Europe (local)

This has been the end of our "Paradiesroute" tour. Our train ended at Wiener Neustadt, so it was an easy decission to add this easy going 45 kilomters. Ending in a winery. So good to review a tour with a glass of wine in hand... ;-) Moreover, we arrived "dry" - no rain at all.

By train to Wiener Neustadt. Starting at Wiener Neustadt Hauptbahnhof. Heading for Mödling and further to Brunn am Gebirge. On paved roads to Lichtenwörth, then gravel roads until Leobersdorf. Here the paved roads starts again. We followed the Channel "Wiener Neustädter Kanal" side road. Enjoy the picture report. Good luck to our followers!

First of all: the trail really exists... We thought it was a fake... All what is written in the Internet is not correct!

There are no e-bike charging stations along the route. Only at Rudersdorf we have seen one (and occupied by the local e-bike rental shop). One explanation we heard whilst our tour: the route is "young" and not everything is established...

The bicycle trail "Königsseeradweg" is very good marked. Again: expect many, many gravel roads. Expect Germany's best scenic Southern landscape (Allgäu - Bavaria). At the area Füssen / Schwangau it is very busy. Heavy traffic, too many tourists from all over the world. We have been calling at least 10 times to find a proper accommodation.

Assuming you do it without an e-bike, this tour is only for trained and experienced bicyclists, with good equipment. I have been riding with a triple gear in front and the rear sproket has been 28 teeth (should be 30!).

Good luck to our followers.

My 5 year old son and I rode from Manchester Airport to London via Hindhead. We rode for 10 days, 350 miles, and did 13,000 feet of climb. We visited Ironbridge, the Costwolds, and Oxford along the way.

Continue the journey in the heart of Italy by bicycle in the company of the cycling instructor Marco Parrini. He was fortunate enough to visit places and countries that a few months later were hit by a large-scale seismic event.

Continua il viaggio nel cuore dell'Italia in bicicletta in compagnia del cicloviaggiatore Marco Parrini. Egli ha avuto la fortuna di visitare i luoghi e i paesi che alcuni mesi dopo furono colpiti da un evento sismico di grande portata.

Un viaggio nel cuore dell'Italia. Marco Parrini visita i luoghi e i paesi che alcuni mesi dopo furono colpiti da un evento sismico di grande portata.

A trip to the heart of Italy. Marco Parrini visits places and countries that a few months later were hit by a large-scale seismic event.

There is no time to stall. we fade away too young, so much left ondone... Reason of the tour: I am still working on my white spots of my bicycling career... ;-)

Whenever you check the Internet you may read: "this tour is easy, as always flat, roads are paved all the way through, for familes, etc." Well, the tour comprises at least hundred poisoned stiffer rises (in German language "giftige Anstiege"). Most of them just 500 yards long, but... energy consuming.

we started a Tamsweg. Flat. Just before Murau the first gravel roads on forest roads (but compacted gravel, that's the good thing). And here we had our first stiffer rises... And they never ended. Just before Graz the last one...

There is no time to stall. We fade away to soon, so much left undone...

see webpage for more information: https://www.alpe-adria-radweg.com/en/

Enjoy my blog and the pictures. Good luck to our followers!

Time to work on white biking spots. No time for stall...,

We fade away too young, so much left undone...

enjoy the pictures and the report. Good luck to our followers

140 km in bicicletta con una delle associazioni più giovani e attive nel cicloturismo in Puglia.

140 km cycling with one of the youngest and most active associations in cycling in Puglia. Enjoy a good trip.

Continua il racconto-esperienza nei Balcani, con arrivo a Sarajevo e ritorno al mare con relax finale al mare.

Continues the story-experience in the Balkans, arriving in Sarajevo and return to the sea with a final relaxation on the beach.

Questo cicloviaggio ci resta appiccicato addosso diversamente dai precedenti. Quando penso ai momenti, ai luoghi particolari, ai volti incontrati e indelebili mi avvolge la malinconia. L'idea era quella di muoverci in terra balcanica e raggiungere alcuni luoghi simbolo di una tragedia che avevamo vissuto solo attraverso i media negli anni '90. Non mi sono reso conto che sono passati più di 20 anni dal termine di quel conflitto... forse perché in seguito si è incendiato anche il Kosovo e si è protratta la tragedia.

The idea was to move in the Balkan land and reach some places symbol of a tragedy that we had experienced only through the media in the '90s.

For the first time Margarita and I go will embark on bicycle journey together. It will be the first time for Margarita that she will do a bike trip of more than one day and it will be the first time that she will cycle on a fully loaded bicycle. We will first start to cycle along the Danube in Austria and then we will continue to follow the Danube in Germany or we might take in some foothills or mountains in the Alps.

