Bicycle tours by water

Cycle where the ancient Romans lived and enjoyed their games: Augusta Raurica with its silver treasure. The agglomeration is already pulsating, the asphalt sweating, commuters groaning; Basel beckons with hustle, bustle and cultural attractions.

This section leads through Germany most of the way. See «International routes» for further information.

Through fertile, richly-yielding Piano di Magadino, lively Locarno on Lago Maggiore and the gardens of Pedemonte, to the romantic Valle Maggia. The powerful river has split, dug out and polished the light-grey gneiss.

The tour begins in the medieval Zähringer town of Murten with its historic Old Town of national importance and numerous arcades. The wall encircling the town was built between the 13th and 17th centuries and is one of the best-preserved fortifications in Switzerland.

After the Olympic capital of Lausanne, the route leads uphill into the terraced vineyards of Lauvaux. A bracing section but one rewarded by the wonderful surroundings of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Then follows the descent to Vevey, Montreux and the romantic Schloss Chillon.

Surselva - «above the forest» - Graubunden’s largest Romansch-speaking region. The wild gorge of the Vorderrhein is awe-inspiring - Switzerland’s Grand Canyon. Chur, the oldest town north of the Alps boasts the highest density of restaurants.

The lovely landscape along the long ribbon of the Untersee appealed to Napoleon, the richly-decorated town of Stein am Rhein attracts thousands of visitors every year, as does Europe’s mightiest waterfall, the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen.

From Tösstal with its meadows, vineyards and evidence of industrialization, through the outskirts of Winterthur and on into Tössbergland, a narrow main valley with rugged side valleys. The landscape opens out with an Alpine panorama, the Zürichsee is getting close.

Crystal-clear Upper Engadine lakes, crowned by imposing snow-capped summits, elegant beauty and substantial wealth in St. Moritz, the icy, rushing Inn, fresh mountain air and the traditional decorative sgraffiti on Engadine windows.

The deep Brienzersee, clear, quiet and sombre. The Thunersee, shallower, open and lively. In the middle, Interlaken, a trendy tourist centre, dominated by those icy icons, the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau. Picture-postcard perfect, get ready to rub your eyes!

The route circles the Bodensee, Central Europe’s third largest lake, an area inhabited since primeval times, through three countries, now by the shore, now through orchards, sunny meadows, old town centres, nature reserves and flower islands.

Bielersee wine abounds on its northern shores, the Petersinsel beckons you to stop and relax, the Zihlkanal leads to Lac de Neuchâtel. After charming Neuchâtel, the scene is interlaced with vineyards, wide fields, narrow wine villages and castles.

A peaceful ride beside the small Chatzen and Büsisee lakes, on through the Furttal valley of the Limmat, the bathing spot Baden, and on to marvel at the Gothic stained glass windows in Königsfelden and yellow irises of the River Aare floodplain, followed by a leisurely ride on the Aare dam to Aarau.

The section from Beinwil to Kleinlützel reveals the «Schwarzbubenland» as one of the jewels of North-western Switzerland. Passing through hilly countryside and the Laufen valley, the bus route offers a large number of outlook points and historical attractions along the way.

Figs and kiwis ripen in the Walensee climate chamber where the sheer high cliffs of the Churfirsten threaten to topple into the 150-metre-deep waters. An easy pedal to Sargan, guarded by castle and Gonzen, old supplier of iron ore.

The route makes a sweeping arc through a variety of landscapes in seven cantons, always accompanied by bodies of water, from the wild Gorges de l’Areuse, through the Emme’s riverside woodland to the twists and turns of the Sihl.

The Rhone Route runs through the magnificent mountain scenery of the Valais on charming, quiet paths along the Rhone. It leads along the famous palm-lined promenades of Lac Léman and the picturesque Lavaux vineyards and ends at cosmopolitan Genève.

The main valley in the Valais widens, sun warms the dry mountain slopes. Between Leuk and Sierre an unruly part of the Rhone, and the Pfynwald, a nature reserve on a huge mound of glacier detritus; a motorway will be built here by 2020.

