EV12 The North Sea Cycle Route
Euro Velo 12 starting point Shetland Islands target point Bergen ( Norway) Destinations on the path Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Hull, Norwich, Harwich, The Hague, Noordwijk, Haarlem, Delfzijl, Emden, Wilhelmshaven, Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven, Stade, Hamburg, Esbjerg, Skagen, Grenaa, Varberg, Gothenburg, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen flooring mostly paved or otherwise fixed routes Volume of traffic predominantly away from main roads ADFC - certification German part of the ADFC address www.northsea - cycle.com The North Sea Cycle Route or North Sea Cycle route is an international signposted cycle route. He leads over 5942 km and by six states along the coasts of the North Sea. The bike path runs through the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. The bicycle path was opened on 5 May 2001 as Euro Velo Cycle Route No. 12.
By 2009 set ferry service between Bergen in Norway and the Shetland Islands, a round trip in the original sense is no longer possible.
Course
German part ( 907 km )
The route passes mainly through marshes on the Wadden Sea and the North Sea is signposted as a D- Route 1.
In Germany, the North Sea Cycle Route stretches from the Dutch border near Bunde about Weener and Leer to Emden, from there through the Krummhoern with the Sielort Greetsiel and the city continues north eastbound towards Bensersiel, about Neuharlingersiel, Harlesiel, prosecuted ex Lerns, Jever, Hooksiel, Wilhelmshaven, Neustadtgödens by the Zeteler march to Dangast and Varel. The bike path continues along Seefeld, Butjadingen with Eckwarderhörne Eckwarden, Tossens Fedderwardersiel, Abbehausen on the Weser. In Bremerhaven, it goes further north to Cuxhaven, further east to Stade and Hamburg, on Wedel, Uetersen and luck town along the river Elbe. Then continue to Brunsbuttel. After crossing the North Sea-Baltic Canal, the route follows the North Sea coast on Dithmar ( Meldorf ) and the Eidersperrwerk until after eiderstedt and Husum and further to the Danish border.
For the most part, the route leads through one of the two paths that run along the outside and inside at the dike, the respective other way is often also mobile. These pathways have in parts periodically cattle gate on. The waymarked path differs partially from even up to several kilometers from the coast.
Danish part ( 801 km )
The Danish part of the North Sea Cycle Route covers a distance of 801 miles and follows from the border in Møgeltønder up to Denmark's northern tip ( Skagen ) of the national cycle route No. 1, from here to Grenå the national cycle route No. 5.
The route runs along the west coast by Højer, Esbjerg, Hvide Sande, Thyborøn, Hanstholm to Skagen, thence through Frederikshavn, Sæby, neck, then a little further inland to Hadsund and the final stretch back to the coast to Grenå.
The Danish scenic stretch is similar to the German section. Until Højer the path leads through, then up over a ridge of Ballum, then again on marshes along the Wadden Sea to Esbjerg.
Swedish part ( 396 km )
The lying in Sweden part of the cycle track has a length of 396 km from Varberg in the south to Svinesund to the Norwegian border in the north. The city of Varberg is the southernmost point of the North Sea Cycle Route in Sweden. From here it extends over Kungsbacka to Gothenburg. After Gothenburg he continues through the city Kungälv about Strömstad on to Svinesund on " Idefjorden ", the natural border between Sweden and Norway.
Norwegian part ( 1130 km )
The first part of the route runs along the Oslofjord. The car ferry takes them across the fjord from Moss after hoarding or bike around the fjord around by Norway's capital Oslo (120 additional kilometers ). After Larvik it goes through hilly terrain about Tønsberg and Sandefjord. The route runs partly disused roads or former railway lines and is consistent with the national cycle route No. 1. The route runs along the southern Norwegian archipelago and also along some fjords from Bergen to Oslo Fjord. In the far northwest section of the Norwegian fjords are already very large and rugged. Other cities on the route are: Stavanger, Flekkefjord, Kristiansand and Moss. The Norwegian part is very mountainous and has steep and poorly paved sections.
