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EuroVelo

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EuroVelo
Logo
Logo
System information
Length55,923 mi (89,999 km)
Formed1995
Highway names
EuroVeloEV nn
System links

EuroVelois a network of 17long-distance cycling routescriss-crossingEurope,with 2 more in early construction across various stages of completion. When completed, the EuroVelo network's total length will be almost 60,875 km (37,826 mi).[1][2]As of 2023more than 56,000 km (35,000 mi) were in place.[3]EuroVelo is a project of theEuropean Cyclists' Federation(ECF). The multinational project aims to connect 40 countries via the 19 unique routes across the European continent.

EuroVelo routes can be used forbicycle touringacross the continent, as well as by local people making short journeys. The routes are made of both existingnational bike routes— such as the DutchLF-Routes,the GermanD-Routes,the Frenchvéloroute"SN3V" and the BritishNational Cycle Network— and existing general purpose roads, together with new stretches of cycle routes to connect them.[4]

History

[edit]

The idea of creating a network of international cycle routes spanning Europe started in 1995. It was initially coordinated by theECF,De Frie Fugle(Denmark) andSustrans(UK) and the original plan was to create 12long-distance cycling routes.

Since August 2007, the ECF has assumed full responsibility for the project. Despite sometimes tight financial constraints, the EuroVelo project has already begun to fulfil the vision of its founders with sections of the network being implemented in countries as far apart as Finland, Cyprus, Spain and the UK. In addition, the EuroVelo brand has become widely known.

There have been various changes to the network over the years, most notably the addition of two new routes — EuroVelo 13 (theIron Curtain Trail) and EuroVelo 15 (theRhine Cycle Route) — in September 2011, which are the longest and shortest of the EuroVelo routes.[5]

Future expansion

[edit]

In September 2023, the ECF announced that the Iberian Cycle route connecting Lisbon with Pamplona via Madrid is set to become the future EuroVelo 16 route by 2028 with a length of 1,896 km.[6]

