansion near the city of Murska Sobota. The project aims at developing carriage routes in a bid to promote sustainable cross-border tourism.

The hybrid carriage is one of the three such carriages developed as part of the Interreg project. The project worth EUR 1.17 million, of which EUR 980,000 came from the EU, has brought together five partners and will end after just over three years at the end of November.

The hybrid carriages are powered by an electric motor with a battery. A console on the screen meanwhile enables the coachman to monitor the strain on the horses and adjust the power of the electric engine accordingly. Horses can thus pull the carriage uphill more easily, go longer distances and carry more passengers.

The three hybrid carriages differ from regular carriages in appearance and in the number of passengers they can carry. They are suited for all times of the year and various weather conditions.

The Rakičan carriage, pulled by Friesian horses, has already taken passengers around the city of Maribor, along the Slovenske Gorice hills and a wine route.

Several local and cross-border routes are being developed as part of the project to combine nature and cultural heritage, including local cuisine.

The partners in the project said horses, riding and carriage rides are part of Slovenia and Austria’s tradition, with carriage rides having been sidelined a bit in recent years in Slovenia. This is why they see horses and carriages as an important element of a comprehensive tourist product important for both regions.

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