Gravel routes
Gravel opens up entire regions you wouldn't otherwise see by bike: limestone plateaus, forests, hilltop villages. This selection favours routes that mix fast-rolling tracks with local heritage, with the tire setup and effort level to expect for each.
Colle del Sommeiller: Europe's highest carriage road
Climbing Colle del Sommeiller from Bardonecchia: 26 km, nearly 1,700 m of elevation gain up to 2,993 m, split between asphalt and extreme gravel.
Colle delle Finestre: the legendary Giro climb, gravel included
Climbing the Colle delle Finestre from Susa: profile, 8 km of unpaved track, difficulty and tips for this iconic Giro d'Italia pass.
Cycling the Mullerthal, Luxembourg's Little Switzerland with the family
A family bike ride through the Mullerthal from Echternach: sculpted sandstone rocks, forests and villages, distance and practical tips.
Cycling to Kykkos Monastery and Cedar Valley, home of the Cyprus cedar
Ride from Pedoulas to Kykkos Monastery through the Troodos forest, with an optional detour to Cedar Valley.
Gravel in Aukštaitija National Park, the land of a hundred lakes
Gravel riding in Aukštaitija National Park from Palūšė: forests, over a hundred lakes, an 18th-century wooden church.
Gravel in Franciacorta, from Erbusco
Gravel route through the Franciacorta wine region from Erbusco: vineyard hills, Lake Iseo, distance and practical tips.
Gravel in Gauja National Park, the "Switzerland of Vidzeme"
Gravel riding between Sigulda and Cēsis in Gauja National Park: sandstone cliffs, castles, Gūtmaņa Cave.
Gravel in Lahemaa National Park, Estonia's first national park
Gravel riding in Lahemaa National Park from Palmse: Baltic-German manors, coastal peninsulas, Viru bog.
Gravel in Latgale, Latvia's land of blue lakes
Gravel riding in Latgale from Rēzekne: moraine hills, Lake Rāzna, Catholic tradition and pottery, practical tips.
FranceGravel in the Avesnois, the north's 'little Switzerland'
Gravel route through the Avesnois from Avesnes-sur-Helpe: rolling hedgerow country, tracks and practical tips.
FranceGravel in the Brenne, land of a thousand ponds
Gravel route through the Brenne Regional Nature Park from Mézières-en-Brenne: ponds, distance and practical tips.
FranceGravel in the Cévennes: Mont Aigoual from Meyrueis
Gravel route from Meyrueis in the Cévennes: forest tracks, the Mont Aigoual climb, and practical tips.
Gravel in the Chartreuse, from Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse
Gravel route through the Chartreuse range from Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse: forests, ridge passes, distance and practical tips.
Gravel in the Chianti, from Greve in Chianti
Gravel route through the Chianti wine region from Greve in Chianti: sterrate, wooded hills, distance and practical tips.
Gravel in the Lot valley: Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and the Causses du Quercy
Gravel route from Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in the Lot: cliffs, limestone plateaus, white gravel roads and tips for a ride in Occitania.
FranceGravel in the Luberon: hilltop villages and ochre trails
Gravel route from Lourmarin in the Luberon: trails, hilltop villages, difficulty and the best season to ride in Provence.
Gravel in the Monts d'Arrée
Gravel route through the Monts d'Arrée from Huelgoat: moorland, granite boulder fields, distance and practical tips.
Gravel in the Morvan
Gravel route through the Morvan Regional Nature Park from Château-Chinon: forests, lakes, distance and practical tips.
FranceGravel in the Périgord Noir: Sarlat and the Dordogne valley
Gravel route from Sarlat in the Dordogne: bastide towns, hilltop villages, tracks and tips for a ride in the Périgord Noir.
Gravel in the Valle d'Itria, among trulli and olive groves
Gravel route in the Valle d'Itria from Alberobello: trulli, centuries-old olive groves, distance and practical tips.
Gravel on Saaremaa Island: cliffs, windmills and a meteorite crater
Gravel riding on Saaremaa Island from Kuressaare: Panga cliff, the Kaali meteorite crater, the Angla windmills.
ItalyGravel on the Strade Bianche, from Siena
Gravel route on Tuscany's Strade Bianche from Siena: white gravel roads, the Crete Senesi, distance and practical tips.
Gravel riding around Slovenský raj, the "Slovak Paradise"
Gravel riding around Slovenský raj National Park: karst plateau, spectacular gorges, distance and practical tips.
Gravel riding in Białowieża Forest, on the trail of wild bison
Gravel riding in Białowieża Forest from the village of the same name: Europe's last primeval forest, wild bison, practical tips.
Gravel riding in Cabo de Gata, Spain's desert on the Mediterranean
Gravel riding in Cabo de Gata from San José: volcanic tracks, salt flats and Spain's desert landscape, distance and practical tips.
Czech RepublicGravel riding in Český ráj, the "Bohemian Paradise"
Gravel riding in Český ráj from Turnov: sandstone rock cities, Czechoslovakia's first protected landscape area, practical tips.
FranceGravel riding in Champagne from Épernay
Gravel route through the Champagne vineyards from Épernay: vineyard tracks, villages, distance and practical tips.
IrelandGravel riding in Connemara, between bogland and the Twelve Bens
Gravel riding in Connemara from Letterfrack: peat bog tracks, the Twelve Bens mountains, native ponies, practical tips.
