Almost 3,000km of trails to enjoy by bike or mountain bike!
Getting on your bike to discover this vast region so marked by mountains, water and nature, you’ll find all the ingredients to help you forget the stresses of contemporary life. While France’s Alpine ranges are such a joy to explore by bike or mountain bike, with iconic passes, summits and high-altitude lakes, don’t ignore the cycling potential of the Massif Central – its volcanoes, high plateaux, lakes and racing rivers are so many attractions for a mountain-biking adventure, for example on the GTMC or the Grande Traversée de l'Ardèche VTT, or on a biking tour of the Cantal Mountains. Former railway lines converted into greenways, such as Via Fluvia or Dolce Via, prove a delight for family cycling. Lyon, regional capital, plus a French capital of gastronomy, is a town to relish, along ViaRhôna cycle route, or reaching the end of La Voie Bleue. All told, this is a region to satisfy all tastes for those seeking to get away by bike. Finally, the Via Allier offers a new crossing of the Auvergne by following the course of this wild river
Recharge your batteries cycling beside our rivers
Water features prominently across Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The region is renowned for the benefits of its thermal spas and the beauty and grandeur of its mountain lakes, some even nestling in extinct volcanoes. Numerous rivers cross the region, the banks beside some of them specially laid out for cyclists. France’s longest river, the Loire, has its source here and you can follow a stretch of what the French call Europe’s last major wild river by joining La Véloire from Roanne. Or discover the Saône River by bike on La Voie Bleue, which finishes by joining the Rhône at the regional capital, Lyon. ViaRhôna allows you to cycle beside the Rhône, continuing far south. Soon, cyclists will be able to enjoy another major wild, regional river, riding along La Via Allier, this route eventually set to run as far as the Allier’s confluence with the Loire.
Riding beside the Rhône from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean
Discover, or rediscover, France’s second mightiest river thanks to the ViaRhôna cycle route, stretching 850km from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean. Following the Rhône, you can cycle from the French Alps to the beaches of the Camargue. The trail hugs the meandering river, taking you past towns and villages enriched by centuries of river trading. Northeast of Lyon, the Rhône reveals a wild side not so well-known to most. South of the region’s capital of gastronomy, you cycle along below famed Côtes du Rhône vineyards, then the landscapes take on a distinctly southern French feel, with lavender fields and olive groves sweeping down from perched villages. This cultural and gastronomic trip is well laid out for cyclists. South of the city of Valence, the Dolce Via leads you west into the heart of the Ardèche, following a former railway line converted into a greenway; this 90km-long mini cycling adventure offers a perfect way to get away from it all for a weekend or short break.
Cycling beside volcanoes and the oldest mountains in France
Numerous possibilities now exist for crossing France’s oldest mountain range by bike or mountain bike. These trails across the Massif Central offer some of the most other-worldly cycling trips in France. A route stretching 800km across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Grande Traversée du Massif Central by mountain bike takes you meandering around the Auvergne’s volcanoes, the Sancy Range, the Cézallier Plateau and the Cantal Mountains. In contrast, the section from Moulins to Clermont-Ferrand is perfect for trying out a first roaming moutain-biking excursion. To the south, La Grande Traversée de l'Ardèche VTT provides an intense trip, almost 350km in total, through wild parts, taking in the mountains and gorges of the Ardèche. As to La Grande Traversée du Volcan à Vélo, this cycle route crosses the Cantal Mountains via gorges, high plateaux and volcanoes. Finally, the Via Fluvia greenway, along a former railway line, zigzags around the rounded old volcanic tops (known as sucs) of the Velay area and offers an easy, gentle option for families.
From Alps to Jura, cycling from one range to another
From the Jura Range to the French Alps, it’s not that far to cycle! Prepare your trip, be it by bike or mountain bike, through these ranges with their celebrated summits and passes according to your level of fitness. Les Grandes Traversées du Jura (the GTJ à Vélo and GTJ by mountain bike) finish at the foot of the Grand Colombier Mountain, where the ViaRhôna cycle route takes over, connecting Jura to French Alps. Many possibilities exist for cycling across these Alps. Consider opting for an electric bike, for example to take on Les Chemins du Soleil, La Route des Grandes Alpes (tackling legendary passes) or the route Sur les Pas des Huguenots (following in persecuted Protestants’ footsteps). For a gentler option, the Véloroute du Sillon Alpin connects the lakes of Le Bourget and Annecy, providing a fine alternative to the ViaRhôna cycle route between Culoz and Valence.
