Orient
Express
7 July - 25 August
France, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey
Paris to Istanbul
3,600 km > 39 riding days > 11 rest days
The adventure will begin in Paris, the City of Lights. From Provins, the road takes us through the rolling “Champagne” region, home of the authentic bubbly and into Alsace, 50 kilometers inside Germany, we arrive in the old university town of Freiburg, gateway to the Black Forest. From Freiburg it is a one-day ride to Donaueschingen, the official source of the mighty Danube River. We continue on to Budapest once dubbed the “Pearl of the Danube.” Riders will not soon forget the Transfagaras Range. Then on to Bucharest, once dubbed “Paris of the East”, because of its busy cosmopolitan social scene and its architecture.
From Bucharest we head further south, crossing into Bulgaria before turning east en route to Turkey towards the Bosporus Strait into Istanbul.
Start
Paris - July 7
Freiburg - July 15
Budapest - August 3
Bucharest - August 16
End
Freiburg - July 13
Budapest - August 1
Bucharest - August 14
Istanbul - August 25
Km
580
1.300
1.000
750
Ride
6 days
14 days
11 days
8 days
Joie de vivre
start - Paris July 7
end - Freiburg July 13
580 km - France, Germany
6 riding days - 1 rest days
This section will take you to some of Europe’s most visited cities and all-time favorite tourist attractions; from Paris’s Eiffel Tower, to German Bavaria, and along the Danube to the Cathedrals and Opera houses of Vienna. Experiencing these sites astride a bicycle, you will see and sense Classic Europe in a manner unlike any other European tour. The adventure will begin in Paris, the City of Lights. After a brief cycle tour of the city doffing our helmets at Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe we will head for our first stop in Chenoise.
The next day we’ll pass through Provins, a walled medieval town designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From Provins, the road takes us through the rolling French “Champagne” region, home of the authentic bubbly, and into Alsace, along a route dotted by spa towns, including Vittel, source of the famous French mineral water. We will cross the Vosges, where you will have a challenging climb from 200 to 1200 meters in altitude – the most difficult day of this section. Just 50 km inside Germany we arrive in Freiburg, gateway to the Black Forest.
Danube trail
start - Freiburg July 15
end - Budapest August 1
1.300 km - Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary
14 riding days - 4 rest days
From Freiburg it is a one-day ride to Donaueschingen, the official source of the mighty Danube River. It is in Donaueschingen where we meet the Danube Cycleway, a 1357 km dedicated bicycle path that runs along the banks of the Danube River. Occasionally isolated entirely from vehicular traffic we will bike across picturesque Bavaria through Ulm, the birthplace of Albert Einstein.
From Ulm we shall sample the delights of three of Europe’s most cosmopolitan urban centers; Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Each is a capital city, ancient and modern, rich with imperial architecture, opera houses and museums, as well as chic shopping and delightful eateries. Inspirational classical music and delicious Viennese cream cakes await you in Vienna. Then, we are off to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, and Budapest, once dubbed the “Pearl of the Danube.” Anyone who has not visited Eastern Europe recently will be enchanted by Budapest’s latest Parisian fashions, an impressive array of international cuisine and majestic Austro-Hungarian architecture. Hungary’s centuries-old spas will relax you after your journey. Visit one of the large public spas and you will observe a slice of local life in this city unlike any other.
Behind the Iron Curtain
start - Budapest August 3
end - Bucharest August 14
1.000 km - Hungary, Romania
11 riding days - 1 rest days
Leaving Budapest we will head southeast, traversing the plains of southern Hungary. As we cross into Romania and Transylvania, the flat days soon end. Not only is Transylvania rich in history and intrigue, its landscapes rival the Alps and Pyrenees for sheer challenge and awe-inspiring views. Cycling eastward on country roads, we arrive at our rest day in Alba Iulia – the capital during Michael the Brave’s short reign as Prince of Transylvania.
On from Alba Iulia, the Carpathians creep ever closer on our right, until we turn inward and start our excruciating ascent up the Transfagaras range and into the territory ruled by Vlad Dracul, better known as Dracula. Over a distance of approx. 60 km we will climb to an altitude of 2034m negotiating more than 50 switchbacks on the north side of the pass. After reaching the top, we will take time out to explore the little known ruins of Poienari Castle – one of Vlad’s fortresses.
From there, we zoom downhill through tunnels and past manmade lakes high in the mountains until we reach Curtea de Arges – one of the oldest cities in Romania on the banks of the Arges River. The next stop is Targoviste, the city from which Vlad ran his empire, and the site of the trial and execution of Nicolae Ceausescu. After another day of riding into the metropolis of Bucharest, the current capital of Romania, our time cycling is complete.
Into the Orient
start - Bucharest August 16
end - Istanbul August 25
750 km - Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey
8 riding days - 2 rest days
Feel the Orient drawing steadily closer as we cycle south from Bucharest to Istanbul through some of the least traveled regions of Eastern Europe. You will whiz past horse-drawn carts, observe farmers pitching hay the old fashioned way, and sip strong coffee proffered by curious villagers in rural Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. From Bucharest we head further south, crossing into Bulgaria and then turning east towards Turkey. After a few days getting to know the friendly people of Turkey over kebabs and coffees we arrive at our final destination, exotic Istanbul, which straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosporus Strait. The same city, known in antiquity as Byzantine and, later, Constantinople, served as capital, in succession, of three empires. Istanbul remains one of the world’s most majestic, enchanting and vibrant cities. There we will gather together one last time for a celebratory dinner, and reflect on the epic journey just ended.