Bicycle tours by water

Aarau, with its enchanting old town, nestled amid the Jura landscape, airy deciduous forest run along the River Aare near Olten and on past Aarwangen castle to Solothurn, Switzerland's most beautiful baroque town.

The capital Sion shows its historic castles, churches and mansions. The lower Rhonetal is dominated by the high-alpine scenery of the Dents du Midi. A world of fertile fruit orchards and vineyards.

The route runs along the lake shore, passing stately buildings and well-kept public beaches. It then leads up through idyllic countryside, across fields and through charming villages, a route with vineyards above and the lake below. Cycling via Nyon and Rolle, you reach Morges.

This easy tour is a good choice for families. Experience the beautiful valley and its unique lakeside landscape.

Once again Bern’s picture-postcard panorama with the old town and distant snowy summits, then the usually peaceful Emme in riverside woodland, the staid farming region of Emmental, where Gotthelf read the riot act to farmers and justice was spoken in Trachselwald Castle.

The pleasant ride along the varied Mittelland Route is mostly on traffic-free paths, along lakes and rivers, through wide plains and peaceful valleys, towns and villages, industry and agricultural land.

From the resort of Klosters through long strung-out Prättigau, on terraces and side valleys, flanked by high mountains, such as the Silvretta and Rätikon. On to Landquart in the Rhine Valley, past the health spa of Bad Ragaz to the traffic hub of Sargans.

You can discover the source of the Rhine twice within a radius of 270 kilometres. In between you can explore two Alpine passes, deep gorges and the frontiers of three linguistic regions.

A route through a unique landscape alongside the rushing waters of the Inn: impressive Engadine houses with filigree decoration, crystal-clear lakes, a varied terraced landscape, a paradise for rare birds, exclusive St. Moritz, snow-covered mountain summits.

At Ponte Brolla the force of the River Maggia has cleft the rock, gouging out and polishing the gneiss. Life was hard in the Maggia Valley, the Ticino’s longest valley. Solace was provided by the church, as testified by edifices of religion and foreign governors.

On their tour around the lake of Geneva, cyclists will be rewarded for their efforts by the stunningly beautiful landscapes. 200 km of marked trails lead through 5 regions in 2 countries: Geneva, Pays de Gex, the cantons of Vaud and Valais, as well as the Chablais Haut-Savoyard.

«Child» of the Jura waters correction: the Nidau-Büren canal and the Häftli loop. The Witi, dry, where hares and storks gather. Nearby, the sluggish meandering Aare, in the distance, the St. Ursen tower announces the baroque town of Solothurn.

Pretty and useful, the energy-supplying Sihlsee; split by the lake dam, the Zürichsee with its villa shores; the land drainage project by unconventional engineer H.C. Eschert, the Linth plain with canal, new fields and pastureland.

In Seeland, rows of vegetables in all shades of green stand in black soil, ducks and coots bob up and down on idyllic Wohlensee and in Bern, the Zytgloggeturm’s musical mechanism chimes and people enjoy relaxing at small tables on the Bärenplatz.

The Aare Route follows the river from the small glacier lake on the Grimselpass until it joins the Rhine. After a racy stretch down the pass road, it passes the Aareschlucht (gorge) and deep lakes on the way to the Mittelland region.

It is at Lake Biel where the German and French-speaking Switzerland meet.

En route in Ländle, between the Rhine plain and mountain crags, past the prince’s castle in Lichtenstein’s Vaduz. Over Eschnerberg, and via the cross-border cycle route to the medieval ambiance of Feldkirch. Back through riverside woodland to the Rhine.

The Urnerland, an incessant, nervously pulsating transit corridor, where the wild Reuss plunges down through the Schöllenenschlucht (gorge), subdued only by sheer mountain walls and the Teufels Brücke (Devil’s Bridge).

After Thun, the gateway to the Oberland, the wide Aaretal: large villages, industry, open fields and a powerful river in lush water meadows. Enter the capital city of Bern, UNESCO World Heritage with arcades teeming with shoppers.

In Austria and Germany, the route leads over Innsbruck and Rosenheim through to Dreiflüssestadt Passau. Inn, once a significant traffic artery for salt and ore trading, connects three countries, famous cities and impressive landscapes.