Dordogne to boast new “bike-road greenway”

Dordogne to boast new “bike-road greenway”

February 7th, 2012 |

For many people the biggest draw of a French holiday is the chance to see the country from the back of a bicycle. From the quiet rural lanes of the idyllic countryside to the busy but ordered cycle lanes of the cosmopolitan cities, France – like much of Europe – has a much more positive relationship with cycling than the UK.

Already, the Dordogne is one of the favourite destinations for tourists looking for the best biking holiday, thanks to its gentle valleys and bucolic scenery. Yet soon it could be even more attractive to both the avid cyclist and the casual rider looking to explore the countryside, as the Council of Perigord has finalised plans for a “bike-road greenway” along the valley towards the central municipality of Periguex.

According to Sud-Ouest.com, this is the ‘flagship project’ for the regional association’s efforts in tourism. Intended for all non-motorised travel throughout the valley, it will create a path northwards from the southern border of the Dordogne along the towns and small villages of the valley through the ‘green community’ surrounding Perigueux.

The route has now been finalised and the overall cost has been calculated; by the end of the year, the County association has announced it will have launched a website which will be accessible in French as well as English, German and Spanish.

Although many routes currently exist throughout the region already, the new greenway will link them together to provide a single route for traversing a huge swathe of the Dordogne valley. A target date of 2012 has been set for the completion of the project.

This will be added to the existing routes available in the Dordogne. The most notable of these routes is the Piste Cyclable, which not only features beautiful countryside through wooded areas but also boasts absolutely no traffic. Running south-east from Sarlat, the route runs along a disused railway line that has been converted into a smooth cycle way and boasts several stopping points with unique appeals to the average tourist.