ANNECY AND THE ALPS

Riding through northern France we pause overnight in the Ardennes department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. Our hotel is located in a unique medieval fortress.

We ride south towards the French Swiss boarder to our destination, nestled in a bend in the Daubs river, the Greenest City in France, Besancon. Our hotel, located in the historic centre of the city, overlooked by the 17th Century fortifications and is ideally situated to explore this UNESCO World Heritage site. The next two nights we locate ourselves at picturesque Lake Annecy, said to be ‘the Venice of the Alps’. Here, you can opt to take a day away from the saddle to enjoy the laid-back lakeside towns, or you can join our easy-paced ride into the surrounding countryside.

The following two days we’ll have the Italian ski resort of Courmayeur as our base as we dial up the riding thrills to tackle a series of marvellous Alpine roads, including: Col De Madeline, Col de la Croix Fer, Petite St Bernard, and the Col d’Iseran (the highest paved route in the Alps).

Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, is our next stop. This key wine centre, with its rich historical and architectural heritage, is surrounded by well preserved battlements, ramparts and a moat. The ‘Hospices de Beaune’, in the town center, is one of the best preserved renaissance buildings in Europe. The next day finds us heading North, through Champagne country and onto our final night together enjoying French hospitality, good food, and great company. Our final days riding takes us past the City of Laon and the battlefields of the First World War, to our train ride back across the Channel and home.

Our route rides the Doubs, Jura, and Alps mountains but each day is carefully planned  with two optional non-riding days, so there is still plenty of time to relax and explore our destinations. This is an easier paced but still exciting alternative to Mountains: Alps.