The year 2021 is nearing its end. Despite everything, it helps to look ahead and make plans. That gives perspective and that helps for positivity! So we are already looking ahead to top destinations for a cycling holiday in 2022. Because if you are going to plan a cycling holiday, where do you actually want to go? Will it be classic to Alpe d'Huez Or do you do something else anyway? We have already Part I named of cool destinations for 2022. Here comes the second part, with more inspiration again.
Vaud - Switzerland
This month, December 2021, the canton announced Vaud in Switzerland that 2022 will be the 'year of the bicycle' would become. Why? Not only does the Tour de Romandie pass through the area, but there is also a finish (Lausanne) and a start (Aigle) of a tour stage. Not to mention other activities. We have been to the area before and local hero Alain Rumpf also knows his way around this beautiful area. We often focus on the part around Lausanne and Aigle, but the canton runs all the way from (just outside) Geneva to also Lake Neuchâtel. You can explore the Jura there, but also the Alpes Vaudoises. And don't forget to make a stop at the UCI's Centre Mondial du Cyclisme! So you can be more on the eastern side of the canton,but also west you have beautiful spots and of course the vast Lac Leman.
Val d'Aran - Catalonia
Catalonia is the cycling destination in Spain in 2022. Naja, maybe along with Asturias, but that's more for those cyclists looking for extreme challenges, with goat trails above 20% (such as, for example these climbs). But against the border with France, on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees lies Catalunya. A cycling paradise. Many are already familiar with the possibilities of cycling in Girona. Many top cyclists store their winter camp there and many cycle tourists enjoy the first rays of spring sunshine. They flee colder conditions in more northern parts of Europe.
A lesser-known region is the Val d'Aran. In a corner, right up against the French border, this winter ski region is a summer mecca for MTB riders but certainly also for road cyclists and gravel bikers. You can enjoy Spanish hospitality, Spanish cuisine, yet also take in some famous summits from the Tour de France. The climb to Superbagnères is really within easy reach. Viella is a great base for a schitzy holiday.
Czech Republic
In 2021, the Iron Curtain route (at least the part in the Czech Republic) was cycle route of the year. That's saying something. Soweiso, the entire Iron Curtain Trail one to write down in advance for challenge of the coming years. This really is a route with a story to tell. Only downside: you will take some time to complete the route, as it is over 7,500 km long. Yikes. The part in Czech Republic is stunning. You ride mostly through the forest and on quiet (unpaved) paths. A gravel bike or at least a road bike with wider tyres is recommended.
Along the way, you drive through recent history, as many forget that the Iron Curtain hung between East and West until 1989. Thatis just over 30 years ago, but in this region it comes so alive again. Sometimes you can still see old watchtowers and you drive through areas where people literally lost their lives to escape a communist regime. Šumava National Park is highly recommended anyway.
