Generally Europe is not considered worthy for off-roading. Is it a misconception?
It may very well be! Europe as a continent is rather large and diverse. Some areas offer literally no options for off-roading but some are just as outstanding as riding the BDR in the western parts of the USA or Canada. In comparison, the eastern portion of the United States is full of restrictions as well and off-roading in general means gravel roads at best.
Avid off-road riders and communities across Europe are working on the so called Trans Euro Trail. The plan is to create a trail system connecting (possibly) all European countries via 50,000km+ route featuring mostly off-road tracks.
Last year I had the chance to tackle two section of the TET. One short section in Romania and another section in Spain but for three days featuring few hundreds of kilometres mostly spent away from tarmac.
My impression?
I’m impressed to say the least! Having already ridden off-road extensively in Ontario, a bit in Quebec and British Columbia as well as parts of the BDR in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Washington, I’m just blown away by what some of the European countries can offer and apparently the Balkans and the Scandinavian countries can match the fun and sometimes challenging conditions of Spain or Portugal.
I cannot simply sum it up in a blog post what we experienced. This is why I thought that making a sort of documentary during the Spanish TET journey would be welcomed by many riders seeking to visit Spain. Albeit for a hell of a great ride!
Get your popcorn ready and enjoy the 30 minutes of scenic and cultural ride along the Spanish Trans Euro Trail:
This is just amazing. I’m looking forward to reading more. Excellent work.