Cycling holidays in the South of France

Pure relaxation, historic buildings, sun-drenched wine - where could France be more beautiful? On a cycle tour in the south of France, you'll cycle like God in France. In the truest sense of the word: a well-developed network of cycle paths, a wealth of sights, and culinary delights make a cycling holiday between the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Alps an extraordinary experience.

If you decide to do a cycling holiday in the south of France you'll be spoiled for choice. Pedal through the purple lavender fields of the Provence and just take things as they come. Wander along the traces of the Romans in places such as Orange, Arles, and Nîmes. In the Rhône delta, the lowlands of the Camargue await you. White horses and pink flamingos are just as much part of the scenery here as endless miles of sandy beaches. The Mediterranean flair in the air, explore the Canal du Midi to Toulouse, the pink town. From Toulouse, you'll feel the fresh wind blowing off the Atlantic. You cycle along the Canal du Garonne until you get to the wine town of Bordeaux. Bordeaux will surprise you with its historic but also modern flair.

In France's uncrowned culinary capital, Lyon, you'll find it hard to resist the delicacies served in Lyon's "bouchons". These small restaurants serve simple but very fine food. Lots of vegetables and fruit, olives, freshly caught fish, red-brown Camargue rice, and the peach liqueur, Rinquinquin, are all part of the Provence cuisine, rich in contrasts. A typical French meal from the Canal du Midi is a hearty cassoulet. The cuisine gets sweeter in Bordeaux. Canelé - a sponge type of cake with rum and vanilla tastes best when freshly baked.

You can't avoid a good drop of wine on a cycling holiday in the south of France. Thanks to the Romans, world-famous wines are grown in the wine-growing regions of the Côtes du Rhône, Provence, Languedoc, and Bordeaux. À votre santé!

Fancy endless fields of lavender, time-honoured towns and pink flamingos? A cycling holiday through Provence and the Camargue makes it possible! Visit the ancient Roman theater and the famous wine village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in your starting town of Orange. A unique atmosphere awaits you in Avignon. In addition to the monumental papal palace, the Pont Saint-Bénézet, world-famous thanks to the children's song Sur le pont d'Avignon, is worth seeing despite its few remaining arches. Before you reach the Camargue, take a look at the many ancient buildings in Arles and Nîmes. Enclosed by the estuaries of the Rhône, you will experience the flat, marshy landscape of the Camargue. Discover flamingos, black bulls and white horses, huge salt marshes and the sandy beaches of dreamy Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

Along the Rhône, France's most water-rich river, you travel from Lyon to the south, all the way to Orange in Provence. Lyon awaits you with many interesting places and a lively cultural scene. Stroll through the Vieux Lyon, take a look over the city from Fourvière Hill and take a seat in one of the Bouchons Lyonnais. On your way south, you cycle along the river through the Côtes du Rhône wine region. As soon as you have passed Valence, you are already in Provence. Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy the white nougat made with almonds, lavender honey and pistachios in Montélimar, the capital of nougat - a specialty.

Follow the Canal du Midi from its mouth into the Mediterranean at Sète to its beginning in Toulouse. Lined by poplars, pines and cypresses, you cycle along France's most famous man-made waterway. Visit a criée, a fish auction, in Sète and enjoy sunbathing on the miles of beaches at Cap d'Agde. Cycle to Carcassonne away from the traffic. A visit to La Cité, the old town in the form of a fortress, will take you back to the Middle Ages. Impressive! Try the cassoulet from near Castelnaudary - a rustic stew made from white beans and meat. Hearty! Stroll through the Place du Capitole in your travel destination of Toulouse, visit the Cité de l'espace and find out why Toulouse is called the pink city.

From Toulouse, follow the Canal de Garonne to Bordeaux. As an extension of the Canal du Midi, it connects the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. Follow the landscape characterized by floodplains to Moissac. The important Abbaye Saint-Pierre is well worth a visit. Cycle through the plum orchards of Agen and past Marmande, the tomato capital of south-west France. From La Réole, your route takes you away from the canal. Make a detour to Saint-Émilion, one of the most beautiful wine villages in France. Your destination Bordeaux is located in the wine-growing region of the same name. The narrow alleyways, magnificent architecture and romantic parks will entice you to explore. To round off your trip, treat yourself to a glass of Bordeaux wine on the mile-long promenade along the Garonne. Or two?