Marco Duiker and I embark on a small bike trip through the rustic heartland of Portugal. Rural Portugal has always been the place for the saudade, the ultimate sense of melancholy and loss, but now the youth has almost entirely left the countryside of Portugal, it is probably stronger than ever before. Marco and I will take the small backroads to see and to feel the saudade of nowadays Portugal.

Once in a lifetime everyone returns to the basics. For example, by asking oneself how it all began? The Big Bang theory says it all started from the singularity and in less than a second everything we know today was created, including such complex organisms as, e.g. the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. Some people however doubt about it and, missing probably the spiritual component of the problem, resort to the age-old interpretation of the Bible. There the creator fixed everything in six days. But - surprise, surprise - just a few centuries later, the creator changes his mind and sends the Flood over his creation. They say that to err is human, but it is not really fitting for the creator. The thing was ripe for a thorough investigation, so I went along the path of Noah - to the research path in the Caucasus.

Route 7 und 9 von "Veloland Schweiz", mit ein paar Abweichungen.

Am Vorabend bringt uns Gaby (Tochter meiner Schwester) bei strömendem Regen zum Bahnhof nach Zürich. Wir nehmen (meine Schwester und ich) den City-Night-Line-Zug nach Prag. Leider ist nächstes Jahr Schluss mit dem Nachtzug, sehr schade. Es ist angenehm solch eine lange Fahrt, ca. 12 Stunden, schlafend zu verbringen. Wir kommen etwas nach 09:00h ausgeschlafen am Bahnhof von Prag an.

Die Wetteraussichten für die nächsten 4 Tage versprechen kein Regen aber viel Sonne. Eine ideale Ausgangslage für eine Frühlingsfahrt. Dieses Jahr steht eine Umrundung vom Napf auf meinen Wunschzettel, ausgehend vom Camping Mauensee.
PS. A new delivery of the travel description from Napf. The URL was wrong because the link did not work.

Our sail trip started at San Vincente (Italy) and we headed to Elba. A run into thunderstorm on the way to Bastia (Corse) and, believe it or not, we have been facing winds with 8 Beaufort. Complete wet and out of any power, we reached the Island. The weather forecast for the Island has been absolutely a disaster, what makes us change our tour.

We decided to sail North the next days in order to reach the Italian coast - Cinque Terre and Bocca di Magra. On the way North, the next city has been Macenaggio. To our surprise right at the harbor, there was a tourist information with charged e-bikes, waiting for us. Heide and me, we have taken the chance to ride Cap Corse. The rent was only EURO 10,- per 4 hours. Easy to ride over the mountain and look down to Cap Corse, whilst Ralph took care on our boat. The distance one-way is round 15 kilometers... Enjoy the report and pictures Good luck to our followers. Here is my picture report:

From July 5th to July 26th, along with Arturo Crespo and Pengtoh Sim, I covered 1988km of riding with 35310m of climbing in Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany, and France. We had 2 flat tires, 1 minor mechanical on Arturo Crespo's bike, one major upgrade on Peng-Toh Sim's bike. We rode every day, with one rest day in Baden-Baden with relatively minor riding.

We traveled by train and bus to Nauders (Austria), which is located right at the border between Austria and Italy. Nauders is rather high elevated. A lot of people know the passo Rescia. That's the place. We found best weather conditions (Kaiserwetter!) A real warm day - round 35 grad Centergrade. Phuuu...

On the day of the Stelvio ride, my lack of training put me much behind all the others. The good thing: there are so many riders, one can never be the last... Participants from all over the world. We have seen riders from New Zealand, USA, etc. This is what the say on the original Stelvio webpage: 8.415 cyclists went up to the Stelvio Pass from the South-Tyrolian side of Italy and 2.986 went up from the Lombardia last Saturday the 27th August 2016. ALL IN ALL 11.401 CYCLISTS HAVE REACHED THE STELVIO PASS!

see: http://www.stelviopark.bz.it/en/radtag/ (copy the link into your browser) 48 breath-taking bends and 1,869 metres of altitude by bike ... 
This all happens on 27. September 2016, when the legendary mountain pass road to the Stilfser Joch is blocked for normal traffic. Lowest point (START): Prad am Stilfserjoch (910 metres) Highest point (FINISH): Stilfser Joch Pass (2,758 metres) Distance Prad Stilfser Joch: 24.96 km Difference in altitude Prad Stilfser Joch: 1,848 metres Maximum ascent: 15% Average ascent: 9 11% On that day, the road belongs only to cyclists! It's not a race, but being there is everything!

Time for a bicycle chillout... We are still riding our bicycles, working on climbs we missed to do before. So, we made the Albula summit at Switherland. With very scenic views to the Rhatische Bahn (railroad). Then the Majoija summit, with a wonderful downhill to the ancient Italian city of Chiavenna. Before Chiavenna, a shady bike trail leaded us right into the city. Extrem friendly people. Mostly speaking German. The call themself "Grenzgänger" - which means they are working in Switzerland...

