Swiss National Bike Routes

The Swiss National Bike Routes (German: Nationale Velorouten, French: Itinéraires à vélo nationaux, Italian: Percorsi nazionali) are the national cycling route network of Switzerland. There are currently 9 such long-distance cycling routes criss-crossing the Swiss nation and these were established mainly to promote bicycle tourism.

Map of Switzerland's national bike routes

The routes are signposted with red signposts. National routes are characterized by single-digit numbers to tell them apart from the Swiss regional routes. Each national route is published in a guidebook in German and French with map sections at 1:100 000 scale with technical and tourist information.

Nine national and many regional routes were established. The nine national routes are:

1. Rhone Route : Andermatt - Geneva, 309 km (26 km unpaved road ), 4360 meters of altitude
2. Rhine Route : Andermatt - Oberalp Pass - Chur - Schaffhausen - Basel, 424 km
3. North -South Route : Basel - Chiasso, 363 km
4. Alpine Panorama Route : St.Margrethen - Aigle, 483 km
5. Mittelland Route : Roman Horn - Lausanne, 369 km
6. Graubünden Route : Chur - Bellinzona, 260 km
7. Jura Route : Basel - Nyon, 275 km
8. Aare Route : Upper Forest - Koblenz, 305 km
9. Lakes Route : Montreux - Rorschach, 497 km

Note that, these routes often follow paved roads and paths, but they also contain sections that are not yet paved. Only the Route 4 (Alpine Panorama Route) is paved throughout.