Main points on the EuroVelo routes

[edit]
Route number Route name Passes through these cities Through these countries Length
km mi
EV1 Atlantic Coast Route North Cape(EV7, EV11) -Tromsø-Vestvågøy-Trondheim(EV3) -Bergen(EV12) -Aberdeen(EV12) -Inverness(EV12 ) -Glasgow-Stranraer-Belfast-Lisburn-Strabane-Derry-Sligo-Galway(EV2) -Limerick-Waterville-Cork-Rosslare-Fishguard-Newport-Bristol(EV2) -Plymouth-Roscoff(EV4) -Nantes(EV6) -La Rochelle-Arcachon-Bayonne-Hendaye-Irun-Pamplona(EV3) -Burgos-Valladolid-Salamanca-Cáceres-Ayamonte-Faro-Sagres-Lisbon-Porto-Caminha Norway,United Kingdom,Ireland,France,Spain,Portugal 10,650 6,620
EV2 Capitals Route Galway(EV1) -Athlone-Dublin-Holyhead-Bristol(EV1) -Bath-Reading-London(EV12) -Harwich-Hoek van Holland(EV12, EV15, EV19) -The Hague(EV12) -Utrecht-Münster(EV3) -Dessau-Berlin(EV7) -Poznań(EV9) -Warsaw(EV11) -Minsk-Moscow Ireland,United Kingdom,Netherlands,Germany,Poland,Belarus,Russia 5,050 3,140
EV3 Pilgrims Route Trondheim(EV1) -Lillehammer-Oslo-Halden-Strömstad-Gothenburg(EV12) -Frederikshavn(EV12) -Aalborg-Viborg-Vejen-Padborg-Flensburg-Hamburg(EV12) -Münster(EV2) -Wesel(EV15) -Düsseldorf(EV4) -Cologne-Aachen-Liège(EV19) -Namur(EV5, EV19) -Charleroi-Maubeuge-Paris-Orléans(EV6) -Tours(EV6) -Bordeaux-Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port-Roncesvalles-Pamplona(EV1) -Logroño-Burgos-Frómista(EV1) -León-Ponferrada-Sarria-Santiago de Compostela Norway,Sweden,Denmark,Germany,Belgium,France,Spain 5,650 3,510
EV4 Central Europe Route Roscoff(EV1) -Mont-Saint-Michel-Cherbourg-Le Havre-Calais(EV5, EV12) -Vlissingen(EV12) -Venlo-Düsseldorf(EV3, EV15) -Bonn(EV3, EV15) -Frankfurt-Cheb(EV13) -Karlovy Vary-Prague(EV7) -Brno(EV9) -Kraków(EV11) -Lviv-Kyiv France,Belgium,Netherlands,Germany,Czech Republic,Poland,Ukraine 5,100 3,200
EV5 Via Romea Francigena Canterbury(EV12) -Dover(EV12) -Calais(EV4, EV12) -Lille-Brussels-Namur(EV3, EV19) -Luxembourg-Saarbrücken-Strasbourg(EV15) -Mulhouse(EV6) -Basel(EV6, EV15) -Andermatt(EV15, EV17) -Lucerne-Milan-Pavia(EV8) -Piacenza(EV8) -Lucca-Siena-Rome(EV7) -Benevento-Brindisi United Kingdom,France,Belgium,Luxembourg,Germany,Switzerland,Italy 3,200 2,000
EV6 Atlantic – Black Sea Route Saint-Brevin-les-Pins(EV1) -Nantes(EV1) -Tours(EV3) -Orléans-Besançon-Mulhouse(EV5) -Basel(EV5, EV15) -Radolfzell-Ulm-Regensburg-Passau(EV7) -Linz(EV7) -Vienna(EV9) -Bratislava(EV13) -Budapest-Osijek-Belgrade-Pančevo(EV11) -Bela Crkva(EV13) -Drobeta-Turnu Severin(EV13) -Vidin/Calafat-Ruse/Giurgiu-Silistra-Brăila-Constanța France,Switzerland,Germany,Austria,Slovakia,Hungary,Croatia,Serbia,Romania,Bulgaria 4,450 2,770
EV7 Sun Route North Cape(EV1, EV11) -Haparanda(EV10) -Sundsvall(EV10) -Gothenburg(EV3, EV12) -Helsingborg-Copenhagen(EV10) -Gedser-Rostock(EV10, EV13) -Berlin(EV2) -Dresden-Prague(EV4) -Linz(EV6) -Salzburg-Bolzano-Mantua(EV8) -Bologna-Florence-Rome(EV5) -Naples-Catanzaro-Catania-Valletta Norway,Finland,Sweden,Denmark,Germany,Czech Republic,Austria,Italy,Malta 7,700 4,800
EV8 Mediterranean Route Cádiz-Málaga-Almería-Murcia-Alicante-Valencia-Barcelona-Béziers-Sète(EV17) -Cannes-Nice-Turin-Pavia(EV5) -Mantua(EV7) -Venice-Trieste(EV9) -Koper-Pula(EV9) -Zadar-Split-Dubrovnik-Tivat-Kotor-Shkodër-Tirana-Vlorë-Patras-Athens(EV11) -Bergama-İzmir-Selçuk-Nicosia-Larnaca-Limassol-Paphos-Polis-Nicosia Spain,France,Italy,Slovenia,Croatia,Montenegro,Albania,Greece,Turkey,Cyprus 7,500 4,700
