A 12000 km journey through Europe, up to the North Cape and back.
NOTE: This trip description is not as detailed as my Panamericana trip but all GPS points are available upon request.
The route led me through 18 lovely European countries. Different European cultures and scenery made this trip very spectacular. I cycled with Lucia for the first 800km (Austria, Czech Republic and part of Germany), before heading up to Norway on my own. In Norway I met Felix for the first time. Together we cycled all the way to the North Cape. On the way down through the Baltic countries, I cycled with Gabriel and Martin. The rest of the time, I cycled mostly on my own.
Start: Salzburg (Austria) on the 16.04.03. The journey took me along a set of beautiful cycle paths along the Danube river, then through the Czech Republic and Germany, all the way to Hamburg along the lovely Elbe river.
The route was flat and windy along the coastline in Denmark but lovely to cycle.
The Wattensee. Typical coastal scenery along the Wattenmeer.
Spring time in Denmark
By end of May I reached Norway. I decided to take a 1000 km route straight through the mountainous region of Telemark, Hardangervidda and Jotunheimen, up to Trondheim. The mountain roads had just opened up after the long winter and so there was still lots of snow next to the road and around my campsites in the evenings. Left: Jotunheimen National Park (6.6.2003)
I met up with Felix in Trondheim (12.06.2003) and the two of us immediately teamed up for the 2000 km ride along the coast, up to Tromsö and on to the North Cape.
View from one of the mountains on the Lofoten Islands, northern Norway (23.06.2003). The Lofoten Islands - a must! It is such a lovely place to visit!
Climbing 'Blämannen' at 01:00 am. Midnight climb at this latitude means 24 hour sunlight! (29.06.2003)
We reached the North Cape on the 5.7.2003, the top of Europe, latitute 71° 10' 21". The ride up was a 5327 km ride that I will always remember - a lovely and exciting one. The road comes to an end and so it meant, turn the bicycle 180° and cycle back to Switzerland.
The 1500 km ride down through Finland was flatter. The cycling along the forest roads and the beautiful campsites next to the lakes impressed me!
12.07.2003 Crossing the arctic circle, just north of Rovaniemi
Sunrise (3.40 am) at Sumiainen, southern Finland, where I stayed with a business friend for 2 days.
I reached Tallinn in Estonia on the 27.7.2003.
Left: The city wall of Tallinn
Estonia is quite a flat country and offers great opportunities to go for a swim after a long day of cycling.
Party around our campsite in a Polish forest. I had been travelling with Gabriel and Martin since Estonia
22.08.2003 - camping in the hills, Slovakia
Hungry in Hungary! (23.08.2003).
A huge pot of hungarian Gulasch in a back yard.
After a ride down through Slovenia and Croatia, the heavy traffic in Croatia did not impress me at all. Croatia is a lovely country but the roads were rather dangerous to cycle on so I took a ferry across to Ancona in Italy. I cycled up through Italy, past Venice and then reached the Alps.
12.09.2003 - Back in the Alps (Stilvserjoch Pass - 2758m.a.s.l
On top of Bernina pass! Back in Switzerland after a great 12000 km journey.
