{"id":97271,"date":"2026-03-12T10:18:43","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T09:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/?p=97271"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:18:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T09:18:45","slug":"this-french-motorway-has-just-been-voted-the-best-in-europe-in-2026-and-its-route-is-spectacular","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/cette-veloroute-francaise-vient-detre-elue-la-meilleure-deurope-en-2026-et-son-parcours-est-spectaculaire\/","title":{"rendered":"This French cycle route has just been voted the best in Europe in 2026... and its route is spectacular."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The Voie Bleue has just won a prestigious title: European Cycle Route of the Year 2026. The award was presented in the Netherlands at the Fiets en Wandelbeurs trade fair in Utrecht, one of Europe's biggest events devoted to cycling and walking. The award highlights one of its most successful sections: the one that crosses the Ain d\u00e9partement.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The verdict fell in the Netherlands, in front of an audience of cycling enthusiasts from all over Europe. The Voie Bleue\u00ae, the major cycle route linking Burgundy to the Rh\u00f4ne valley along the Sa\u00f4ne, was named \u00abCycle Route of the Year 2026\u00bb by an international jury chaired by journalist and cycling specialist Bert Sitters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To achieve this title, the route was assessed on a number of criteria: quality of surface, safety, legibility of signposting, richness of landscapes and accessibility by public transport. These are just some of the factors that have enabled this French cycle route to stand out from the many others in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the major assets of the Voie Bleue is its level of development. Around 80 % of the route is in dedicated lanes, away from car traffic, offering cyclists a particularly comfortable and safe experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An exemplary section of the Sa\u00f4ne river in the Ain department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the sections most singled out by the jury is the one that crosses the Ain d\u00e9partement. For 63.5 kilometres, between M\u00e2con and Genay, the route winds its way along the water, past peaceful riverbanks, historic villages and a remarkable heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/les-ptites-routes-du-soleil-is-a-cycling-adventure-accessible-to-all-in-the-heart-of-the-french-pre-alps\/\">\"Les P'tites Routes du Soleil: what is this cycling adventure, accessible to all, in the heart of the French Pre-Alps?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The route follows the Sa\u00f4ne gently, inviting cyclists to make a number of stops along the way. The route takes you past Tr\u00e9voux, the former capital of the Dombes region, with its narrow streets steeped in history overlooking the river, and the Ch\u00e2teau de Fl\u00e9ch\u00e8res, an elegant 17th-century residence set in a vast park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The route also passes through a number of picturesque villages and regularly offers gourmet breaks along the river, where caf\u00e9s and restaurants welcome cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A route designed with cyclists in mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Aindenne section is a particular example of the attention paid to user comfort. The majority of the route is laid out on a very smooth stabilised surface, which makes pedalling easier and is suitable for both families and long-distance cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A number of recent improvements have also enhanced the continuity of the route, including the footbridge linking Saint-Laurent-sur-Sa\u00f4ne to Cormoranche-sur-Sa\u00f4ne, which provides a safe way to cross the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>READ MORE: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/via-3-vallees-where-are-we-with-this-gigantic-cycling-tour-of-the-alps\/\">Via 3 Vall\u00e9es: what's the latest on this gigantic bike tour in the Alps?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All along the route, cyclists will also find practical facilities: benches, picnic tables, repair stations and a host of services dedicated to touring cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to the Accueil V\u00e9lo\u00ae network, accommodation, restaurants and partner tourist sites line the route, making it easy to organise a stopover or an entire holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recognition for an entire region<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This European distinction rewards several years' work by local authorities, tourist offices and local stakeholders to structure and develop the route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, the Voie Bleue is one of the major routes for cycle tourism in France. Cycling along the Sa\u00f4ne, it offers an experience that is accessible to all, combining nature, heritage and a gentle way of life along the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this European title, the route confirms its status as a benchmark for cycle-touring enthusiasts, and offers the Ain d\u00e9partement an ideal showcase for discovering its landscapes in a different way, at pedal pace.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Voie Bleue has just won a prestigious title: European Cycle Route of the Year 2026. The award was presented in the Netherlands at the Fiets en Wandelbeurs trade fair in Utrecht, one of Europe's biggest events devoted to cycling and walking. The award highlights one of the Netherlands' most popular stretches of cycle route.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":97274,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[239],"tags":[240,388],"class_list":{"0":"post-97271","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-balades","8":"tag-balades","9":"tag-vosges"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97271"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97275,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97271\/revisions\/97275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}