EV9 Baltic - Adriatic Gdańsk(EV10, EV13) -Bydgoszcz-Poznań(EV2) -Wrocław-Olomouc-Brno(EV4) -Břeclav-Vienna(EV6) -Maribor-Ljubljana-Trieste(EV8) -Pula(EV8) Poland,Czech Republic,Austria,Slovenia,Italy,Croatia 2,050 1,270
EV10 Baltic Sea Cycle Route Gdańsk(EV9, EV13) -Rostock(EV7, EV13) -Kiel-Sønderborg-Copenhagen(EV7) -Malmö-Kalmar-Stockholm-Sundsvall(EV7) -Umeå(EV7) -Oulu(EV11) -Vaasa-Turku-Helsinki(EV11) -Virolahti(EV13) -Saint Petersburg(EV13) -Tallinn(EV11, EV13) -Riga(EV13) -Klaipėda(EV13) -Kaliningrad(EV13) -Gdańsk Poland,Germany,Denmark,Sweden,Finland,Russia,Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania 9,000 5,600
EV11 East Europe Route North Cape(EV1, EV7) -Inari(EV13) -Rovaniemi-Oulu(EV10) -Kuopio-Helsinki(EV10) -Tallinn(EV10, EV13) -Tartu-Daugavpils-Vilnius-Warsaw(EV2) -Kraków(EV4) -Košice-Szeged(EV13) -Pančevo(EV6) -Skopje-Thessaloniki-Larissa-Athens(EV8) Norway,Finland,Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania,Poland,Slovakia,Hungary,Serbia,North Macedonia,Greece 6,550 4,070
EV12 North Sea Cycle Route Bergen(EV1) -Stavanger-Kristiansand-Gothenburg(EV3) -Halmstad-Grenaa-Esbjerg-Hamburg(EV3) -Bremerhaven-Den Helder-The Hague(EV2) -Vlissingen(EV4) -Dunkirk-Calais(EV4, EV5) -Dover(EV5) -Canterbury(EV5) -London(EV2) -Norwich-Hull-Newcastle-Edinburgh-Aberdeen(EV1) -Inverness(EV1) -Thurso-Orkney Islands-Shetland Islands-Bergen Norway,Sweden,Denmark,Germany,Netherlands,Belgium,France,United Kingdom 7,050 4,380
EV13 Iron Curtain Trail Grense Jakobselv-Kirkenes-Inari(EV11) -Sodankylä(EV11) -Suomussalmi-Lappeenranta-Saint Petersburg(EV10) -Tallinn(EV10, EV11) -Riga(EV10) -Klaipėda(EV10) -Kaliningrad(EV10) -Gdańsk(EV 9, EV10) -Greifswald(EV10) -Rostock(EV7, EV10) -Lübeck-Eschwege-Cheb(EV4) -Bratislava(EV6) -Donji Miholjac-Szeged(EV11) -Vršac-Drobeta-Turnu Severin(EV6) -Zaječar-Pirot-Kyustendil-Strumica-Petrich-Smolyan-Kyprinos-Edirne-Kırklareli-Malko Tarnovo-Rezovo Norway,Finland,Russia,Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania,Poland,Germany,Czech Republic,Austria,Slovakia,Hungary,Slovenia,Croatia,Serbia,Romania,Bulgaria,North Macedonia,Greece,Turkey 9,950 6,180
EV14 Waters of Central Europe Zell Am See-Bischofshofen(EV7) -Liezen-Graz-Fehring(EV9) -Gleisdorf-Szentgotthárd(EV13) -Keszthely-Székesfehérvár-Velence Austria,Hungary 1,125 699
EV15 Rhine Cycle Route Andermatt(EV5, EV17) -Chur-Grabs-Lustenau-Konstanz-Öhningen-Schaffhausen-Basel(EV5, EV6) -Rosenau/Weil am Rhein-Biesheim/Breisach-Strasbourg-Karlsruhe-Mannheim-Worms/Biebesheim am Rhein-Mainz(EV4) -Bingen(EV4) -Koblenz(EV4) -Bonn(EV3, EV4)) -Cologne(EV3, EV4) -Düsseldorf(EV3) -Duisburg(EV3) -Rheinberg/Wesel-Xanten/Emmerich am Rhein-Arnhem(EV2) -Leerdam-Rotterdam(EV19) -Hoek van Holland(E2, EV12, EV19) Switzerland,Germany,France,Netherlands 1,500 930
EV17 Rhone Cycle Route Andermatt(EV5, EV15) -Furka Pass-Brig-Sierre-Sitten-Martigny-Saint Gingolph/Vevey-Thonon-les-Bains/Lausanne-Geneva-Lyon-Valence-Avignon-Tarascon
East branch:Tarascon -Arles-Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône
West branch:Tarascon -Saint-Gilles-Palavas-les-Flots-Sète(EV8) 		Switzerland,France 1,250 780
EV19 Meuse Cycle Route Langres-Neufchâteau-Commercy-Verdun-Stenay-Charleville-Mézières-Dinant-Namur(EV3, EV5) -Liège-Maastricht-Venlo-Cuijk-Den Bosch-Dordrecht-Hoek van Holland(EV2, EV12, EV15) -Rotterdam(EV15) France,Belgium,Netherlands 1,050 650
  • Routes EV10 and EV12 are a circular tour
  • Connections to other EV routes are in parentheses
  • Odd routes are heading north–south, even routes are heading west–east

