See the Dordogne by bike

See the Dordogne by bike

January 19th, 2010 |

New expansions have been announced to the Perigueux Green Lane, a cycle route that aims to connect the Dordogne with a national network of other such lanes.

Like many areas in France, the Dordogne is well suited to cycling. In fact, the area encourages visitors and tourists to see the picturesque countrysides on the back of a bike. The region has hundreds of bike tracks, lanes and planned routes that will take biking tourists to all of the major heritage spots and even across to the neighbouring areas of Bordeaux or Limoges.

The ‘Green Lane of Perigueux’ currently runs around the titular municipality and runs from Bordeaux, west of the Dordogne town, to Limoges, to the east. As well as the main stretch there are dozens of other routes that take cyclists into the heart of the Dordogne. Currently the ‘Green Lane’ is still under construction and many sections are incomplete, though enough is in place to ride the majority of the 86km on the secured bikeways. This year the work should be finished and new routes added to this system thanks to funds from the state, départemental budgets from Dordogne, Gironde and Haute-Vinne, the EU and local municipalities.

Attracting tourism has always been the main goal of the Green Lane. Many tourist tour companies have stops along the route, and many places offer hospitalities and attractions to the passing cyclists. It’s also no coincidence that it mimics the historic Christian pilgrimage route, ”The Way of St James”, which once saw French pilgrims journey to the heart of Spain via the southwestern route from Perigueux to Bordeaux and beyond.

The completed sections of the lane are reserved entirely for non-motorised vehicles. Disused railway lines, river banks, forest trails and rural roads have all been set aside and cleared to establish the large bike lane. Although it was designed for cyclists, the routes are also popular with skaters, wheelchair users and pedestrians because of the smooth surface, lack of traffic and idyllic scenery. All along the path information posts encourage travellers to visit remarkable sites nearby, directing them off the Green Lane and onto low traffic roads or greenways that will take them to heritage landmarks in the area.

The Aquitaine region hopes to have the Green lane finished in its entirety by 2013. The proposed route is available on the General Council’s website, and includes provisions for ensuring that lodgings are available at every step of the Green Lane. The council estimates that on average cyclists will cover 30km each day, and spend around 50 euros each day on services other than accommodation – such as bike rental, repair, food and drink.

One of the key attractions for the Green Lane is that cyclists don’t need to return to the beginning to get back home. Even if you give up halfway, you can easily make it back home or to a further destination on the continent as Bordeaux, Perigueux and Limoges boast their own airports and rail connections.