Читать книгу The Moselle Cycle Route. From the source to the Rhine at Koblenz онлайн

16 страница из 42

In France a national network of véloroutes (cycle tracks) is under development. These are being built to a national standard that includes the following desirable features, wherever possible: that the track is on an asphalt surface; that it spans a width of three metres; and that it is separated from vehicular traffic. While the driving force for this programme is regional government (in this case Lorraine), under the French system of local government the implementation and actual construction is the responsibility of local départements. The Véloroute de la Moselle runs through three different départements, between which the degree of completion of the track varies greatly.

The route starts in Vosges département with a short descent, from the river’s source in the Vosges Mountains, along a very quiet mountain pass road. In Bussang the first long section of dedicated cycle path is reached (Stage 1). This is the voie verte (‘greenway’) des Hautes Vosges, constructed to national standards along the trackbed of a disused railway through a valley once filled with silver and copper mines. After the first sizeable town (Remiremont), the route continues (Stage 2) using quiet country roads to reach the département capital Épinal. It is unlikely that this stretch will ever be provided with a separate cycle path, although there are plans to mark cycle lanes along the road. The road, however, is so quiet that this hardly seems necessary. Beyond Épinal, the Véloroute de la Moselle is reached, in the form of a more or less complete cycle path (Stage 3) along the towpath of the Canal des Vosges to a point just past Charmes.