TOP 10 EUROPEAN CITY BREAKS
Europe’s full of great cities for a cultural long weekend – and most of them are surrounded by quiet roads for a great ride
BREST
CELTIC HERITAGE CIDER AND CAKE THE END OF THE WORLD Well, more or less. The Pointe du Raz, the other side of the bay from Brest, is France’s equivalent of Land’s End - next stop America. Less than three hours from St Malo, there’s a Celtic vibe to the region, with place-names and signs in both French and Breton. Make sure you try the excellent seafood as well as Kouign Amann - the local cake - washed down with farm cider. MUST-RIDE ROAD: The D712 from Landernau to Landivisiau.
NANTES
FOOD AND WINE CULTURE MECHANICAL ELEPHANTS! Yes, really - as well as the Estuaire art project, which dots scupltures and installations up and down the river, the old naval dockyards are home to an ever-expanding collection of animated steampunk creatures including a 40ft tall passenger-carrying elephant. Just a couple of hours from the ferry at St Malo, Nantes is at the heart of the Muscadet region. That means crisp, white wines that go perfectly with the local fish dishes and rich, buttery Beurre Blanc sauce (try La Cigale in the Place Graslin). MUST RIDE: The D751 Nantes to Angers.
CAEN
D-DAY BEACHES BAYEUX TAPESTRY PERFECT FOR A WEEKEND An overnight boat from Portsmouth puts you in Normandy for breakfast. Pegasus Bridge is five minutes from the ferry and the excellent museum at Arromanches (Gold Beach) is just 20 miles to the west (Bayeux is just inland), with the American beaches beyond. East of Caen you’ll find the pretty seaside towns of Honfleur Deauville and Trouville. Caen itself is sprawling but avoid the suburbs and it’s bright and buzzing. MUST RIDE: The D562/D911 Caen to Sourdeval.
REIMS
CHAMPAGNE POSH RESTAURANTS MORE CHAMPAGNE You wouldn’t believe Reims had been badly knocked about in both world wars - the champagne trade’s paid for a serious restoration job and the result is well worth exploring, as is the surrounding area. British bikers don’t seem to know about this bit of country but it’s a popular destination for Dutch and German riders. Champagne dominates but there are also four Michelin-starred restaurants in Reims itself. Nom. MUST RIDE: The D9/D9 Reims to Epernay and Chatillon sur Marne.
ARRAS
HISTORIC BATTLEFIELDS SOBERING CEMETERIES ART DECO A-GOGO ARRAS is only an hour or so from Calais and was right in the front line for most of World War One. It was completely destroyed but sympathetically restored in the 1920s. It’s a natural base if you want to explore the battlefields and war cemeteries in the region. There’s plenty to explore in Arras itself too - including a huge network of deep tunnels dating from WWI. MUST RIDE: The D919/D73 Arras to Thiepval, to pay your respects at the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.
SPA
TAKING THE WATERS SMELLING THE FUMES HISTORY EVERYWHERE Spa is the grand old lady of fashionable places to bathe in healing mineral waters. More importantly, outside Spa is the legendary Spa-francorchamps racetrack. The Spa Bikers’ Classic in late June is a superb nostalgia-fest. Roadside war memorials - often reclaimed tanks and armoured cars - commemorate the Battle of the Bulge, Germany’s last offensive of WWII, which was fought in the countryside between Spa and Bastogne. Oh, and the Nürburgring’s just round the corner. MUST RIDE: The A633/N68 from Aywaille to Trois Ponts and on to Vielsalm.
AMSTERDAM TULIPS WINDMILLS LEGAL INTOXICATION Clichés apart, the Dutch capital’s well worth a visit. There’s culture aplenty for a start, with art and architecture from the days when the Netherlands rivalled Britain as a trading nation. There’s the sobering experience of a visit to Anne Frank’s house or, if your tastes are less refined, there’s always the chance of a guided piss-up at the Heineken brewery. MUST RIDE: The narrow, twisty back road from Ouder-amstel to Amstelhoek beside the River Amstel. GRONINGEN WORLD SUPERBIKES! MOTOGP! BRITISH SUPERBIKES! And that about sums it up. As you may have guessed, Groningen is just north of the legendary Assen circuit so UK fans get three excuses for a blast up from Calais (300 miles) or the Hook (160 miles). As you might expect, the countryside is dead flat and given over to agriculture (think Norfolk with clogs), so wiggly roads are rare. Makes a change though. MUST RIDE: The N857/374/376 – the route of the original road circuit of 1925, linking the villages
of Rolde, Borger and Schoonloo. KASSEL THE HARZ MOUNTAINS BIG CATS! GREAT ROADS It’s a four-hour blast from the Hook of Holland ferry to Kassel on the motorway and considerably more on A roads, but it’s worth it. Not for Kassel itself - largely rebuilt after being flattened in 1943, it’s just another big modern city - but for the access it gives you to some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe. The Harz National Park to the northwest is worth a look but in every direction you have forests, twisty roads and great views. MUST RIDE: The B83 Kassel to Hamelin. LUXEMBOURG TAX ‘ADVICE’ QUIET ROADS CHEAP FUEL! There are two sides to Luxembourg. There’s Luxembourg City in the south – a modern financial centre (or tax haven) built round a medieval citadel. It’s a great place to use as a base. Then there’s the north – a sparsely populated, heavily wooded and very pretty area of rural hills. It’s also one of the smallest countries in the world, so you’ll keep falling over the edge into Germany, France and Belgium. French and German are the main languages, but most people speak English too. MUST RIDE: The N12 from Luxembourg City all the way to the top of the country.