Freewheeling Adventures

The Eastern Townships of Québec combine the convenience of access from Montréal with the true pleasures of Québecois tradition and culture, and a largely anglophone culture. Outstanding cuisine is being discovered, and the quiet roads, charming towns and green pastures are a perfect canvas for this exquisite holiday. The flavours and luxuries will pervade your senses and lead you to a deep appreciation for the townships, known locally as L’Estrie.

You will tour through the vineyard region near Dunham, and bicycle through forests and villages past stone churches toward Sutton, stopping for great bowls of caf√©-au-lait and rich croissants at fabulous bakeries along the way. At L’Abbaye St-Benoît-du-Lac, you can try the cider and cheese made by monks in their picturesque lakeshore monastery. Circumnavigating Lac Memphremagog, you will enjoy splendid views on your way to a particularly luxurious final two nights, where the dining is among the most highly rated in Canada. Be careful! Not only will this adventure treat your palate, but the local joie-de-vivre will easily rubs off on visitors, and is likely to send you to new heights of lively appreciation for all the Townships have to offer.

Why this trip?
Fabulous, hilly cycling easily accessible from Montreal, on bike paths and paved roads.
Haskell Opera House straddles the Canada-USA border.
Québécois tradition with Anglophone culture.
Vineyard region near Dunham.
Pedal on an aerial bikeway through the trees near Sutton.
Cider and cheesemaking at L’Abbaye Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.
Excellent cuisine, including sweet maple syrup, delicious ice wine, great beer, fantastic cheese, aromatic bakeries, and generally wholesome meals.

Cycling in Burgundy, with its highly developed bicycle infrastructure, is one of the great pleasures of Europe. You will ride along towpaths next to the canals Bourgogne and Central, built between 1784 and 1843 for improved transportation of firewood, farm bounty, and an abundance of wine, to Paris. The lush, viable soil of Burgundy, on the fringe of the Loire River Valley, is flush with farms and wineries, producing some of the world's most highly reputed Pinot Noires and Chardonnays. It is also home to a unique architectural style of clear Roman influence.

Starting in Montbard, an area pegged as “convenient” by Julius Caesar, you will travel eastward along the Burgundy Canal all the way into Dijon. From there you will continue to the central Burgundy town of Beaune, and the picturesque vineyard region along the Saone River. Enjoy riding traffic-free for most of the route, on towpaths and railbeds. Eight days of tranquil, pastoral cycling, elegant lodgings, and fine dining will demonstrate why this is such a beloved place for cycling comfort.

This route is a continuation of the cycling trail from Passau to Vienna and winds its way along the Danube between the two important European cities of Vienna and Budapest. They hold the legacies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the form of exquisite and impressive architecture.

The route goes through the capital city of Slovakia – Bratislava, and the historically significant towns of Gyor and Esztergom where you can marvel at the largest cathedral in Hungary. The fascinating town of Szentendre is a highlight. Full of churches, galleries, and museums, such as the renowned Hungarian Open Air Museum, you can enjoy this town’s charm and situation on the banks of the Danube below the Pilis Mountains.

This bicycle tour gives you relaxed and easy cycling all the way to Budapest on quiet roads and bike pathways, through a nice balance of vibrant centers and rustic, traditional landscapes of fields, vineyards and forests.

This is debatably Ireland's loveliest corner. Gorgeous sand beaches interrupt heather-clad sea cliffs, and quiet pathways carry you between places of outstanding beauty. County Donegal is sandwiched between the border with Northern Ireland and the surf-ringed headlands of the open Atlantic.

You will begin riding south from the Donegal airport along quiet peninsular roads, past beaches and dunelands preserved as a migratory bird sanctuary. You will spend two nights in Ardara, with a foray to the Slieve League - the highest seacliffs in Europe, near the folk village of Glencolmcille. You will climb into Glenveagh, and descend to a formerly-private majestic castle and gardens of the same name. The northern reaches of Donegal boast more fantastic beaches, and impressive headlands. Fanad Lighthouse adorns one of these, as a stark and beautiful beacon to mankind's habitation of the land/sea boundary.

The ride from there to the similarly imposing headlands near Dunfanaghy takes you to the wonderful village of the same name, where, again, the interface provides fabulous active exploration. If you prefer, you can replace the heady hikes we have planned with golfing on truly remarkable links, surfing, sea-kayaking, horse-riding, fishing, or shopping and simply basking in the appealing ambience of another remote, beautiful seafront village.

The hardest part of this not-too-challenging ride will be leaving all of the wildly sublime beauty behind.

#wildatlanticway #eurovelo1 #EV1

Get intimate with rural France as you trace the Canal des Deux Mers – an ancient thoroughfare linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. In the Middle Ages, when transport over land was slow and dangerous, canals were constructed to ship wares all over Europe quickly and more effectively. Goods were placed on barges in the narrow waterways and then bow-hauled to their destinations by gangs of men on shore. Although this method of transport is long gone, the remnants of these well traveled routes provide a thought-provoking counterpoint to modern life, especially when following the canal paths at a bicycle’s pace. The canals are dotted with locks, each one a tiny hub of activity for the cozy hamlets and rural communities surrounding them, and the well worn trails beside the canals are perfect for contemplative cycling.