Because of the construction in progress Karmøy tunnel is likely to set the ferry from Skudneshavn after Mekjarvik from 2013, thereby disrupting the North Sea Route in the current course. It is not yet known whether Norway then gets out of the North Sea coast route if the route is passed through the tunnel or whether the North Sea coast route will bypass this area by the interior spacious.
The remaining route from Norway has experienced since the opening of NorthSeaCycleRoute some changes: Originally, the Faroe Islands part of the route, which at that time reached by ferry the Smyril Line from Bergen and then with the same ferry on to Lerwick in the Shetland could travel islands. Since 2010, this possibility no longer need since a flight connection to Sumburgh Shetland airport for the onward journey to the Shetland Islands to be used. The Faroe Islands have since ceased to be part of the North Sea route.
Scottish part ( 1242 km )
The Scottish route begins in the Shetland Islands. The bike path here consists of a largely identical round trip from Sumburgh Airport in the south of Mainland (Shetland Island) to the capital Lerwick and continues across the island Yell to Unst, where the North Sea Cycle Route few kilometers north of Baltasound its northernmost point total ( albeit far north as the Norwegian mountains ) achieved. From here you drive usually back to Lerwick, where you can drive with an eight-hour ferry ride south to Kirkwall on Mainland ( Orkney ).
After a short ferry ride across the turbulent Pentland Firth leads across to the Scottish mainland. The route passes near the rocky coast of Caithness by Sutherland, The leg of the route to Lairg at the end of Loch Shin is one of the most remote in Scotland. From the heart of the Highlands, the route follows the Dornoch Firth along rivers and waterfalls to Tain.
From Tain from the summer route uses the historic ferry crossing from Nigg to Cromarty, which is part of an ancient main roads connecting to the north of Scotland. The winter route leads around the Cromarty Firth, and through Dingwall. At Munlochy the routes come together and lead further over the Moray Firth and on to Inverness. The route continues through Aberdeenshire to Aberdeen.
From Aberdeen the route via Stonehaven leads to Montrose and then along the coast to Arbroath and Dundee. After crossing the Firth of Tay, the route reaches the Kingdom of Fife and further leads to the historic town of St Andrews. After the Falklands we continue to Kinross, Loch Leven and Dunfermline. From North Queensferry The Forth Bridge leads to Lothian and Edinburgh. On a former railway line, it goes from here on the Moor Foot Hills by the Scottish Borders, according to Coldstream and Berwick -upon- Tweed.
English part ( 1057 km )
- Newcastle
- Hull
- Ipswich
Dutch part ( 409 km )
In the Netherlands, the North Sea Cycle Route is also signposted as LF 1a / b; Landelijke Fietsroutes are the ( numbered ) Bike routes of the Netherlands.
- Rotterdam
- Groningen
- Bad Nieuweschans
The route will be formed in the Netherlands of two known, existing cycle routes: the Noordzeeroute (LF 1) and the Waddenzeeroute ( LF 10 ), which are signposted in both directions. LF stands for " Landelijke Fietsroute ". The signs are so comprehensive that an exact Directions unnecessary, which would interfere with the cycling of the many small paths only. The tour leads from Hoek van Holland to Germany (ie, in a northeasterly direction), because the West is the main wind direction and thus the chance of a tailwind is greatest in the summer. Hoek van Holland is easy to reach by train. The route ends in Nieuweschans, on the German border. From here or empty you can then travel back by train. The route passes through the provinces of Noord- (140 km) and Zuid -Holland ( 70 km) on pure bike paths, partly through wide dune areas. The provinces of Friesland and Groningen ( 110 km away ) to be passed on back roads and bike paths pure. Along the way there are towns like Den Haag, Leiden, Haarlem, Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Groningen. Moreover, a longer variant that leads rather than the Afsluitdijk about Den Helder and the islands of Texel and Vlieland ( to drive only in summer).