Between Luxembourg and Lyon lies the Bike Route of the Year 2026, according to the jury. The announcement fell at the Cycling and Hiking Fair, where the 727-kilometre route along the Moselle and Sa\u00f4ne rivers won out over the Achterhoek. Based on the map and the route description, this choice looks logical. At the same time, the nomination shows that the Achterhoek was a strong contender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The winning route starts in Luxembourg City<\/strong> and ends in Lyon<\/strong>. Along the way you follow two major river valleys: first the Moselle<\/strong>, then the Sa\u00f4ne<\/strong>. The profile is mostly flat, the trail mostly clear and you could say you don't notice you're going from Luxembourg to France, as the paths join almost seamlessly.... 727 kilometres mostly along rivers and on trails where you won't be bothered by cars. That makes it a lovely holiday route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The judges judged on signage, the quality of the road or surface, facilities and originality of the route. That combination of length, ease of crossing the border and how the route had been thought through in terms of logistics was ultimately the deciding factor. Along the route there are several campsites and bed and breakfasts<\/a> literally up against the cycle path, with the familiar signs for cyclists everywhere. For those who need it, there are even charging points for e-bikes. In terms of planning: count on some 8-10 days if you want to tour leisurely at 70-90 km a day, but for the keen road cyclist or gravel rider : divide this in half. And if you are hungry: the tarte aux mirabelles serves as a flan substitute here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Achterhoek, and specifically the area around Winterswijk<\/strong>, was one of the other finalists. The nomination for that route came mainly because of its famous coulisse landscape: a mix of small-scale agriculture, forests, winding paths and wooded banks. In addition, the region has one of the densest junction networks in the Netherlands, allowing you to vary your routes in many ways. We then mainly use Komoot and Veloplanner, but for those who prefer cycling by numbers, this is a great indicator.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Achterhoek as strong number two<\/h2>\n\n\n\n