Major Section of EuroVelo 15 Re-Certified as a High-Quality EuroVelo Route

What does certification mean?

The full certified route is 1,287 km long and comprises 37 daily sections. All certified sections will be shown in green on the interactive EuroVelo map, making them pop out immediately. This means that the entire certified route can be recommended to regular cyclists, while 97% can be recommended to regular and occasional cyclists.

73% of the certified route is suitable for all types of cyclists, including families, cyclists with disabilities, and those using special cycles, such as bikes with trailers, cargo bikes, tricycles, and more. You can find out which daily sections are recommended for which user group in the Certification Report.

Whether you are an experienced cyclist looking for adventure or a newbie looking for a safe and easy first cycling trip: the certification confirms, EuroVelo 15 – Rhine Cycle Route is for you!

Consistently high quality on EuroVelo 15

The Rhine Cycle Route runs along one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe from its spring in the Swiss Alps to the North Sea. In 2024-2025, EuroVelo Route Inspectors trained by ECF in the ECS methodology conducted field surveys of the Swiss and French sections, as well as the German regions of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Hesse. Based on the findings of these surveys – collected in the Transnational Route Evaluation Report – it was determined which stretch out of the route meets the high quality requirements of a certified EuroVelo route.

ECS considers all factors relevant to cycling tourists, ranging from infrastructure, marketing, and services – and EuroVelo 15 excels in all categories!

Regarding infrastructure, the vast majority of the certified route (87%) contains no or very low traffic, while the surface quality on 86% of the route is perfectly or well rideable. It is of course also fully signed with EuroVelo signs, allowing cyclists a stress-free navigation experience by simply following the signs. Of course, for those who prefer to be sure to be sure, there are also GPX tracks for the entire route available for download.

All kinds of services a cyclist may require are abundant on the route: more than 200 accommodation and food options were recorded during the survey, with the true number within easy reach of the route sure to be magnitudes higher. Around 60 bike services were found along the route, with most daily sections containing multiple options, while the number of rest areas and information points was well above 100 each.

The route is also exceptionally well connected to public transport, with train lines for the most part running parallel to the route, offering cyclists the chance to access the route at a multitude of points and easily bypass sections if they so desire.

In terms of promotion and marketing of the route, users may find information in four languages on EuroVelo.com, as well as on various national and regional websites. There are a multitude of books and guides available covering part or all of the route, and it can be found on all major navigation platforms, such as Komoot or outdooractive.

About the EuroVelo Certification

The EuroVelo Certification quality label is awarded by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), which manages the EuroVelo initiative, after careful analysis of the survey data and proofs of route improvements communicated by the regional and national partners involved in the certification process. These are SwitzerlandMobility, Alsace Destination Tourisme, Schwarzwald Tourismus, Hessen Agentur, and Romantischer Rhein.

The Certification is valid for five years – that is, until September 2030. That makes EuroVelo 15 the oldest certified EuroVelo route, having first been certified in 2014, and together with the French section of EuroVelo 1 the only certified routes! The ten years of certification so far have seen a marked increase in route quality, with improvements to the ECS methodology granting a clearer picture of what actions can be taken to improve the quality even more.

The European Certification Standard (ECS) methodology, developed by ECF, allows to assess the quality of cycle routes based on data from a field survey, performed by EuroVelo Route Inspectors, and certify them if the quality criteria are met. Details of all sections along the route and their level of meeting the ECS quality criteria can be consulted in the Certification Report.

Author: Mark Sheridan

Cover image: EuroVelo 15 in Rhineland-Palatinate ©Dominik Ketz/Romantischer Rhein Tourismus GmbH, CC BY SA 4.0