There is a cycle path that starts from the fjords of Norway and goes down to Spain, along the ancient path to Santiago de Compostela. It’s called EuroVelo 3, also known as Pilgrims’ cycle pathand lines up more than 5000 kilometers of quiet roads, canal banks and pilgrimage paths.
Seven countries, one trip
@Eurovelo.com
The route begins in Trondheim and passes through seven countries and 20 UNESCO sites over more than 5,600 kilometres, before ending at Cape Finisterre on the Spanish Atlantic coast. We start from Scandinavia, then Norway, Sweden and then Denmark. To cross the Skagerrak sea arm you need a ferry between Gothenburg and Frederikshavn, and the salty air gives the push to face the Germany of Hamburg, Bremen, Cologne and Aachen. Then it’s Belgium’s turn, with a stop in Liège, before entering France.
La Scandibérique, the French heart
The French part has a name of its own, the Scandibérique, over 1700 kilometers that cut the country diagonally, crossing twenty departments from the northern border to the Pyrenean pass. The route passes straight through Paris, follows the course of the Loire between the castles of the Val de Loire, a UNESCO world heritage site, and continues southwards touching the land of Cognac, the vineyards of Saint-Émilion and the city of Bordeaux, stage number 37.
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A thousand landscapes on two wheels
From there the road enters the immense forest of the Landes de Gascogne, then into the first Basque hills, up to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The last French stage is also the hardest, the famous passage of the Pyrenees towards Roncesvalles, where France hands over to Spain. From here the journey continues towards Pamplona, Burgos and León, up to Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre.
Without ever flying
The entire journey can be done without getting on a plane, moved only by the rhythm of pedaling. All the practical information on the European route is on the official EuroVelo website, while the French section has a dedicated portal on scandiberique.fr.
At this link you can download all the Eurovelo 3 maps and guides
