Biking In Europe? EuroVelo Cycling Network Expands Routes In Spain And Hungary, Adds New Up-To-Date Map

For European-bound cyclists, a couple of new extended bike paths and a new, printed, wall-sized overview map of routes on the continent may help plan – and offer inspiration for – their next adventure.

EuroVelo, a network of 17 long distance cycling routes that crosses and connects 38 countries in Europe, released its 2023 edition of the EuroVelo Overview Map and announced extensions to two routes – Pilgrims Route in Spain and Waters of Central Europe in Hungary.

The developments were announced earlier this month by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), an umbrella group based in Brussels with more than 60 member organizations in over 40 countries.

EuroVelo – the European cycle route network – is an initiative of the European Cyclists’ Federation in cooperation with national and regional partners. It incorporates existing and planned national and regional cycle routes into a single European system. Launched in Logroño, Spain more than 25 years ago, when fully developed and completed, it will total more than 56,000 miles.

About two-thirds of the network is ready for cyclists.

The new EuroVelo 3 – Pilgrims Route extension runs from Santiago de Compostela to Cape Fisterra in Spain, a nearly 60 mile-long stretch that follows the ancient pilgrimage path to the edge of the Iberian Peninsula, and ends with views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast. The full route goes from Trondheim (Norway) to Cape Fisterra (Spain), spanning seven countries, connecting Norwegian fjords to the Spanish Atlantic Coast passing through some of the continent’s most historic religious buildings, like the cathedrals of Cologne, Aachen and Santiago de Compostela.

EuroVelo 14 – Waters of Central Europe added about 250 miles to the now nearly 700 mile route through two countries, from Zell am See (Austria) to Debrecen (Hungary), where it passes along a number of waterways, rivers, lakes and spas. With this extension, the route travels through Budapest, the Hungarian capital, now the crossing point for two major cycling corridors: the new section of EuroVelo 14 and EuroVelo 6 – Atlantic-Black Sea, which follows the Danube River.

Updated every three years, the new edition of the printed map provides an overview of the cycling network, and detailed itineraries, descriptions of themes, level of development, and useful travel information and resources, like local contacts and advice for tourists, for each of the routes.

EuroVelo’s website also offers inviting descriptions of routes, as well as specific details, like length, number of United Nations designated World Heritage sites, how many countries they pass through, and links to route details that can be downloaded.

For example, the EuroVelo 4 – Central Europe Route, at more than three thousand miles, visits seven countries and boasts 21 UNESCO sites. Cycling across Europe, travelers will discover “ outstanding medieval architecture, dynamic cities and history lessons, and yet you can still get away from the crowds on this route, visiting France’s dramatic northern coastline and by crossing through the fairy tale Bohemian Forest.” The route, the website notes, is “so diverse, you won’t know where to begin.”

For more information, click here, here, and here.