Along the shallow shores of the Greifensee with its reed beds, gradually giving way to the busy, rolling landscape of the Zurich Oberland. Panoramic views of the Alps and buzzing brakes to Rapperswil on the waters of the Zürichsee.

From the busy Rhonetal into the craggy limestone Vaud Alps. Over passes to the jet set in Gstaad. The Lac de la Gruyère and old towns of Fribourg and Murten are tempting places to stop. Leisurely finale in Grosse Moos vegetable country to Erlach.

The lake of Pfäffikon is a recreation area for all those who love nature. The lake with its reed belt is of national significance. The highlights of this bike tour are the Roman castle, the Robenhauser moor, and the Juckerhof farm in Seegräben.

Lac de Neuchâtel: chirping in the reeds, waves lapping at the gentle shore, the Jura shimmering in the distance. Over 100 species of birds breed in the Grande Cariçaie, the 40-km-long marsh and reed belt along the southern shores of the lake.

The green fairy (absinth) floats through the Val de Travers, the Areuse pushes spectacularly through a gorge, the view to the lake opens, Neuchâtel: above the thousand-year-old castle, below the lively old town and at the harbour a touch of the Mediterranean.

Through Piano di Magadino, the Ticino’s vegetable garden, then amidst European camping guests on the lovely lakeside promenade to Locarno, a happy mix of the German holiday dream, Ticino business people and Swiss German Italianità.

You hardly touch a corner of the Vierwaldstättersee and Pilatus stands in the way. Cove after cove, direct to Luzern, target of every tourist. Even prettier, the Zugersee, delicious Kirschtorte to make mouths water, tax rates to please purses.

The Grimselpass, a remote Alpine landscape of contrasts: reservoir lakes and power stations ringed by icy, green-grey granite mountains - an optical balancing act. Steep descent to the Aareschlucht (gorge), where the young river enters puberty.

This moderately challenging loop takes you to the Wildhaus ski resort along a minor, little-known road and skirts magnificent Lake Walen.

Starting in the Bad Zurzach wellness oasis, the stage leads to Koblenz, the historic old town with 4 bridges close to the Klingnau reservoir. The Rheinfelden destination - Switzerland's oldest Zähringer town - follows soon after the picturesque little town of Laufenburg.

Perfect trio at Wohlensee: bird paradise, power station and nuclear reactor. Follow the Aare into Seeland, a giant vegetable garden thanks to the Hagneckkanal. Behind reeds and woodland, the Bielersee hints at the happy hustle and bustle in bilingual Biel-Bienne.

The Lakes Route takes you on a trip right across picture-postcard Switzerland. From Lac Léman to the Bodensee, passing 10 larger and smaller lakes and offering stunning views over water in the Alps and Alpine foothills.

The Hochrhein has made its bed between Schwarzwald and the Jura, at times wide and unhurried, at others narrow and wild. Attractive floodplains and historic little villages add cultural enjoyment to this stage.

Wild when the föhn wind blows: the mighty Vierwaldstättersee with its impressive panorama. In contrast, the shallow Sarnersee with its Obwalden «Brother Klaus» landscape. A treat for pedal-pushing fans: the Panoramastrasse, the steep pass to Entlebuch.

From Aarau the way leads to the idyllic Suhrental river valley; with views of the Alps spotted south and Jura chain north. Through rich orchards and fertile fields alongside Lake Sempach, this stage finally takes you to Lucerne.

Through the cosmopolitan, extensive western outskirts of Geneva to the surprisingly varied river landscape of the Rhone, through the vineyards and fields of Champagne (Geneva) to Chancy, a frontier town still 700 Rhone kilometres away from the Mediterranean.

It takes a climb of almost 1200m to reach Alpe di Neggia, a hidden gem in Canton Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton. The view from the summit is worth the effort!

The young Rhone, known in the Goms Valley as the «Rotten», flows through an authentic natural and cultivated landscape. Pretty villages with beautiful baroque churches, stone pine forests, insect-rich flower meadows and a tangy resin aroma accompany cyclists through the sunny high valley.