And then... the Spluga summit. Another bicyclist warned us, saying "this is another liga". He was so right. But views, we never will forget. Enjoy the pictures and the rport. Good luck to our followers.

1st day: day distance round 70 kilometers; accommodation at Valbella starting at the Austrian railroad station Feldkirch. Heading for Switzerland which is just some miles apart. Riding along the Rhine river towards Landquart and Chur. We climbed up the Lenzerheide summit an found accomodation at Valbella

It's time to report a tour from our homeland Austria. Since my last report concerning the Puerto Rico tour, there was silence in my reports. I am not getting any younger, any more mobil. I ride with pain, hike like an Egyptian... :-) Youngsters hike that mountain like ants. Me? I am a sort of limping around.

Well, we made the bigger distance by train (Vienna to Mariazell). But then: biking... The Zellerrainstrasse is a sort of challange. Starting at the train station Mariazell, we have been riding down to the lake Erlaufsee. A wonderful and paved path lead us there. The Zellerrainstrasse stated right on the Westend of the lake. Winding up to a height of 1.121 meters. The old Zellerrain road has been a gravel road with a pitch level of 22 % Today, the road is paved and the pitch level round between 15+ % I have been on my last sprocket ring. Enjoy the pictures of my report. Good luck to our followers!

Voyage de 25 jours de Genève à Calatayud en Aragón (Espagne) par le Massif Central, la vallée du Lot et les Pyrénées françaises et espagnoles. Retour jusqu'à Hendaye par la Province de Soria, la Rioja, la Navarre et le Pays Basque. Routes secondaires désertes à travers un environnement magnifique et préservé la plupart du temps, quelques sections sur le Chemin de Compostelle ou sur voie verte.

A 25-day journey through France and Northern Spain, starting in Geneva (CH) and ending in Hendaye (F). Quiet secondary roads most of the time, plus some sections along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and local cycle paths. In French.

Voyage de 28 jours au départ Douvres, dans le Kent, jusqu'aux îles Orcades (Écosse) par la route cycliste N°1, la plus longue du Royaume-Uni. Vélo robuste et pneus anti-crevaison indispensables pour franchir sans encombre les nombreuses sections hors bitume de ce bel itinéraire très bien balisé.

A 28-day journey between Dover (Kent) and Orkney islands (Scotland) along National Cycle Network Route 1, the longest cycle route in the UK. You'll need a strong bike and puncture-proof tires to get across the numerous off-road sections of this beautiful and perfectly signposted itinerary. In French.

Voyage de 13 jours entre Martigny (Suisse) et Rome (Italie) sur la Via Francigena, itinéraire de pèlerinage balisé suivant le parcours effectué en l'an 990 par Sigéric, archevêque de Canterbury. VTT recommandé en raison de nombreux passages hors goudron.

A 13-day journey between Martigny (CH) and Rome(IT) on Via Francigena, a signposted pilgrimage route following the route wandered in year 990 by Sigeric, archbishop of Canterbury. MTB highly recommended, due to numerous off-road sections. In French.

Brevetto Brenta-Ortles is a wonderful challenge in North Italy with beautiful ascents, lakes, landscape and motivating climbs. The route (officially 363 km + 8088 m) starts towards the Lago di Molveno with breathtaking mountains in the background, then through the Val di Non and Merano. The ride’s two most challenging climbs are the legendary passo dello Stelvio (2760 m) and Passo di Gavia (2621 m), but it is followed by Passo del Tonale, Passo Campo Carlo Magn next to the Brenta Dolomites and at last a short, but romantic ascent to Stenico. To cycle this roundtrip the participants has max. 34 hours to be a „finisher” of this challenge. I did this in August and was amazed by the nature, mountains, and otherwise it was adventurous too, becaue few hours before cycling up to Passo dello Stelvio a heavy strom caused landslides on the descent to Bormio and few times I had climb onto and down from the rocks to reach Bormio and then finish the challenge. It was a wonderful, memorable ride and I can suggest to others !

Cycling along the Rhine. September 2015. From Bremgarten CH. to the North Sea in Katwijk aan Zee, Holland.

You may see we had wonderful biking weather in Austria. With doing a part by train saved our energy. We started with the local train ''Mariazellerbahn'' at St.Poelten (Austria) heading to the town Winterbach, which is already rather elevated (round 500 meters). After a short ride, we found an inviting restaurant. As it was noon, we decided to to stay for a beer. Riding further leaded to an elevation of 1.110 meters. We have seen the first snow of this year. A colorful fall day was our award of all the little climbing's. The overall distance of our tour was just sweet 110 kilometers. Long enough to ride the last kilometers in dark. And the night has felt on the setting sun. Some pictures are exciting some not ... Anyway, you may see colorful fall pictures from our short Austrian ''Indian summer''. Enjoy the pictures and my report. Good luck to our followers.