Route information

[edit]

EuroVelo 1 – Atlantic Coast Route

[edit]
Main article:EV1 The Atlantic Coast Route



Stretching the length of the continent, fromNorth Cape, NorwaytoValença, Portugal,the EV1 connects Norway, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Wales, theWest Countryof England, France, Spain and Portugal.[7]

EuroVelo 2 – Capitals Route

[edit]
Main article:EV2 The Capitals Route

EV2 runs betweenGalway, IrelandtoMoscow, Russiavisiting somecapital citiesalong the way, fromEyre SquaretoRed Square.

Between The Hague in the Netherlands and the German-Polish border, the EV2 follows the bicycle route calledEuropean Bicycle Route R1orEuro-Route R1,[8]an internationallong-distance cycling routeconnecting Boulogne-sur-Mer in France with St Petersburg in Russia.

EuroVelo 3 – Pilgrims Route

[edit]
Main article:EV3 The Pilgrims Route

EV3 goes from Trondheim in Norway to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The route follows traces of old roads used forpilgrimagesin theMiddle Ages.The route passes through Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France and Spain. Most of these countries have a developed network of bicycle routes used as part of the EV3.

EuroVelo 4 – Central Europe Route

[edit]

The EV4 goes fromRoscoff, FrancetoKyiv, Ukraine,going through France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Poland, and Ukraine.

EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea Francigena

[edit]
Main article:EV5 Via Romea Francigena

The EV5 route is inspired by theVia Francigena,a pilgrimage route from London to Rome first recorded by Archbishop of CanterburySigericin the 10th century AD. However, the route of the trueVia Francigenais an almost straight line path from London to Rome, while the EuroVelo 5 route takes a more easterly route that passes through Brussels, Luxembourg andStrasbourgin theAlsace.It then follows the Franco-German border, passes through Switzerland followingSwiss National Bike Routeno. 3, before crossing the Alps at theGotthard Pass.It then passes through Italy (more closely following Sigeric's route) to Rome before continuing on to the Adriatic port city ofBrindisi.

EuroVelo 6 – River Route

[edit]
Main article:EV6 The Rivers Route

Running fromSaint-Nazaireon the mouth of the riverLoirealong that river eastward through France, EV6 passes over the border to Switzerland toLake Constanceand then on to Tuttlingen in Germany, where it begins its way down theDanubefollowing theDonauradweg(Danube Cycle Route). It follows that river, Europe's second longest, through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania to the river's mouth at theDanube Delta.It then continues southwards to end inConstanța,on the Black Sea.[9]

  • Signage for EuroVelo 6 in France, near the tripoint of France, Switzerland and Germany
    Signage for EuroVelo 6 in France, near thetripointof France, Switzerland and Germany

