The routes "less cycled" in Europe

[simonthread]

Hi there! I've put together our selection of "less cycled" signposted cycle routes in Europe - routes we've actually ridden during our cycling trips and that really impressed us, but which still sit a bit "off the radar". Maybe this could be useful when planning your own rides this year

"Less cycled" is, of course, a broad concept. Sometimes it means a route at the edge of the continent, like the Central Lapland Gravel Loop. Sometimes it's an excellent loop overshadowed by more popular routes in the same area and located on the margins of a region, such as the Oder-Spree-Tour. In other cases, it's a mountain range that loses out to the Alps in terms of attention, like the Jura Route. And sometimes it's simply a very good cycle route in Poland - a country that is still not widely associated with high-quality cycling infrastructure.

Somewhere in the text I write about them as "cycle routes in Europe you haven't ridden yet" - please don't take that personally I'm sure there are people here who have ridden one of them. Or maybe more than one

And just to be clear - this is not meant to sound like pure promotion of my website - that's why I'm listing the routes I write about here:

• Carinthian Lake Loop - Carinthia, Austria
• Altmühl Valley Cycle Route - Franconia, Germany
• Oder-Spree-Tour - Brandenburg, Germany
• Aare Cycle Route - Switzerland
• Velo Dunajec - Małopolska, Poland
• Waterline Route - the Netherlands
• Szczecin Lagoon Cycle Route - Poland, Germany
• Cycling Vorarlberg - Austria
• Lower Lusatia Mining Route - Brandenburg, Germany
• Jura Cycle Route - Switzerland
• Central Lapland Gravel Loop - Lapland, Finland

... although of course I'll be happy if you take a look at our website

The routes less cycled - 11 hidden cycling gems in Europe (Cycling Thread)

Btw, we're also planning our season, and I'd love to hear about a route you consider "less cycled" and worth riding this year. Any ideas?

Safe travels and great rides!

S.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

For me, Hercynian Europe is the continent's greatest touring secret. Phenomenal scenary, the real challenge of low-to-moderate mountains, buzzing with local colour and untouched charm, few tourists and great food. For example:
The Vosges
The Black Forest
The Ardennes
The Bohemian Massif
The Harz mountains
Buy a map, plot your path and enjoy.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The less cycled of course are ones you plan yourself, that are not signed.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Thanks for that @simonthread
I enjoy your work and hope one day to inspect it more closely.

 

[simonthread]

For me, Hercynian Europe is the continent's greatest touring secret. Phenomenal scenary, the real challenge of low-to-moderate mountains, buzzing with local colour and untouched charm, few tourists and great food.

Agreed. From our own trips in this kind of landscape I remember the Hessen Railway Cycle Route through the former volcanic Vogelsberg, as well as cycling across the Ore Mountains in Saxony. Vogelsberg (and the Rhön) felt wonderfully bike-friendly - one of the climbs on the former railway route went on gently for more than 40 kilometres. The Ore Mountains - on the other hand - were genuinely demanding.

But the landscapes? Pure gold

The less cycled of course are ones you plan yourself, that are not signed.

Agreed, again. But my cycling passion isn't only about my own rides - it is also about encouraging others to travel this way. And in that context, a ready-made, well-signposted cycle route is incredibly helpful and makes a real difference, as you know. That's where my approach comes from - following the little bike symbol on the signposts 🙂

S.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

My impression is not that many cycle the route despite it having loads of convenient aspects: LF Waterlinieroute (Dutch Waterline Route). It's a properly signed LF route.

In Netherlands and start and end not too far from Hoek ferry port (from Harwich). 250 miles of easy cycling (in NL so all pretty flat).

Actually follows a historically important "line" in the Netherlands, a defensive line to protect Holland from invaders. The idea was that should Holland be invaded, they could break a few dykes and dams and flood the "line" but only to a depth of a few feet (a few feet deep making it difficult for foot soldiers yet too shallow for boats. Add the now hidden ditches and rivers so foot troops wading through would suddenly disappear into deeper water. I spent some of my career living in NL and had never realised about the "line"

Through history many forts were built along the "line" some in ruin, some renovated as historical monuments, some converted for other purposes. I camp[ed and spent one night camping at one of the forts where you can camp in the compound inside the fort.

I cycled it mid summer and met only one other cyclist riding it and she was a Dutch cyclist riding only half as she'd dome the other half the previous year. Although I'm retired and thus am fortunate in noth aving time constraints many do, that sort of distance with conventient for ferry port I wonder why it isn't more popular (or maybe it is and I just haven't appreciated it).

 

[simonthread]

Yeees, absolutely - that's exactly the route I'm mentioning in my collection

I had exactly the same feeling - we didn't meet many tourists, even though it's such an interesting, comfortable and surprisingly varied route. In a few days - maybe a week or two - I'll have a long, detailed report from our ride on the website.

S.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Hercynian Europe

That's a new one on me. Every day a school day!

https://www.britannica.com/place/Europe/Hercynian-orogenic-belt

The areas in there I do know are indeed wonderful places to cycle, here with a little orogeny.

 

[simonthread]

That's a new one on me. Every day a school day!

For me too. I mean, I knew the term Hercynian orogeny, of course, but I don't think I'd ever heard of the expression "Hercynian Europe" before. Thanks

S.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I was even ignorant of both the "Europe" and "Orogeny"

Back on topic, a Slovakia has a lot of cycle routes. A couple of years ago we cycled most of the length of the Vah valley cycleway, which was not quite finished at the time.

Amazing investment in infrastructure, some really great bridges build specially for it, both very long spans at the bottom and also lots of very small (and steep!) covered small bridges at the top. I expect it's finished now.

https://trailimap.com/routes/vazska-cyklomagistrala

https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/0725-vah-cycle-bridge-1-jpg.781197/

https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/20240725_091918-jpg.781198/

https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/20240725_115132-jpg.781199/

 

[chriswoody]

I've ridden a lot of these areas but off-road on gravel and single track trails. I've also learnt through this thread, that my local area, the Harz mountains was once part of the ocean floor, so here's some photo's of my adventures in Hercynian Europe.

Harz Mountains:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/harz-mountains-autumn-overnighter.288416/

Swiss Jura

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/exploring-the-swiss-jura.287025/

Brandenburg

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/lost-in-brandenburg-five-days-around-the-märkisch-oderland.277551/

 

[blackrat]

".. defensive line to protect Holland from invaders."
Except from panzers and a king who has the courage to tell the invaders to sod off.

And now back to this excellent thread.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

".. defensive line to protect Holland from invaders."
Except from panzers and a king who has the courage to tell the invaders to sod off.

And now back to this excellent thread.

The history is interesting in that it very much pre-dates panzers, started in early 1600s. And parts were used and proved effective. In late 2600s it stopped of Louis XIV from conquering Holland.

In late 1700s it sort of failed when it froze over and revolutionary French armies got past.

So in early 1800s it was "redesigned" to be tje New Dutch Waterline.

Some amazing old forts along the route as well as more recent history fortifications.

etc,

 

[lazybloke]

Amazing pics in this thread. I'm inspired to follow the links and plan a trip.



Also...
@chriswoody - can you delete your 2nd photo from 19:48? You forgot to hide your wingardium leviosa from the muggles.

 

[simonthread]

Some amazing old forts along the route as well as more recent history fortifications.

You don’t need to tell me twice...

This is just a small sample - a few of the first ones I prepared for my article about the Waterline route. All of these forts are located directly on it. Many can be visited inside and most are at least accessible from the outside. One of them - the one in the photo - even has a working campsite.

S.