The North Sea Cycle Route (engl. North Sea Cycle Route) is the longest, continuously signposted cycle route in the world. Its length is 5,942 kilometers and it runs through the six states of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain. The individual sections are connected by international ferry connections. The North Sea Cycle Route is part of the European cycle route network EuroVelo and bears the number 12 in it.
background
The cycle path was opened in May 2001 and is marked differently in the member countries (both in terms of signs and quality). The route has one Entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest continuous cycle path.
Germany
(about 910 kilometers)
The German section of the North Sea Cycle Route runs through the northern German states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. In Wikivoyage, this part is documented in two travel guides:
North Sea Cycle Route Lower Saxony and Bremen
From the Dutch-German border, the Lower Saxony section from Weener on the Ems first northwards to the mouth of the river Emden. The path often continues behind the dike on the coast East Frisia to Greetsiel (100 km) .
over north and Jever leads the route Wilhelmshaven (approx. 155 km).
After bypassing the Jade Bay, the route continues Tossens to Bremerhaven (120 km), then after Cuxhaven (50 km) and finally along the southern bank of the Elbe to Hamburg (120 km).
North Sea Cycle Route in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein
After crossing the Elbe by ferry at Finkenwerder, the Schleswig-Holstein section downstream to Brunsbuettel (105 km).
From here it goes further north to Meldorfaround the Meldorfer Bucht Büsum and about that Eider Barrage to Sankt Peter-Ording (100 km).
After the Tümlauer Koog, from which a detour to Westerhever is signposted, it goes across the peninsula Eiderstedt to Husum (50 km).
The last section now leads around the peninsula North beach. Shortly thereafter, you can take a detour to Hamburger Hallig what to look over Dagebüll and Niebüll to the German-Danish border Rudbøl reached (100 km).
Denmark
(~ 800 kilometers)
The Danish section of the North Sea Cycle Route uses from the German-Danish border to the northern tip of Jutland Skagen the national cycle route number 1, the Vestkystruten. Then it goes on the national cycle route number 5 from the northern tip to Grenå.
The route runs along the Danish west coast through Højer, Esbjerg and Hvide Sands, then on the narrow strip of land between the North Sea and Ringkøbing Fjord and Nissum Fjord. At Thyboron the Limfjord is crossed by ferry. The route then continues up the coastal road, including through Nørre Vorupør to Hanstholm. From now on the route runs on the north coast of Jutland to the east to Hirtshals and Skagen, Denmark's northernmost city on the mainland.
Head south from Hulsig, about 20 km south of Skagen, on the Østkystruten along the east coast of Jutland Frederikshavn, Sæby and neck. In Hals you cross the Limfjord again, this time over a bridge. It goes along the coast to Dokkedal, then the route leads a bit inland via Hadsund. Here the Mariagerfjord is passed over a bridge. Now we continue via Havndal to the village of Udbyhøj Vasehuse. Here the route meets the coast again and the next ferry crossing, this time across the Randerfjord, is on the agenda. The last section up Grenå leads back more along the coast. Here you board the ferry Varberg in Sweden.
Sweden
(396 kilometers)
The ferry from Denmark brings us to Varberg. From here it goes on the national cycle routes Ginstleden and Cykelspåret Väst / Cykelspåret by Sweden to the Swedish-Norwegian border bridge at Svinesund.
Halland and Västergötland
In Halland the route runs on roads and occasionally on bike paths. The short distance through Västergötland includes many routes on cycle paths, especially in the Gothenburg metropolitan area.
First you follow the Ginstleden from Varberg to Kungsbacka. After that, the cycling infrastructure improves visibly and it goes through the suburbs Gothenburg into Sweden's second largest city. The city is located at the mouth of the Göta älv in the Kattegat. Here you can confidently take a break if you want to get a taste of civilization or marvel at culture.
With the crossing of the river and leaving the urban area, the circumstances of the route also change. By leaving Gothenburg to the north, the quality of the cycling infrastructure decreases the further the suburbs are from the center. If you start to just hope that the next cycle route signpost will finally come, you have left the greater Gothenburg area. We continue on the Cykelspåret through the rocky coastal region Bohuslän, an extremely popular holiday region.
Bohuslan
The North Sea Cycle Route runs in Bohuslan usually on roads with little traffic. There are only very few bike paths.
Arrived in another coastal province, you drive off Kungälv over and arrive at some point in Stenungsund. There you leave the mainland over the Stenungsund bridge in the direction of Tjörn. The ride over the bridge can be an adventure depending on the wind and weather conditions. Fortunately, there is a shared footpath and bike path that is separated from the road by a fence. At the end of the bridge there is a rest area and an information board that tells the exciting story of how the bridge came into being. Shortly after arriving in Tjörn, turn north and cross another bridge Orust, the third largest island in Sweden.
