EuroTravel Magazine 3 | Page 12

“ France is the perfect cycling destination for all levels of cyclist, from gnarled touring veterans to family potterers and everyone in between.”
“ France is the perfect cycling destination for all levels of cyclist, from gnarled touring veterans to family potterers and everyone in between.”
magnificent stables, at Chantilly. The serene river Oise, takes you past Vincent van Gogh’ s final resting place and on to pretty Pontoise.
The final stretch of the route into Paris offers views that inspired the likes of Monet, as it clings to the leafy Seine between Maisons-Lafitte and Colombes. There is more fine traffic-free riding along the canals St-Denis and St-Martin before backstreets guide you to the sacred heart of Paris, gothic Notre-Dame.
Loire À Vélo Known as Europe’ s last wild river, the Loire has no towpath but this vèloroute often sticks close to the river using many virtually traffic-free tarmac‘ residents only’ roads atop the river’ s dikes as well as traffic-free tarmac sections, occasional rougher tracks and minor roads.
‘ Fairytale’ palace-like Chateaux are dotted all along the middle stretch of the Loire, each with it’ s own unique style and rich history. Between the sumptuous cities of Angers and Orleans is prime Chateaux country at the very heart of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Burgundy’ s Vintage Routes Taste some of the world’ s finest wines on the Vineyard Way as you pedal through a string of the very best wine-producing villages. Follow tiny, extremely lightly trafficked roads through rolling vineyards. Beaune, with its huge medieval hospital building is your start for exploring village names that will have wine connoisseurs swooning with delight – Mersault, Puligny-Montrachet and Santenay. At Santenay join the beautifully surfaced Canal Du Centre to the riverside city of Chalon-sur-Saône. From here you can head further south into Burgundy along the beautiful green countryside that
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