EuroVelo 7 – Sun Route

[edit]
Main article:EV7 The Sun Route



EV7 runs from theNorth CapetoMalta.It goes through Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Italy, and Malta.[10]

EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route

[edit]
Main article:EV8 The Mediterranean Route



EV8 follows the European coastline of the Mediterranean sea fromCádiz, SpaintoAthens, Greece,going through Spain, France, italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus.[11][12]

EuroVelo 9 – Amber Route

[edit]
Main article:EV9 The Amber Route



EV9 (in Poland, also labeled as R9) stretches from theBaltic Seato theAdriatic Sea.It is so named after the precious stoneambercollected in the Baltic, which was taken by routes such as this to the Mediterranean. One of the shortest of the EuroVelo routes, EV9 still manages to cut across Europe from north to south, from Poland to Croatia, and in doing so passes through the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia en route.[13][14][15]

EuroVelo 10 – Baltic Route

[edit]

EV10 runs aroundBaltic Sea.Some of its parts are mapped onOpenStreetMapprojectRelation: EuroVelo 10 - Baltic Sea Cycle Route - part Sweden (63584).On the state of the route there is an OpenStreetMap wiki page[16]

EuroVelo 11 – East Europe Route

[edit]
Signage for EuroVelo 11,Vilnius,Lithuania.

EV11 connects (theoretically)Norway'sNorth CapewithAthens.

EuroVelo 12 – North Sea Route

[edit]
Main article:EV12 The North Sea Cycle Route



EV12 was the first European route, opened in June 2001, 6,000 km (3,700 mi) route through England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. It features in theGuinness Book of Recordsas the longest unbroken signposted cycling route. It was funded in part by the European Union'sInterreginitiative.

EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail

[edit]
Main article:EV13 The Iron Curtain Trail

EuV13 follows the oldIron Curtain,the divided borders of Europe during theCold War.[17]The ICT runs fromKirkenes,Norway on the Barents Sea, along the Finno-Russian border through to the Baltic Sea, then hugs the length of the Baltic coast toLübeckin Germany. It then follows the old border between West Germany and the former East Germany, the current borders between the Czech Republic and both Germany then Austria, the Austrian-Slovak and Austrian-Hungarian borders before following the borders of Romania, the formerYugoslavia,Bulgariaand North Macedonia.[18]It finishes at Rezovo in Bulgaria on the Black Sea after following the border with Greece and Turkey.[19]

EuroVelo 15 – The Rhine Cycle Route

[edit]
Main article:EV15 The Rhine Cycle Route

EV15, with an overall length of about 1,320 km (820 mi) passes through four countries from the headwaters of theRhineinAndermattin the Swiss Alps to the estuary inRotterdamin the Netherlands, via France[20]and Germany.

EuroVelo 17 – Rhone Cycle Route

[edit]
Main article:EV17 Rhone Cycle Route

EV17 has an overall length of about 1,250 km (780 mi).[21]It starts in Andermatt and runs along each side ofLake Genevabefore crossing into France. Passing throughLyonandAvignon,it forks into sections which end inMontpellierandMarseille.

EuroVelo 19 – Meuse Cycle Route

[edit]

EV19, with an overall length of about 1,050 km (650 mi), is the newest and the shortest EuroVelo route.[22]It follows one of the most significant rivers in Europe, from the source of theMeuseon theLangresplateau in France, heading north into Belgium and on to the river mouth atHook of Holland,with the route ending in the Dutch port city ofRotterdam.

Requirements

[edit]

TheECFhas written a route development manual for those working on developing EuroVelo routes.[23]According to the guidelines, all EuroVelo routes should fulfill the following criteria:

  • They must be based on existing or planned national or regional routes of the involved countries.
  • At least two countries must be involved.
  • Route length must be at least 1,000 km (620 mi).
  • Steep sections should be avoided wherever possible and for very steep sections (if unavoidable) alternative transport options (i.e. public transport or alternative routes) should be provided.[24]
  • Easy to communicate - internationally recognisable identity and name (marketing potential).
  • Implementation plans in place (project plan, business plan, partners).
  • Signing in accordance with the regulations of the respective nations and/or regions, continuous and in both directions.
  • Signage supplemented by EuroVelo route information panels, in accordance with the recommendations ofUNECEand theECF'sSigning of EuroVelo cycle routesmanual.

