Switzerland: a country for avid cyclists
With breathtaking alpine passes and stunning trails along the Swiss waterways and through the plains, the variety of the Swiss cycling landscape has long fascinated local enthusiasts and international visitors alike. What makes Switzerland such a great place to ride?
When the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) moved its headquarters from Paris to Switzerland in 1969 (initially to Geneva, now Aigle), it already knew that cycling here is a way of life.
11,000 kilometers of bike paths
Cycling enthusiasts benefit from the initiative «Cycling in Switzerland» which has established a national network of bike routes since 1998.
On 11 national routes and over 50 regional trails, the whole of Switzerland can be explored on two wheels – totaling 11,000 kilometers of marked bike paths. And at the end of the year, the national kilometer counter shows a cumulative total of around 150 million kilometers ridden. In 2021, 61% of all Swiss households owned at least one bicycle, and around 300,000 new bicycles are purchased annually.
Quality of life has always been a priority in Switzerland. So it's no surprise that the streets are cleared of motor vehicles several times a year to make way for two-wheelers. One Sunday a year during the ‹SlowUp› in nearly every region of Switzerland, a stretch of road between 25 and 60 kilometres long, often a circuit, is closed to motor traffic, leaving it completely open for cyclists, pedestrians and in-line skaters.
Public transport and ski resorts join in
Mountain bikers and racing cyclists especially love the Swiss Alps, where cycle tourists from all over the world experience breathtaking panoramas and are rewarded with boundless freedom. In late August each year, for example, 2,500 fans of the Alps from 34 countries take part in the Swiss Cycling Alpenbrevet adventure, charging up as many as five alpine passes.
Where skiers and snowboarders swarm the slopes in the winter months, mountain bikers and downhill riders rule the summer. This allows Swiss ski resorts to utilise their infrastructure to welcome tourists from every part of Switzerland, not to mention Britain, Germany and the Benelux countries, even when there's no snow on the ground.
Public transport services are a particularly important partner for cycling fans. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) offer a special service which delivers bicycles to the cyclist's choice of station, eliminating the need to lug their bike along with them.