Tenkrát na východì....

Itinerario in Puglia sulla via Francigena. Una immersione nella natura dove il mare abbraccia ulivi e villaggi senza tempo.

Itinerary in Apulia (Italy) on the Via Francigena. An immersion in nature where the sea embraces olive trees and timeless villages.

Noi a Batumi avevamo un messaggio da portare. Fummo investiti della funzione di ambasciatori di pace dal Comune di Verona per incontrare la Municipalità di Batumi e per suggellare un patto di amicizia iniziato tra le due città nel 2015. Fu l'occasione per sperimentare quella che si ritiene la più viva e particolare tradizione il del popolo georgiano: il pranzo. Le sue regole, l'abbondanza e la bontà dei cibi, i brindisi e la figura del Tamada permettono di leggere una, tra le più belle pagine, della tradizione di questo Paese.

We in Batumi had a message to bring. We Were invested in the function of peace ambassadors by the city of Verona to meet the City of Batumi and to seal a pact of friendship between the two cities began in 2015. It was an opportunity to experience what we consider the most vivid and especially the tradition the Georgian people: lunch. Its rules, abundance and goodness of the food, the toasts and the figure of Tamada allow you to read one, the most beautiful pages of the history of this country. Read more

3 week and 1400 km tour from Veliky Novgorod over Rzhev and T'ver to the cities of the Golden Ring, following the Volga river from Uglich to Suzdal.

2 guys, 2 mountainbikes, tents but not suited for camping in the rain. Only camped 1 time, no cooking.

Ma lo Svaneti, il vero "free Svaneti", inizia da Mestia. In questi luoghi arrivò con le proprie spedizioni Vittorio Sella, nipote del politico Quintino Sella che fondò il Club Alpino Italiano. Fotografò paesaggi, abitanti e loro usi. Le sue immagini sono ora oggetto di un pregevole volume del TCI e CAI che ne traccia la figura di fotografo alpinista esploratore. Una descrizione in quel volume della regione chiamata Soanezia, sembra scritta nei giorni in cui ci trovavamo dinnanzi agli stessi luoghi: "Non vidi mai natura alpestre così bella, così serena, grandiosa, pittoresca per forma e colorito. Temperatura deliziosa, calma adorabile, l'Usbha sublime fra cumuli leggeri. La Soanezia nelle belle giornate di ottobre è un vero Paradiso".

But Svaneti, the true "Free Svaneti", starts from Mestia. In these places he came with their shipments Vittorio Sella, nephew of the politician Quintino Sella who founded the Italian Alpine Club. He photographed landscapes, people and their customs. His images are now the subject of a remarkable volume of TCI and CAI that traces the figure of photographer mountaineer explorer. A description in the volume of the region called Soanezia, seems written in the days when we were in front of the same places: "I never saw alpine nature so beautiful, so serene, majestic, picturesque shape and color. Temperature delicious, adorable calm, the Usbha sublime among heaps light. The Soanezia on fine days of October is a true paradise. Read the book "Georgfia e

The German Alpine Road, from Lindau on Lake Constance to Berchtesgaden on Königsee

A great trip around northern Corsica. I started with a round trip of Cap Corse from Bastia, then crossed the island, staying in the hills close to Calvi. The tour continued down the coast to Porto, with a round trip based there. The most spectacular day was the ride from Porto to Corte in the middle of the island. The last ride was back to Bastia through a remote area. Great scenery every day, with quiet coastal and mountain roads. Thoroughly recommended. www.corsicacyclist.com is a very helpful site for anyone planning a trip

We want to ride the National Route no.5 of Velo-Land-Switzerland (There are 9 different routes throughout Switzerland.)
Romanshorn on Lake Constance to Lausanne on Lake Geneva. Because of the usual south-west wind, we opted for the opposite direction.

Two short three-day trips in Swiss and French Jura between Basel and Geneva, featuring beautiful Lac de Joux (total : 430 km).

A 7-day tour from Toulouse to Barcelona. 620km cycled, stopping at Saint-Blancard, Lourdes, Sainte Marie de Campan, Vielha, Montferrer, Manresa and Barcelona.

A stunning dream trip through the Pyrenees. A nicely-balanced route, taking in Lourdes for a blessing of the legs, three consecutive big mountain days and Tour/Giro highlights of Col du Tourmalet, Col de l'Aspin, Col de Peyresourde, Col du Portillon, Puerto de la Bonaigua, and Port del Canto, then a nice couple of days home run to Barcelona.