Route infrastructure

[edit]

In 2011 the share of route infrastructure components in the EuroVelo network was as follows:[25]

  • Bicycle path/lane: 14%
  • Traffic-free asphalted road: 8%
  • Traffic-free non-asphalted road: 6%
  • Public low-traffic, asphalted road: 56%
  • Public non-asphalted road: 3%
  • Public high-traffic, asphalted road: 14%

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"EuroVelo - the European cycle route network".EuroVelo.org website.Retrieved9 December2013.
  2. ^"Routes".EuroVelo.ECF. Archived fromthe originalon 4 August 2012.Retrieved23 January2012.
  3. ^"Projects and networks - EuroVelo".ECF. 14 December 2015.Retrieved2 August2016.
  4. ^Richard Peace (2008-09-17)."Euros for EuroVelo".bikeradar.Future Publishing. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-03-09.Retrieved2009-12-21.
  5. ^"History - EuroVelo - the European cycle route network".EuroVelo website.European Cyclists' Federation.Archived fromthe originalon 6 June 2017.Retrieved17 November2013.
  6. ^ECF."The Iberian Cycle Route is set to become the future EuroVelo 16".EuroVelo.Retrieved2023-11-08.
  7. ^"EuroVelo 1".EuroVelo website.European Cyclists' Federation.Retrieved29 December2013.
  8. ^"The Complete Route".Euroroute R1 website.Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2021.Retrieved7 January2014.
  9. ^"L'itinéraire vélo de Bâle à l'Atlantique — EuroVelo 6".Retrieved11 November2016.
  10. ^"EuroVelo 7".EuroVelo.Retrieved26 December2013.
  11. ^"EuroVelo 8".EuroVelo website.European Cyclists' Federation.Retrieved5 January2014.
  12. ^"EuroVelo 8 - Mediterranean Route".Retrieved11 November2016.
  13. ^"EuroVelo 9".EuroVelo website.European Cyclists' Federation.Retrieved3 January2014.
  14. ^"Eurovelo 9".18 September 2011.Retrieved11 November2016.
  15. ^"Radrouten Niederösterreich - EuroVelo 9".Archived fromthe originalon August 18, 2004.
  16. ^"EV10 - OpenStreetMap Wiki".Retrieved11 November2016.
  17. ^"ECF - EuroVelo - The Iron Curtain Trail (EuroVelo 13)".
  18. ^"- Eurovelo 13".Retrieved11 November2016.
  19. ^"Iron Curtain Trail - The Iron Curtain Trail - experiencing the history of Europe's division".Retrieved11 November2016.
  20. ^"via France"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2012-03-18.Retrieved2011-07-27.
  21. ^"Cycling tourism: Rhone cycle route".EuroVelo.
  22. ^"EuroVelo 19 | Meuse Cycle Route".EuroVelo.
  23. ^http:// eurovelo.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Guidance-on-the-Route-Development-Process.pdfArchived2013-06-30 at theWayback MachineEuroVelo: Guidance on the Route Development Process
  24. ^"Guidance on the Route Development Process"(PDF).EuroVelo for Professionals.European Cyclists' Federation.Retrieved11 November2023.
  25. ^"EuroVelo the European cycle route network Development Strategy 2012-2020"(PDF).EuroVelo.org website.European Cyclists' Federation. December 2011.Retrieved19 December2013.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toEuroVelo.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forEuroVelo cycling routes.

Mobile Apps

[edit]
  • Iphone AppEuroCycle - Offline Maps for EuroVelo Cycle Routes
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