Munich – Barcelone >>
Alps, Provence, Southern France und the Pyrenees
Six countries we will cross on our way from Munich to Barcelone, the different landscapes and cultures will ensure that every day is a new adventure. During the first three days we cross the Alps and see a lot of high passes, spectacular glaciers, steep rocks and green valleys. In the Aosta Valley we come close to Mont Blanc, the summit of Europes highest mountain is a thick and perennial ice dome. Our next destinations are Col d’Iseran, Col du Galibier and Alpe d’Huez, some of the main destinations of the Tour de France. One night we spend near Gap on the Route Napoleon. This route was taken by Napoleon in 1815 on his return from Elba. We change into the mediterranean climate of the Provence, here under the mostly blue sky riding a motorcycle makes really fun. Lac de Serre- Poncon and Col d’Allos lie on our way down to the Grand Canyon du Verdon. The river Verdon has cut an impressive ravine up to 700 metres down through the limestone. After more than 20 kilometres the Verdon flows into the artificial lake of Sainte-Croix. More in the west we ride up to the peak of the Mont Ventoux. As the name “windy mountain” might suggest, it can get really windy at the summit. Wind speeds over 300 km/h have been recorded there. Unsere letzte Station in der Provence ist Avignon, a city full with history, and the historic centre is UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than 100 years from the early 14th to early 15th centuries popes and antipopes resided in the Palais des Papes. And not to forget the famous bridge over the Rhone River, commemorated by the famous song “Sur le pont d’Avignon”. We leave the Provence and arrive at one of the most impressive buildings in Europe: the “Viaduc de Millau“. This highway bridge is more than 2500 metres long and has pillars higher than 340 metres. In the year 2004 it was inaugurated by the French president Chirac. Passing Beziers and Narbonne we continue to the Pyrenees and cross the boarder to Spain. Here in the region of Catalunya we enter the national parc of Garrotxa with its fourteen volcans. Finally we arrive at Barcelone, one of the most interesting capitals in Europe: Harbour, Barri Gotic, the buildings of the Olympic Games 1992, the unique masterpieces of Gaudi like Sagrada Familia and last but not least the Rambla. Hardly to find a city in Europe with a bigger concentration of sightseeings in combination with easy way of life.