Last time we explored Spain, going all the way to the most southerly point of mainland Europe. This time, in the final part of this series, we’ll be heading back north but taking in a few sights on the way.
From the Spanish border we’ll head up to Millau – it’s quite a way but between the Pyrenees and here it’s relatively uninteresting riding. Millau is home to the tallest bridge in the world – the Millau Viaduct – with one of its masts standing 343 metres above the ground. It’s certainly an experience riding across it – especially with semi-transparent sides to look over the side from.
The road that runs beneath the bridge is also worth looking at as it gives you a fantastic impression of the scale of the structure. Roads in this area are fantastic as we’re back in the vicinity of the Verdon Gorge, even the motorways can be fun to ride with long sweeping turns.
From Millau we’ll be heading to Lyon – France’s third largest city. If you’re travelling with a shopaholic it’s home to the biggest shopping centre in Europe, La Part-Dieu, but I much prefer it for its grand buildings. The basilica perched atop the hill west of the city is a spectacular sight at night, and the old town is a delight to walk around.
Beyond Lyon it’s back up towards Switzerland – but this time the destination is Germany’s renowned Black Forest. The B500 is a famous road for good reason – it’s chock full of motorcycles and hotels that cater for them. The road itself is a brilliant riding road that should be on any European tour that comes near here.
Now that you’re in Germany it’s absolutely worth checking out German beers – the selection in Germany, not surprisingly, is much greater than the imported ones in the UK. Any beer lover will be in heaven, my favourites are generally the cloudy wheat beers – very tasty!
From the Black Forest we’ll be heading up to Stuttgart – home to Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. While these may not be motorcycle marques it’s certainly worth visiting if you’re a petrol head, both manufacturers offer extensive museums of their past and current models that are well worth drooling over extensively!
Next up it’s the infamous Nurburgring – the world’s favourite test track. Technically speaking it’s actually public highway – except it’s one way without speed limits, and has a toll. You pay per lap and you can go as fast, or as slow, as you want. It’s quite the experience and is certainly not for the faint hearted, especially on a motorcycle, but with a cool head it’s an unforgettable and enjoyable experience. Photographers around the track take photos of you which you can download from their websites – well worth checking out for a unique photo souvenir.
Sadly, at this point, we’re getting quite close to home but there’s one more stop to make. We’re now on our way to Bruges – the final stop of the tour before Calais for the Eurotunnel or ferry. You can stop by the capital of Belgium on the way – Brussels – but it’s not my favourite city, a little bland for my taste. Bruges is another creature though – nicknamed the Venice of the north for its canals and how pretty it is. Just having a walk through the centre with a map should find you the main attractions, with the main square and its towering belfry dominating the town – you can even go up the tower, but you have to climb manually, no lifts here!
From Bruges it’s an hour and a half on the motorway to Calais – and unfortunately that’s the end of the tour, and this series! Naturally there are other places to explore in Europe, I didn’t even touch on Scandinavia, Eastern Europe or even Portugal, but it’d be very hard to realistically fit anything more into what could be considered a single trip. However, it’s easy to say that any trip anywhere is worth doing – just get out on your motorcycle and ride!
