EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK 2020 - CURRENT INFORMATION AND TIPS
The European Bike Week 2020 has been officially canceled for a few weeks now, but many bikers are still planning to ride to Carinthia in Austria. Some Harley bikers have already booked their rooms from last year, the annual vacation has been submitted and the accommodation for next year should not be booked.
What are the prospects for September 2020 at Lake Faak?
The COVID-19 situation in Austria
As of 01.08.2020: Austria has so far reported a total of 21130 confirmed corona cases, 459 of them in Carinthia. In comparison, NRW has confirmed 47740 cases, more than twice as many as in the whole of Austria. Just to give you a better idea of the situation, if you would like to travel to Carinthia, this information might put your mind at ease. You could say that the situation is only half as bad as in NRW with Laschet. Nevertheless, Corona is of course a danger for some people, which should be avoided as a risk patient. If everyone approaches the matter with a little caution and personal responsibility, you can probably tackle the visit to Carinthia.
The precautionary measures
However, according to the current situation, it must be assumed that, at least in Germany, a corona test must be carried out at the border when re-entering the country. The test is free of charge and is carried out in the form of a saliva sample, which is voluntary. So far, quarantine is not to be expected on return from Austria, unless you have tested positive, which would be bad.
THE SITUATION AT THE ARNEITZ SITE
There won't be a big party, neither at the usual place in the Harley Village, nor at the Arneitz, nor in Velden. At Arneitz, the campsite will be available for bikers as usual, there will be some music under the covered area and, if possible, even some live music. According to current information, the large area opposite will remain empty. The organizer would like to do something, but his hands are tied.
The shop-in-shop solution is available in Velden
In Velden, they are trying to organize something in and with the local stores, a few stores will Store in store Offer sales with traders who usually exhibit there during the usual event, as far as the premises allow.
An effort is being made to put something together, but no thought of a big party and lots of exhibitors. It will be a Velden light, a visit to the beautiful town will always be worthwhile and the cafés on the promenade will be open.
SKS-SPEDITION CONTINUES TO BRING HARLEYS TO FAAK
This is also a sign that, despite everything, some people are having their Harley brought to Lake Faak this year by articulated truck with SKS-Spedition. There has even been an increase in demand, which was not really expected. This is, of course, a simple solution: if you only have a certain time window, you can bring your Harley to the lake regardless of the weather. Harley-Davidson drop it off at the nearest authorized Harley-Davidson dealer, pick it up again later and ride a few nice tours in Austria.
Harley-Davidson MOTODROM provides entertainment!
Harley-Davidson MOTODROM and the CARINTHIA CHAPTER will provide some entertainment in Klagenfurt from September 5 to 12. There will be a daily music program, fashion shows and a few exhibitors, such as ROKKER ( motorcycle safety clothing) will present themselves on site.
FAAK 2020 - Mainly touring and exploring the area
The main focus in 2020 will be on Harley tours and experiencing the surroundings of Carinthia. You can either explore the area on your own or join the KÄRNTEN CHAPTER. The KÄRNTEN CHAPTER departs from the Harley-Davidson dealership in Klagenfurt on three days, each starting at 10:00 am, for guided tours in the surrounding area. The tours have been prepared by local tour guides, and it is certainly worth taking part.
The KÄRNTEN CHAPTER offers three guided tours, starting in Klagenfurt, line-up is possible from 8:30 am.
On Wednesday, 9.9.2020 the Pyramidenkogeltour starts at 10:00 am. Route length: approx. 180km, riding time approx. 3.5 hours, duration 4 hours.
On Thursday, 10.09.2020 the castle tour - start 10:00 a.m. - route length: approx. 145km, riding time approx. 2.75 hours, duration 4 hours.
On Friday, 11.09.2020 the Kärtner Seentour - Start 10:00 a.m. Route length: approx. 190km, riding time approx. 4 hours, duration 5.5 hours.
Further information about the tours, PDF, Rideplanner etc. directly on the chapter website.
MOTODROM BURGER RALLY
My next tip is to introduce you to the MOTODROM RALLY, which is all about finding some restaurants in the region. The campaign serves to support the restaurateurs. At least where there are no driving bans. A cool thing, you can download the PDF and fill in the empty fields with the inns you are looking for, take a selfie on site with the location in the background and post it with the hashtags #motordrom or #youneverridealone on your Instagram or Facebook account.
Whoever finds at least 5 of the 15 locations and has taken the matching photos will show the result at Motodrom in Klagenfurt and win a burger from the Rebel84 Burger. The first prize would be a ECO Service. However, I think that most of them will simply ride the tour with a few buddies, take photos and then go out for burgers. Never mind, it can be quite funny!
why no one can do anything big!
You can read comments all over the net that there will be something big in Faak, but you can safely forget that, there is a regulation in Austria that is a fact for everyone. This is one of the reasons why Harley-Davidson will not be celebrating at Faaker See. The risk to the health of visitors and employees is almost incalculable. Efforts are being made in Faak to keep Harley fans happy with a few ideas, but 2020 will have nothing to do with previous years. But that doesn't necessarily have to be a problem now.
The COVID-19 prevention concept
From September 1, a mandatory COVID-19 prevention concept will apply to events in Austria with more than 200 people
Extract from the COVID-19 prevention concept (01.08.2020)
Regulations for controlling the flow of visitors
- Specific hygiene requirements
- Recommendation on the management of a system for the voluntary recording of attendance
- Regulations on what to do in the event of a SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Regulations regarding the serving of food and beverages
- The COVID-19 prevention concept can also include a data protection-compliant contact tracing system, such as a system for recording attendance on a voluntary basis.
What distancing rules are there for visitors to events?
A distance of at least one meter must be maintained from other people who do not live in the same household or do not belong to the same group of visitors. If this is not possible, other protective measures must be taken, such as leaving out the side seats between visitors at events with fixed seating.
The distancing rule applies to all events, whether indoor or outdoor, with or without fixed seating, and must always be applied unless - you live in the same household - you are part of the same visitor group.
In addition to all this, a mandatory COVID-19 officer is also required. If everything gets out of hand, there will be negative press and a considerable economic loss.
In addition, the respective organizer must ensure compliance with the regulations, which means he must also pay attention to his exhibitors, if they or their customers violate the hygiene rules, the exhibitor pays first and in case of repetition even the organizer could be required to pay a fine, we are talking about several thousand euros.
And now? If you are fit, ride anyway, go on a few nice tours, behave as usual, just be a little more careful than usual, be considerate of your fellow citizens and go on a few nice Harley tours in Austria. There will be a lot of Harleys there, just not as many as usual, don't have too many expectations and just enjoy the time with friends. We all hope that 2021 will be better again and that we can enjoy the European Bike Week at Lake Faak.
Let's ride safely!
Copyright text & picture credits: Harleysite
