simonthread
Active Member
Hi everyone! When cycling different routes around Europe I often wonder what makes us, cycle tourists, want to visit a particular route. Sometimes it's nature, sometimes the views, perhaps the mountains, historic places or many other things. For me personally, the actual cycling infrastructure - ordinary asphalt cycle paths - is always a big part of it, because it makes a trip more comfortable, safer and more enjoyable.
But there are also other "things" that can be called cycling infrastructure. Sometimes it's an excellent cycle path following an old railway line - not for 5 km, but for 50. Sometimes it's a piece of former railway infrastructure: a bridge or a tunnel. Or an old railway station that has found a second life as a hotel, restaurant or other place to stop along the route.
And then there are places that didn't become cycling infrastructure in their "second life", but were designed for cyclists from the beginning. Flanders in Belgium - and Limburg in particular - is probably the best example I know. Along the Kempen Route alone there are four such attractions, including Cycling through Water, all built in recent years specifically to make cycling there a better experience.
Sometimes you don't even need to build anything. A few buckets of paint in different colours can be enough
And in Poland even one colour was enough to turn an ordinary cycle path into something special.
I collected most of the examples I could remember from our cycling trips in this article:
Infrastructure as an attraction - inspiring cycling landmarks (Cycling Thread)
Below I share about half of them - the ones that I think show the idea best. You'll find the rest in the article.
Any other places you'd add? And, of course, what about the UK?
Tremola in Switzerland:
Cycling through Water in Flanders:
Alpe-Adria Cycle Route in Italy:
Siekierki-Neurüdnitz European Bridge between Germany and Poland:
Station Chiusaforte in Italy:
Hessen Railway Cycle Route in Hesse:
Cycling between Terills in Flanders:
Rainbow Bike Path in Utrecht:
Vistula Blue Bike Path in Pomorskie:
S.
But there are also other "things" that can be called cycling infrastructure. Sometimes it's an excellent cycle path following an old railway line - not for 5 km, but for 50. Sometimes it's a piece of former railway infrastructure: a bridge or a tunnel. Or an old railway station that has found a second life as a hotel, restaurant or other place to stop along the route.
And then there are places that didn't become cycling infrastructure in their "second life", but were designed for cyclists from the beginning. Flanders in Belgium - and Limburg in particular - is probably the best example I know. Along the Kempen Route alone there are four such attractions, including Cycling through Water, all built in recent years specifically to make cycling there a better experience.
Sometimes you don't even need to build anything. A few buckets of paint in different colours can be enough
And in Poland even one colour was enough to turn an ordinary cycle path into something special.I collected most of the examples I could remember from our cycling trips in this article:
Infrastructure as an attraction - inspiring cycling landmarks (Cycling Thread)
Below I share about half of them - the ones that I think show the idea best. You'll find the rest in the article.
Any other places you'd add? And, of course, what about the UK?
Tremola in Switzerland:
Cycling through Water in Flanders:
Alpe-Adria Cycle Route in Italy:
Siekierki-Neurüdnitz European Bridge between Germany and Poland:
Station Chiusaforte in Italy:
Hessen Railway Cycle Route in Hesse:
Cycling between Terills in Flanders:
Rainbow Bike Path in Utrecht:
Vistula Blue Bike Path in Pomorskie:
S.
