A bicycle allows you to be immersed in its scenery and become as one with its nature and people. In Norway, cycle route EV12 takes you across islands linked together by ferries and monster bridges. The scenery is rugged with forests, rocks, lakes and the North Sea weaving in and out with enormous tentacles.
Many of the communities on route are small and rely on summer visitors for their income but there are harbours that contain commercial ships and these are strangely not out of place in this landscape.
This article is a mini travelogue for EV12 giving my experiences. The time to visit is spring and early summer when the days are warming up and nights shortening. My ride started in Harwich, England and finished there 72 days later. after cycling 3,762 miles (6,000km) circumnavigating the North Sea via seven countries. Mine was a challenge ride to test myself, but EV12 is designed for short and medium distance cycle holidays. I met people doing this. I set off going north up the English coast at the end of April and, such was the season, spring weather accompanied me all the way to the Shetland Isles. It reverted to winter briefly in the northern highlands of Scotland with hail showers and snow on the hills. Summer in all its gloriousness accompanied me on my return through Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
At the start, the gentle landscape and picturesque villages of East Anglia in England gradually gave way to huge rivers and wide open fields in Lincolnshire. EV12 crosses the massive Humber Bridge, over 2km long that claims to be the longest cycle suspension bridge in the World.
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| Suffolk Idyl |
Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland are counties of strongly contrasting landscapes. EV12 passes through the densely populated urban and industrial areas of Teesside and the Tyne. Much of the landscape between is sparsely populated with rugged hills and moors to the west and an agricultural coastal plain. Ancient castles appear which were built to defend against Scottish and Scandinavian invaders. Time should be given over to explore some of the fishing villages from here to Shetland to learn about a fascinating history of herring fishing and sampling sea food meals.
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| Northumberland Beach |
Experiencing Scotland is to find a country of epic natural landscapes, engaging cities and a rich cultural heritage. It feels like an adventure the moment the border is crossed north of Berwick. I enjoyed discovering Scotland's ancient and modern ports where fishing, oil terminals and wind energy are the lifeline of the local economy. My younger daughter joined me at Aberdeen to Dingwall.
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My younger daughter accompanies me on route to the Moray Firth
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It's 1,230 miles from Harwich to John O Groats following EV12. For cycle challenges, that's 200 miles longer than Lejog but less than a third of the way around the coast of the North Sea.
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John O' Groats
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My older daughter joined me at Thurso to cycle around Orkney and Shetland Isles. We catch the evening passenger ferry from John O' Groats to Burwick, then circumnavigate both Orkney and Shetland mainland islands. We cross the Churchill Barriers to Kirkwall and the following day experience the island's prehistoric heritage and numerous lochs. We arrive in Shetland in thick fog which gives way to strong winds and beautiful views of remote hills, open moorland, tiny lochs with the sea never far away.
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| Shetland |
An unusual feature of EV12 in Shetland is to cycle across the runway of Sumburgh Airport to reach the terminal building. There were no ferries to Bergen in Norway, so I swallowed my pride for a plane ride.
Bergen is in the heart of the fjords where I was joined by a friend from Finland, Houses cling to the hillside with majestic views. We found time to explore its wharf, then set off for Stavanger, 155 miles away and were joined by a Norwegian who used his bike for work.
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| Stavanger, Norway |
From the outset, I found Norway to be cycle friendly with many cycle lanes and motorists being courteous.
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| Cycle Route Was Well Signed |
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| Head of Fjord |
When I crossed the border into Sweden, I learned how tough some Scandinavian people are. The weather was cool and drizzle. I stopped for a snack overlooking a fjord when a Swedish lady cycled up to me, introduced herself, then went for a swim. The water looked freezing but she said she went swimming every day. I cycled on through Gothenburg to Varberg for the ferry to Denmark.
Denmark was very enjoyable with friendly people. EV12 encompasses Jutland with its beautiful coastline and skies that make artists shriek with joy. I had a rest day in Skagen with Grenen on its northern tip where two seas collide. I stood in the sea looking north with my right foot in the Baltic Sea and left foot in the North Sea,
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| Grenen, Denmark, looking north |
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| Skagen |
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| Unusual camping pod, Skagen |
It was well marked easy trails on my journey with fine weather, albeit windy at times. Heading south from Skagen, at various times, I cycled along sand dunes, forest trails, over open moorland and alongside extensive wetlands that are of international importance both for breeding birds and migratory birds.
More people speak English in Germany than I expected. I continued to be dazzled by nature as I cycled alongside the Wadden Sea. My first encounter was with two German cyclists who stopped me to ask directions. I had a brilliant guide book from Bikeline, so was able to help. My favourite experience (among many) was the hospitality of a German family who took me in when I could not find any accommodation at the end of a long day. An unusual experience was to cycle alongside a huge cargo ship steaming upstream on the River Elbe to Hamburg. We matched each other for speed until the road turned sharp left and the cargo ship reached Hamburg first. After Hamburg, EV12 passes this impressive transporter bridge.
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| Osten -Hemmor Transporter Bridge |
Holland was the last country of my cycle challenge. Everyone was so friendly. There continue to be lots of dykes to cycle on as well as viewing countryside and villages. We cross the Zirder Zee, 20 miles of road out to sea. My journey finished at Hook of Holland, but EV12 continues into France.
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| Everyone cycles in Holland. |
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| Approaching Journey's End |
For more information, including route, places to visit, etc, please check Eurovelo website for
EV12. Enjoy.
