Cycle Tour Bike holiday along the Meuse
Travel report: Strasbourg/Metz-Verdun-Chimay-Namur-Liège-Aachen
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Added on 21 Oct 2020,
on 15 Jul 2021
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Cycle route metrics
planned
ridden
Total distance in km
567
632
Cumulative elevation gain in m
9.973
4.210
Avg. slope uphill in %
1,76
0,67
Cumulative elevation loss in m
9.994
4.265
Information about rights to the gps-track data | |
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Rights owner | |
Rights characteristic / license | cc0: Public Domain no Rights reserved |
Link to the description of the license | |
GPX file uploaded | by Ottocolor on 19 Apr 2021
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Track points in total
7.294
8.589
Track points per km (avg)
13
14
Start/endpoint
Start location
Metz, Grand Est, FR (210 m NHN)
End location
Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE (189 m NHN)
Character
12 days of cycling holiday with my sons. Is planned to be ridden in july 2021. 2 transport days (trains), 2 rest days (in Verdun and Namur) and 8 stages. Accommodation in tents at campsites or in hostels. The route starts in Metz on the river Mosel and on the first stage shifts to the Meuse (or Maas) along which it runs, first on minor roads and trails, but after the town of Mouzon on the 4th stage only on bike paths along the river. There are, however, a few detours away from the river valley, each time invoved with moderate or steep climbs. One of them is a trip to the monastery of Notre Dame de Scourmont, where trappist munks brew the famous Chimay beer near the town of the same name. The route back to the Meuse valley follows a disused railway line (RaVel in Belgium) At Huy we intend to challenge the famous hill of Mur de Huy.
In Liège we leave the river Meuse and cycle to the bike holiday*s endpoint in Aachen/Germany, again on a dsused railway path and again that involves at least two severe climbs. In Aachen we'll have a look at the very old cathedral, spend a night at a hostel and take the train back home to Denmark.
Information about copyright | |
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Rights characteristic / license | by-sa: CREATIVE COMMONS Attribution-ShareAlike |
Link to the description of the license | |
taken over / edited on | 21 Oct 2020 - 08 Mar 2021
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taken over / edited by |
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Sources of information
Remarks
The 12 days are planned as 2 transport days, 8 cycling stages and 2 rest days (in Verdun and Namur).
Accommodation on the outbound journey in Strasbourg is at The People Hostel. Price 53€/ps.
Stages
Beds4Cyclists, worth visiting and infrastructure
Name and address
Latitude / Longitude
Phone
Fax
Mobile
Type of accommodation
Rating for cyclists
Route km
Dist. to route
Elevation
1 km
0,2 km
174 m
1 km
0,1 km
174 m
1 km
0,3 km
168 m
1 km
0,0 km
166 m




Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region of France and located in the Moselle departement that borders Luxembourg and Germany.
Understand
Due to its German heritage and military tradition, Metz has yet to earn much respect in the eyes of the French. Most of the criticism about Metz is clichéd and unwarranted; in fact, Strasbourg has stronger German heritage yet has been overwhelmingly embraced by the French and visitors alike. Metz was the birthplace of the Carolingian Dynasty before becoming the capital of the burgeoning Kingdom of Lotharingia (855-958AD); then it was the capital of the Duchy of Upper Lorraine (959-1233) before finally breaking away to form an independent city state during the high Middle Ages (1234-1552AD). As such, Metz was one of the most powerful cities in feudal Europe and this rich cultural history can still be seen today, particularly in its grand Cathedral and its beautiful old town built using the "pierre de Jaumont", a local yellow colored limestone.
See
Landmarks
- ⊙Cathedrale St-Etienne, place d'Armes. The Cathedral is a truly impressive structure, overlooking the river and the city. Inside, both its height (the third-tallest nave in France) and its stained glass windows (reportedly the largest surface area in France, with several by Chagall) will impress visitors.
- ⊙Place d'Armes. This square next to the cathedral is notable for the four buildings that surround it. They were specifically designed to show the balance between the various local powers: religion (the cathedral), the military (now converted to the tourist office), civil government (the town hall) and justice (the court building). Place d'Armes also hosts a regular market for produce and other local goods.
- Covered Market (opposite the cathedral). Historically it was the bishops' palace, today it hosts stalls selling meats, cheeses, and other regional specialities.
- ⊙ Opera-Théâtre (not far from the Cathedral). Theatre and opera house, built between 1732 and 1752 and the oldest in France.
- Railway Station (Gare de Metz-Ville). Built in 1908, its imperial area built during the German occupation.
Museums and galleries
- ⊙Centre Pompidou-Metz (near the Central Station). Recently opened modern art gallery in Metz. €7.
- ⊙Musée de la Cour d'Or, 2, rue du Haut Poirier, ☎ +33 387 201320. Every day except Tuesday, from 9am to 18pm. Closed on 1 January, Good Friday, 1 May, 14 July, 1 and 11 November and 31 December 24-25-26 all day. Roman baths, Gallo-Roman collections, sculpture, European paintings, etc. €4.60.
- ⊙La Maison de Verlaine à Metz (The House of Verlaine in Metz), 2 rue Haute-Pierre, 57000 Metz (opposite the "Palais de Justice"), ☎ +33 634 522234. Open Tuesday through Sunday, with visits beginning at 15:15 and 16:30 by reservation only. Closed from 1 January-15 February and on certain national holidays. Covers the 19th-century poet's Lorraine origins, his life and career in Metz and Paris, his meeting with Arthur Rimbaud, his works, and his posthumous fame. €7.
Information about copyright | |
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Rights characteristic / license | by-sa: CREATIVE COMMONS Attribution-ShareAlike |
Link to the description of the license | |
Input taken over from: |
Wikivoyage contributors, 'Metz', Wikivoyage, The FREE worldwide travel guide that anyone can edit, 7 May 2016, 19:18 UTC, <https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Metz&oldid=2989032> [accessed 13 September 2016] |
taken over / edited on | 13 Sep 2016
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taken over / edited by |
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1 km
0,1 km
179 m