In Varekil you turn west and after a while you get to Ellös. Shortly after the village you have to take the ferry to Malö (ferry connection called Malöleden). You leave the small island after a short time over a bridge in the direction of Flatön. Due to its size, Flatön is also not honored for long by the North Sea Cycle Route and you leave the island over a bridge towards the mainland. From there it goes on, again over a bridge, to Fiskebäckskil, from where a small passenger ferry takes you to the tourist town of Lysekil. The city is considered the center of Swedish marine research and has a marine aquarium (Havets hus).
Now it goes over the mainland along the coast over Bovallstand and Fjällbacka to Grebbestad. Past the world cultural heritage Tanumshede with its Bronze Age rock carvings the path leads to Strömstad. Here you can shorten a large part of the tour by taking the ferry to Sandefjord takes. If you don't do this (recommended), you follow the path, which now runs a little away from the coast and even becomes a bit hilly, to Svinesund. The Swedish stage ends over the fjord, because the Swedish-Norwegian border runs on the Svinesund Bridge.
Norway
(1130 kilometers)
The Norwegian Section leads past the Swedish-Norwegian border bridge first Sarpsborg to Fredrikstad. The old garrison town with its star-shaped fortress invites you to visit. Within the city you can cross a river with a pendulum barge for a small fee. Then it goes on through a beautiful rocky landscape Moss. There you take the car ferry across the Oslofjord Hoard. You leave the capital Oslo out.
- If you want to include Oslo in your trip, you have to take a short detour based on the length of the entire North Sea Cycle Route. You go around the Oslofjord.
From Horten the route continues via Tonsberg to Sandjefjord and Larvik. Then it goes along the partly quite hilly south coast Norway above Kristiansand until after Stavanger. From there it is a lot flatter and with various island hopping on the south west coast northwards to Mountains.
Bridging the gap
From Bergen you could go to the Faroe Islands translate, which formed a bridge to the Scottish section of the North Sea Cycle Route. In the meantime, the ferry connection from Norway to the Faroe Islands has been discontinued, so that this group of islands has been deleted from the route. Unfortunately, the ferry connection from Bergen to Scotland now discontinued, so the only way to continue uninterrupted is currently in one Transfer by plane to Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands (seasonal flights only). Alternatively, you can go to Aberdeen from where you can take a ferry to Lerwick on the Shetland Islands. The Faroe Islands are officially no longer included in the route.
Great Britain
Shetland Islands
At 161 km, this section is one of the shortest routes on the entire North Sea Cycle Route and also the loneliest and most remote route. One reaches the Archipelago by plane from Bergen / Norway (seasonal only) or from Glasgow, Inverness or Aberdeen in Scotland or by ferry from Aberdeen. The route is signposted from Sumburgh in the south (airport) over Mainland (Shetland) to Yell and to the north end of Unst, with two alternative routes of the National Cycleroute (NCN) 1 signposted in the northern section of Mainland. For the most part, however, you drive the same route there and back, as Unst is a dead end. Of Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands, you can take a ferry to Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands and continue cycling on the section of the route there.
Orkney Islands
Not far from the Scottish north-western tip are the Orkney Islands, over whose main island Mainland and some smaller islands the 140 km long Orcadian section of the North Sea Coast Cycle Route runs, also awarded here as National Route 1 of the National Cycling Network. Anyone who is on the NSCR circuit in the counterclockwise direction shown here will be over Kirkwall either by air from Sumburgh or by ferry from Lerwick in the Shetland Islands.
If you are not from the Shetland Islands, you can take the ferry across the Orkney Islands from the Scottish Scrabster in Stromness start and then follow the route around Northern Mainland along prehistoric sights and impressive views of coast, sea and small islands to Kirkwall. From here the route leads south over the Churchill Barriers, which connect several smaller islands, to South Ronaldsay, from whose southernmost town Burwick you can cross back to the Scottish mainland and continue on the North Sea Cycle Route Scotland.
Scotland
(950 kilometers)
The scottish Section leads over approx. 950 km mainly on the NCN 1 from John O'Groats resp. Thurso in north-east Scotland along the coast and through the hinterland Edinburgh to Berwick-upon-Tweed behind the English border. The inland route, which is atypically frequent for the entire route of the North Sea Cycle Route, is explained in some places by the fact that the only road directly on the coast is a busy A-road (comparable to a federal road), which cyclists should avoid.
First it goes across the country until the NCN 1 is just behind Lairg is approaching coastal waters again. over Dingwall one reaches Invernessfrom where it first east over Elgin until Banff leaves. There the route first swings south and later back inland. Only at; only when Aberdeen the coast is reached again. At Dundee you cross the mouth of the Tay with the famous Taybridge. This was made by Theodor Fontane after a train accident with the poem "The Bridge on the Tay" honored. Then it goes over an old railway line to a small fishing village. Then the route leads through a huge nature reserve with many information boards and grazes an active military base. The royal university city St Andrews is crossed and then the route bends towards the west and inland. After a stage through Kinross and along the lake ... the Firth of Forth is reached. The Firth of Forth is crossed over the huge motorway bridge (Firth of Forth Bridge) with foot and cycle path and the south of Scotland is reached.