Between Saint-Emilion and the fantastic medieval castle-town of Carcassonne the route is lined with vineyards and graceful plane trees and is still considered one of the masterpieces of Louis XIV’s reign. On the way to Toulouse, you follow the Canal de Garonne - a secluded waterway reaching well into the heart of rural France and boasting hundreds of structures including locks, bridges, dams, and a tunnel. Riding this route through appealing walled towns of the Midi-Pyrenees, each nestled among farms and vineyards, you will follow paths well suited to cycling. This bicycle tour will transport you away from the bustle of traffic, enjoying level terrain, lush and charming scenery, and peaceful gardens. We invite you to come and linger by the water’s edge.

These river valleys have been populated for millennia, for very obvious reasons; their beauty and fertility are unsurpassed, and the profusion of châteaux suggests the passionate history of this coveted landscape.

Cycling from one medieval village to another, you will marvel at how little things seem to have changed with the passage of time. Behind the lazy riverbanks and cliffside villages, chestnut and oak forests hide entrances to caves whose walls have been decorated by stone-age artists. Words fail to convey how moving seeing these 20,000 year-old paintings can be. Despite their age, they still display deep knowledge of the human condition.

Starting near the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère Rivers, you will cross from Rocamadour to the Célé and Lot Rivers, and finish near their confluence in St.Cirq-Lapopie. This bicycle tour stands out as being exceptional. The cycling is virtually perfect, on quiet and consistently beautiful routes. The lodging is so comfortable your toes will curl, and the culinary temptations will fuel you for each day’s interests and pleasures. If you dream of pampered cycling in France, this is the trip for you!

There is a new “gold rush” in the Okanagan Valley. World-class wines now complement its fame for fruit production, and it has become a wonderful place for an active holiday. Extraordinary mountain scenery is the backdrop for rides on the most spectacular stretches of the Kettle Valley Railway biking trail, the most compelling of these being perhaps the section through the incredible Myra Canyon. A forest fire burned most of its 18 wooden trestles several years ago, but a groundswell of support energized their reconstruction, and we now want you to join us to cycle the fabulous trail through tunnels and over canyons, as part of a full week indulgence in a valley full of evocatively named towns like Peachland and Summerland.

This is really a collection of wonderful experiences: World-class wines; extraordinary mountain scenery; cycle the fabulous Kettle Valley Railway through tunnels and over canyons, and the incredible Myra Canyon. Riding the real Kettle Valley steam train; having picnics in vineyard courtyards, and cycling on trails gently downhill through tunnels, and across trestles. Your support vehicle hovers nearby in case your sampling takes precedence over bicycle touring. The landscape changes dramatically even during a short bike ride. Orchards and vineyards often give way to dry, sagebrush-covered hills; dense forest can lead to the edge of deep, sun-bleached canyons, and wildlife sightings are common. Best of all, the culinary focus on this trip makes it a particularly luxurious and enchanting escape. Bring your sense of exploration, and discover what’s been happening in the Wild West!

Known for its mild climate and thriving arts community, the coast of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island displays an eclectic mix of nature and rich history. The island has been the homeland of indigenous peoples for thousands of years; abundant artistic, cultural, and historical monuments testify to the presence and influence of these cultures, and you will notice that many place names retain their indigenous origin.

Immerse yourself in seven days of beauty, from the majesty of the rugged coast, to the vast wildlife of the myriad parks, lakes, and beaches you will encounter as you travel along bike pathways and quiet roads. Hiking enthusiasts will relish the chance to explore sections of Salt Spring Island by foot, and Lake Cowichan provides an opportunity to paddle board, surf, or kayak. You will foray to hidden swimming holes, dine on some of the freshest halibut and salmon North American has to offer, and rest in charming inns at the end of each day.

Slovakia – the Czech Republic’s poorer partner in the days of Czechoslovakia - came out of the Velvet Revolution, quiet and mysterious. She removed the Eastern bloc uniform to reveal a refreshingly sincere, kind place, so far unencumbered by many trappings of the Western World.

You will begin in Hungary just outside Budapest. After visiting Esztergom’s massive cathedral, the historic seat of the Hungarian church, you will cross the Danube River and enter Slovakia, stopping at Banska Stiavnica to fathom its legacy of mining and minting. You will visit Kremnica, with its castle and seven peaks, and the village of Vlkolinec to see the largest undisturbed collection of traditional architecture in Slovakia.

Climb from there into the thrilling terrain of the Low Tatras before an unforgettable descent to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska where the Stations of the Cross end at an imposing Bernardine monastery. The final stop before Krakow is the awe-inspiring salt mine at Wieliczka where an intricately sculptured salt cathedral attests to generations of workers who toiled and worshipped underground. This is a land where folk traditions have survived foreign attempts at dominance, to which a plethora of castles and watchtowers pay testament, but whose people have maintained their welcoming spirit!

The Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal provide a gorgeous scenic backdrop for a ride through valleys and forests, past fresh water lakes and pristine rivers. On this ride, you can savour the scenery without having to challenge the big hills!

Le P’tit Train du Nord is a restored rail bed converted into a bike path that cuts through the heart of the Laurentians. It reaches north from Montreal through Mont Tremblant and well into rural Québec, from where you will descend toward Ottawa, enjoying the delightful bike paths through La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau and the splendor of Gatineau Park.

This adventure takes you through many picturesque villages, and includes many opportunities to swim in gorgeous lakes and refreshing rivers as you cycle from one unique inn to the next. It finishes by following the delightfully traffic-free bike routes into Gatineau Park. We recommend planning extra time in Ottawa at the end of your adventure to take in some of the capital’s world-class museums, galleries, festivals, restaurants, and performances. This ride in Canada’s heartland connects two vibrant cities with a week of riding in bucolic beauty, with stops in very charming villages. We look forward to sharing both the peace and the excitement with you.