Lake Thun, Swiss Aare Route Bicycle Vacations Europe
When you think of bicycle vacations Europe, cycling across Switzerland usually does not come to mind.
Imagine however a destination with mountains, chocolate, great bike paths, historic castles and more. While there are great mountains, there are valleys paved with a system of bicycle paths.
In fact Switzerland has nine national cycling routes reaching right across the country that can be handled by the average cyclist who is bicycle touring. There are also numerous regional and local routes busy with plenty of local cyclists.
We used a combination of routes to see the country. Starting in Interlaken we cycled along the Aare National route to the capital city of Berne. The route was a combination of paved bikeways, rail trail and forest trails. As can be expected from the Swiss the great signage made it easy to follow.
After Berne we continued to the lakeside town of Biel, center of the Swiss watch making industry. It was then along a regional route to the walled town of Murten, where an Elvis festival was in progress. Day trips to Mount Vully wine region and Neuchatel is easy cycle from here.
We continued along the Mitteland national cycling route with some moderate hills to Lausanne located on Lake Geneva. Here we join the number one Swiss cycling route, the Rhone (starts in Geneva) where we headed west.
The Swiss cycling trip along the shores of Lake Geneva is scenic with vineyards, mountains and the lake providing a backdrop. We spend a few days in Montreux before continuing on the Rhone national bike route to the wine town of Sion and finally Brig.
If you do find any part of the route difficult just hop on the Swiss rail system for a lift to the next section. Perhaps joining the second most popular route along Rhine Valley Bike route which begins in Switzerland and continues through Germany to the Netherlands.
There 200 bicycle rental depots in every corner of the country which offer touring bikes with locks and rear racks. You can reserve online picking up at one location and dropping off at another with most locations are in the train stations.
Bicycle Vacations Europe should include cycling in Switzerland, one of the great destinations in the world.
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