From the Scottish capital it goes on the NCN 76 (attention new route!) Over the suburbs Musselbourgh further along the Forth coast. The peninsula expanding to the north is part of it North Berwick omitted (regional alternative route John Muir Way). The hills of the headland to be crossed are partially compensated for by a railway cycle path. From Dunbar it goes again close to the coast - with a few dangling around power stations that are ailing for water - up to Cockburn spath. Here the coast is beautiful as a postcard, the sections on the sidewalk of the A1 are loud, but safe. You should only be careful when crossing roads.
Then it goes a bit through the hilly hinterland to in Eyemouth the coast is briefly touched again. The last bit up Berwick-upon-Tweed runs over high hills. The border from Scotland to England is crossed. On the following steep descent, you should brake at the latest when the multi-lane motor vehicle approaches within a few meters. The end of NCN 76 and the return to NCN 1 can easily be overlooked. Annoying when a good piece of the mountain has to be trampled up again.
- Originally, and still shown on many maps, the North Sea Cycle Route ran almost continuously on NCN 1, including from Edinburgh to Berwick. In the meantime, the NCN 76 has been transferred to this section of the North Sea Cycle Route. The old section ran from the capital to the south over the mountains Innerleighen in the Tweed Valley. Then it went back to the coast to Berwick-upon-Tweed via the Tweed Cycle Path.
England
(1057 kilometers)
- Berwick on Tweed - North Shields (at Newcastle upon Tyne): approx. 145km
- North Shields - Whitby: approx. 145 km
- Whitby - Hessle: approx. 155 km
- Hessle - Boston (Lincolnshire): approx. 150 km
- Boston (Lincolnshire) - Norwich: approx. 210 km
- Norwich - Ipswich: approx. 130 km
- Ipswich - Harwich: approx. 80 km
The section of the English North Sea Cycle Route, like the Scottish part, largely follows the National Route 1 route, but according to the official NSCR website, it ends in Harwich, from where you can cross over to Hoek van Holland and continue your journey on the North Sea Cycle Route Netherlands. Deviating from the official route, you can continue on the NR 1 to Dover follow to Bologne-sur-Mer, Calais or Dunkerque translate in France and from there continue cycling on the North Sea Cycle Route Belgium, which, according to the official website, is also part of the circuit.
Belgium
(80 km)
The short section of the North Sea Cycle Route in Belgium is one of the lesser-known sections and is due to the Harwich end point on the English section in the official route left out by many cyclists. If you cross from Ramsgate to Ostend in England or from Dover to one of the French ports, you can also include this route, which is part of a complete circumnavigation of the North Sea.
Netherlands
(550 kilometers)
The section through the Netherlands from retranchement on the Belgian border to Nieuweschans just before the German border can certainly be described as the flattest part of the entire North Sea Cycle Route. It consists of the national long-distance cycle routes LF1 (North Sea Route) and LF10 (Wadden route) and includes numerous dams, bridges and islands in the route.
Noordzee Route
(280 km)
The Dutch Noordzee Route runs between Sluis (on the Belgian border) and The hero at the top of North Holland. Our way follows the route for the most part.
The route crosses the at Breskens Westerschelde, leads over the Oosterschelde-Dam the Grevelingen-Dam and the Haringvliet-Damm over Hook of Holland and The hague, through the dunes of Noorddijk and Zandvoort near Haarlem, continue through that Kennemerland with villa locations like Bloemendaal and Santpoort to Velsen, through the dune area of Castricum, Egmond and Mountains (Proximity Alkmaar) to Callantsoog. Shortly before the village, the paths separate, a branch still follows the coast The hero, the other continues to follow the LF10, which now takes over the North Sea Coast Cycle Route.
Waddenzee route
(270 km)
The Wadden Sea Route (LF10) runs between Callantsoog on the North Sea coast (direct connection to the LF1) to Nieuweschans on the German border. From Callantsoog the route leads through the "head of North Holland" to Den Oever on the former island Wieringen. Now it goes over the 32 km long Closing dike to the Frisian and Groningen part of the Dutch North Sea coast. In between, small islands offer places to take a break. At the end of the dike, Zurich is reached. From here it is only a short distance to the port city Harlingen. Anyone who has sniffed enough civilization sets out on the way along the Wadden Sea coast and drives through villages such as Hallum and Holwerd (here there is a ferry to Ameland). Then the comparatively short one Lauwersmeer-Crossed dam. The adjacent national park can be easily explored from Lauwersoog am Deich. You can also make a detour to Schiermonnikoog, another Wadden Sea island. Now the route leads us through the villages Pieterburen, Usquert and Roodeschool to Delfzijl and then on to the coast of the Dollard/ Dollard after bath Nieuweschans. Here the border has already been reached again and the German route follows.
