Category: european bike epic

Leaving Liechtenstein, we cycled through four countries in one day (Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, Germany) to reach the northern shores of the Bodensee. Actually, the Switzerland part wasn’t strictly necessary, we just nipped over there for lunch for the sake of increasing our country total for the day. Most of the day we followed along the Rhein bike trail, with cycling that grew progressively less interesting as we left the mountains behind us.

 

Liechtenstein calf is curious

 

 

Out of Liechtenstein and into Austria, leaving the mountains behind

 

After getting round into the northern, German, shores of the Bodensee, we headed inland across the hills. The plan was to meet up with an old friend who’s currently staying with his girlfriend and her parents on their dairy farm, a serendipitous meet-up after seeing a comment from him on facebook that he was in Germany.

Once there, we spent a day relaxing. Well, there was a hike up a mountain with 1km elevation gain. But we did catch the cable car to get down again. And we stopped for a while to have Radler and Apfel Strudel and Kasepatzten (the best Strudel I’ve ever had, and Kasepatzten is so deliciously tasty) before we got to the top. And after all the hiking we went to a sauna/swimming/spa place, and spent 2 hours getting thoroughly relaxed – I’ve never appreciated a sauna so much before!

 

The best Apple Strudel EVER

 

After all the relaxing we set off the next day to cycle off across green hills and valleys and through little towns to get to the Bodensee again. Once there, we joined the great hoards of cyclists there and headed anti-clockwise. A laze around by the lake for lunch, then more of the nice but repetitive cycling along the Bodensee. It was a warm day, and mountains hovered in the distance across the lake. We reached a campground at 4.30pm, and spent more time lazing. It was just one of those days.

 

By the Bodensee

 

 

A maypole – a common sight through Austria and Southern Germany/Bavaria, they’re erected by the town on the first of May, and have little symbols representing the professions of everyone in the town, as well as all sorts of other symbolic type decorations.

 

 

The flippy eared calves

 

Discouraging rain the next morning led to a later than planned departure. We were heading to Zurich, but a distance that looked short on the map turned out to involve lots of hills and no straightforward routes to follow. Thanks to the squiggly nature of the border, after we crossed the border into Switzerland we crossed back into Germany twice more before finally landing in Switzerland for good. Although the rain finally cleared up, the day was overcast and miserable, and by the time we reached the outskirts of Zurich it was getting dark and starting to rain again.

We struggled through the streets of Zurich in the dark and the rain, and finally reached Fiona’s apartment, where she heard the squealing of our brakes out on the wet streets and came out to find us. The day was then rescued as we were received with cheese fondue and chocolate fondue and wine, and had all sorts of fun and interesting conversation and got to sleep on a bed! With pillows!

 

Impressively colourful Zurich graffiti – can you spot the tree?

 

On the recommendation of our hosts we headed into the centre of Zurich the next morning and found the Sprüngli shop and hunted down some hot chocolate and tasty chocolate snacks. Then on to the lake, and following the river north out of town. It took us a while to find a good route, there were lots of unfriendly roads, or bike tracks that ended. The day was overcast, and we gradually picked our way up to Germany, finding camping just over the border along the river.

 

Small town Switzerland

 

 

Watching Switzerland burn down from the safety of the German side of the river

 

After crossing into Switzerland first thing to spend our remaining 50CHF on groceries for the weekend, we crossed back into Germany (ignored by the border guards as per usual) and headed vaguely north, into the Schwarzwald. The roads were steep and gravelly, and then it started to rain. My failing chain and cluster felt horrible in the wet – they are getting so worn they really need to be replaced, but I’m hoping to make them last until Paris. Anyway, with the hills and the sleepiness and the rain, all I wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep, and Alex wasn’t feeling much more enthusiastic.

 

Into the Black Forest (leaf strewn road and lovely stone retaining walls)

 

It didn’t even get to 3pm before we saw a sign for a campground and leapt at the opportunity for an early escape from cycling today. We set up and spent the rest of the day lying in the wet tent, as the rain went on and on and on.

 

Black Forest backroads

 

The rain hadn’t decided to give in overnight, so after a decent sleep-in we rose in the rain and cycled into St Blasien to find a bakery for breakfast (the quality of croissants has been improving noticeably as we draw closer to France). Anyway, so we cycled up and up in the rain, then descended to Titisee. It was feeling cold, as well as raining on and off – not optimal cycling weather, although the Black Forest was looking lovely and atmospheric and Autumnal in the mist and rain. We cycled on through St Margen and then St Peter, where we found camping on the outskirts. Failed to find any Black Forest cakes however.