Gravel riding in Hortobágy, the great Hungarian steppe
Gravel riding in Hortobágy National Park: the UNESCO-listed puszta, traditional herding, distance and practical tips.
Gravel riding in Mols Bjerge, "Denmark's Alps"
Gravel riding in Mols Bjerge National Park from Ebeltoft: glacial hills, grazed moorland, practical tips.
Gravel riding in Nuuksio National Park, an hour from Helsinki
Gravel riding in Nuuksio National Park from Espoo: lakes, forests on bedrock, distance and practical tips.
Gravel riding in Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal's only one
Gravel riding in Peneda-Gerês National Park from Caldas do Gerês: forest tracks, granite villages and reservoir lakes, Portugal's only national park.
Gravel riding in South Styria, the "Austrian Tuscany"
Gravel riding through the vineyards of South Styria from Gamlitz: wine hills nicknamed the Austrian Tuscany, practical tips.
Gravel riding in Suisse Normande from Clécy
Gravel route through the Suisse Normande from Clécy: the Orne valley, rural tracks, distance and practical tips.
FranceGravel riding in the Ardèche Gorges from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Gravel route from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc: the plateau above the Ardèche Gorges, the Pont d'Arc arch, and practical tips.
United KingdomGravel riding in the Cairngorms, Scotland's Caledonian forest
Gravel riding in the Cairngorms from Aviemore: forest tracks, Caledonian forest, a reindeer herd, practical tips.
ItalyGravel riding in the Colline del Prosecco, between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano
Gravel riding in the UNESCO-listed Colline del Prosecco: terraced vineyard tracks, distance and practical tips in the Veneto.
FranceGravel riding in the Désert des Agriates from Saint-Florent
Gravel route through the Désert des Agriates in Haute-Corse: wild scrubland, remote tracks, distance and practical tips.
FranceGravel riding in the Drôme Provençale from Nyons
Gravel route through the Drôme Provençale from Nyons: olive groves, hilltop villages, distance and practical tips.
SpainGravel riding in the Empordà, at the heart of Girona's cycling scene
Gravel riding in the Empordà from Girona: farm tracks and cork oak forests in the Gavarres hills, distance and practical tips.
Gravel riding in the Engadin, between lakes and larch forests
Gravel riding in the Upper Engadin from St. Moritz: valley-floor tracks between lakes and larch forests, distance and practical tips.
Gravel riding in the Hautes Fagnes, Belgium's roof
Gravel riding in the Hautes Fagnes from Eupen: forest tracks and peat bogs around Belgium's highest point, practical tips.
Gravel riding in the Soča Valley, turquoise water and history
Gravel riding in the Soča Valley from Bovec: forest tracks along the turquoise river, and the history of the Isonzo Front.
Gravel riding in the Spreewald, Brandenburg's maze of canals
Gravel riding in the Spreewald from Lübbenau: forest tracks between canals, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, practical tips.
Gravel riding in the Vendée bocage from Pouzauges
Gravel route through the Vendée bocage from Pouzauges: hills, rural tracks, distance and practical tips.
Gravel riding in the Zuid-Kennemerland dunes, facing the North Sea
Gravel riding in Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, between Haarlem and Zandvoort: sandy dune tracks, practical tips.
Gravel riding in Zagori, on the edge of the Vikos Gorge
Gravel riding in Zagori from Monodendri: the Vikos Gorge, traditional stone bridges, distance and practical tips.
Gravel riding on Brač island, between dry stone walls and quarries
Gravel riding on Brač island from Supetar: rocky tracks between dry stone walls, historic quarries, practical tips.
Gravel riding on the High Coast, the coastline still rising
Gravel riding on Sweden's Höga Kusten from Docksta: UNESCO-listed sea cliffs, post-glacial rebound, practical tips.
CyprusGravel riding the Akamas Peninsula, to the Baths of Aphrodite
Gravel riding across the wild Akamas Peninsula, between coastal tracks, Lara Bay, and the Baths of Aphrodite.
Gravel riding the Diarizos Valley, Paphos's overlooked hinterland
Gravel riding through the Diarizos Valley near Paphos: quiet villages, olive groves and vineyards, minutes from Aphrodite's Rock.
Gravel through the Commandaria villages, home of the world's oldest wine
Gravel riding between the Commandaria wine villages around Omodos, in the wine hills of the southern Troodos.
Qafa e Thorës from Theth, a wild pass in the Albanian Alps
Climbing Qafa e Thorës from Theth: 16.1 km at an average of 5.8% and up to 15% in places, deep in the remote Albanian Alps.
Strada dell'Assietta: the ridgeline military road above Sestriere
Riding the Strada dell'Assietta from Sestriere: 24 km, 700 m of elevation gain, a high-altitude military ridge road in the Cottian Alps.
SerbiaThe Fruška Gora monastery loop, near Novi Sad
Riding through Fruška Gora from Iriški Venac: a 33 km rolling loop linking several 15th-century Serbian Orthodox monasteries.
The Kaiserstuhl by bike: gravel through volcanic vineyards
A gravel route through the volcanic Kaiserstuhl massif, starting from Endingen: vineyard tracks, distance, elevation and practical tips.
The Rallarvegen, the old navvies' construction road
Riding the Rallarvegen gravel route between Haugastøl and Flåm: the Hardangervidda plateau, a descent to the fjord, difficulty and tips.