 

Autumn colours in the Black Forest

 

 

9000km in Titisee

 

 

At camp

 

It rained overnight again, and we slept in, feeling unmotivated. Another internet voucher purchase, and we sat around on our laptops, hiding from the rain but not the cold. The weather looked like being very cool but at least not raining for the next few days, and the current rain was supposed to clear up after lunch. In the end we left the campground a little after midday, and the rain was indeed clearing. We rolled downhill in the cold to the river valley, cycling along and then starting the hunt for campgrounds. We found two that were closed for the season before giving in and deciding to wildcamp. The rain had stopped and the sun was out as we disappeared into the forest for the night.

 

Cheeeeese

 

Distance cycled: 498km
Sleeping arrangements: Campgrounds, wild camping and friends houses
Days of rain: 5/8 (boo to the return of the rain)
Public toilets: Available
Bike friendliness: Reasonable good, mostly we found quiet roads to cycle on, some bike paths too
Free wifi availability: Lousy

It seemed a bit chilly on waking up this morning – and on sticking our heads out of the tent we discovered there’d been a frost! Well, we were camping at 1472 metres, so it wasn’t such a surprise, but it made it much harder to leave the sleeping bags. In the end we bought a voucher for 2 hours internet from the campground, and lazed around in our sleeping bags looking at the weather and possible cycle routes, and trying to decide where to go from here. To follow the Alps west, or to head north? We came to the sensible conclusion that the good weather probably wasn’t going to last forever, that the forecast held precipitation, and over any alpine passes that was going to be falling as snow (a good idea, as a few days later it was snowing on at least one of the passes we’d crossed).

 

Coming into Zuoz (I think), one of many little Alp towns along our route today

 

After a morning of lazing around we headed into town then uphill to Albula Pass/Pass d’Alvra (2321m). It was a rest day so we only did one 2000m+ pass. We mostly followed the road – largely on one of the Swiss national cycle routes, although I forget which number. There were lovely views, and a clear blue sky, and I stripped down to a singlet once again as it warmed up. We cycled through a series of little towns with cobbled streets, and passed lots of other cyclists, both on the road and mountain-biking.

 

La-Punt Chamues

 

 

Turning off to climb over Albula Pass (Pass d’Alvra)

 

 

Albula Pass

 

 

Albula Pass

 

We wound up a series of hairpins then to a more gradual ascent through an open valley, and then descended without putting enough clothes on. It was shady and cold and we both ended up freezing cold with numb fingers. 1321 metres of descent (past cliffs and railway line and under bridges) later we found a campground under some electrical wires. They ask us “Isn’t it too cold for camping? Are you sure you want to camp?” Yes we’re sure.

 

Descending alongside the railway

 

Another freezing cold morning the next day leaves us lurking in our sleeping bags in the warm for some time before we summon up our courage to exit into the frosty world outside. Even with all our warm layers on, the cycling is very cold until after 10am when the air starts to warm and we leave the valley and stop descending.

 

At the Herbstfest

 

We passed a Herbstfest (Autumn festival) some time after Thusis, which had tractors and donkeys to ride, as well as piglets and goats and rabbits and Swiss music, and some sort of cattle show and sale, with all the cows wearing their best enormous show bells. Some of them seemed fairly uncooperative on the whole showing front, and stubbornly dug their hooves in, then just sat down on the spot – meanwhile the handler was busy trying to drag them around by the bell collar.

 

The valleys start to widen, and crops appear again

 

Lots of cyclists and horses shared the path with us as we passed near Chur. Then we were heading north again, and passing through the Heidi Alps! I get very excited and Alex looked at me as if I’m a bit odd. Heidi was the first book I remember reading though. In Maienfeld we hit another festival, with piano accordions and wine flooding the streets.

 

Vineyards outside of Maienfeld, by the Heidi Alps

 

After dallying a while, we climbed the hill past Maienfeld, through vineyards, and descended through a Swiss Army base (with cliff bunkers and everything) to reach Liechtenstein. It seems strangely similar to Switzerland, and we found a campground in Balzers – that unsurprisingly had cow bells sounding through it.

 

Into Liechtenstein

 

Distance cycled: 135km
Days of rain: 0/2 (wooo! the sunny spell continues)
Public toilets: Available
Bike friendliness: Reasonable – We followed the Swiss cycle routes. Route 6 took us through some unpleasant tunnels and road on the section between Thusis and Tiefencastel (I think the route description suggests you’re better off taking the bus or train for this section, the riding isn’t that nice anyway). It improved after that though, with lots of hills and cows and fields, and more crops again.

Our time in Italy was all spent in South Tyrol, which is an autonomous region with more German than Italian speakers, and so wasn’t really a true Italian experience.

 

Sunny alpine valley

 

 

Austrian Autumn colours

 

We crossed into Italy after a rest day in Lienz, camping out by the Lienzer Dolomites. Well, it wasn’t a total rest day, we had to cycle 33km to get there, and somehow that managed to include a little pass with a 12% gradient and a 300m altitude gain. But most of the day was spent in Lienz wandering around in town then lazing about in camp and listening to the cowbells (and a loud, friendly and slightly tipsy Texan man).

 

Climbing up over Iselsberg Pass, looking back on the valley we came from

 

 

Descending into Lienz and the Lienzer Dolomites

 

So it was the next day that we snuck into Italy, cycling along a gradual uphill by the Drau River. Gradual uphills always seem much more demoralizing than a good steep road, but this one was leading us through the Dolomites and further into the mountains, so we didn’t mind too much. Cycling through Brunico then onwards, we ended up camping in St Lorenzen, setting up just by a conker tree that kept trying to drop conkers on us. A little old lady came round selling fresh milk, eggs and cheese (in German), so we bought some cheese, then sat back and enjoyed the view. While listening to the church bell in town – it was one of the more excitable ones, that felt the need to let you know every time 15 minutes had passed.

 

Dolomite cows

 

 

The Italian countryside

 

The following morning brought another heavy dew, and the bike path we continued on was full of constant steep up and down sections. We were heading to Brixen/Bressanone for lunch – most of the towns in South Tyrol have both a German and Italian name, you would usually see both on roadsigns, but sometimes only one would be referenced, and it could get very confusing, especially with all the towns starting with B in the area. After lunch we were headed towards Bozen/Bolzano, which proved to be a hectic Italian sort of town with bikes and traffic everywhere, and hoards of tourists.

 

Apples all day

 

All day we’d been cycling past apple orchards and vineyards – it’s harvest time at the moment, and the smell of apples and wine is everywhere. Tiny little tractors were busy zooming around with crates of grapes on the back, and people were swarming all over apple trees filling box upon box of apples. We cycled past an apple factory outside of Brixen, with enormous stacks of apple crates, and the sweet apple smell lingers for kilometers.

We spent the night in Nals, a little town surrounded by orchards and vineyards, then continued along the bikepath, and past more apples. When we cycled past a thermometer in Meran it was already 16oC – much warmer than it has been recently! Meran was another hectic place, with lots of cobbled streets and bikes, and it took us a while to track down a grocery store and some stove fuel (we decide on unleaded petrol again). After finally escaping the city the bike path had a series of steep hair pins to gain us some elevation as we cycled up the valley. After that it seemed surprisingly flat and fast most of the day, with lots of apples and grapes to cycle past.

 

Out of Meran, past more apples

 

We get people yelling out and asking us why we’re going the wrong way (the uphill way that is) – it seems to be a bit of a theme on our trip. An Austrian couple reassured us that we can catch the bus up ahead so we don’t have to cycle over the pass. At that point we still hadn’t decided which way to go; there were three different passes to choose from to get into Switzerland. Reschen Pass would probably be the easiest and most sensible. Stilfser Joch would be the most interesting, and difficult.

 

Rocky hillsides, orchards, and houses in unlikely places

 

Of course we ended up deciding to go for Stilfser Joch (aka Passo dello Stelvio). With a name like that, how could you not? And it has all those hairpins! It’s reported as having 15% gradients though, so we’re hoping it’s not too steep for too long. After making the decision we stopped to grab a few more groceries (as there would be a long stretch without a supermarket ahead). Turning off through Prad, and suddenly we were climbing. It was nice and constant though, and not too bad. No worse than Großglockner. There’s not a huge shoulder, but the road isn’t too busy, and it felt like there was enough space for us. We reached the first few of the hairpins (each numbered, we start at No. 48) and then Trafoi (about 1550m a.s.l.), where the campground was closed for the season, but we managed to find a spot in the forest nearby.

Distance cycled: 305km
Sleeping arrangements: Campgrounds/wild camping
Days of rain: 0/4 (wooo! the sunny spell continues)
Public toilets: Available
Bike friendliness: Pretty good, lots of signed bike trails, or roads that are fine to cycle on
Free wifi availability: Poor