{"id":6970,"date":"2024-07-02T14:50:22","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T12:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=6970"},"modified":"2024-07-05T14:52:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-05T12:52:07","slug":"hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Hidden Gems Along the Tour de France Route 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Tour de France is much more than an annual showcase of athletic prowess; it’s an odyssey through some of Europe\u2019s most enchanting regions. As the peloton navigates the demanding stages of the 2024 route, it weaves through a stunning selection of locales brimming with history, untouched natural beauty, and distinctive charm.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s course offers a unique opportunity to discover hidden gems that lie just off the well-trodden paths. It invites you to explore the depth and richness of this part of the world beyond the race itself. Whether you’re following the Tour closely or seeking a deeper cultural experience, these destinations promise to captivate and inspire.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage 6: KM 26.9 \u2014\u00a0Find your calm in Taiz\u00e9<\/b><\/h2>\n

Taiz\u00e9 is world-famous for hosting the Taiz\u00e9 Community, founded in 1944 by Swiss friar Roger Schutz, which brings together around a hundred pastors and friars from all over the world who have chosen to live a life of prayer and celibacy together. The choice of this place is linked to its proximity to the Abbey of Cluny. The community, the first in the world to welcome Protestant monks, has received around 50,000 visitors a year since 1966, making a total of almost 4 million visitors since it was founded. They are housed in chalets and tents and can join groups for reflection, singing, music, Bible study, and prayer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage 7: KM 19.9 \u2014\u00a0Raise a glass in Morey-Saint-Denis\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Morey-Saint-Denis vineyard on the C\u00f4te de Nuits is one of the most prestigious in Burgundy, and indeed in France and the world, with a surface area of 150 hectares planted with Pinot Noir grapes for red wine, including 40 hectares rated as Grand Cru and 44 hectares as Premier Cru. One hectare is planted with aligot\u00e9, which produces one of Burgundy’s rarest premier cru whites, Clos des Monts Luisants. Needless to say, the village is home to a number of winegrowers’ cellars worth visiting and several gourmet restaurants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage 12: KM 79.9 \u2014\u00a0Witness the majestic in Rocamadour\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"Rocamadour\"<\/a>
Rocamadour is considered one of the most beautiful places in France. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A veritable challenge to balance, set against a cliff face, the Marian city of Rocamadour welcomes visitors and pilgrims all year round. Its thousand-year history dates back to the first hermits who settled in a vast rock shelter. In 1166, the perfectly preserved body of Saint Amadour was discovered on the site where the shrine now stands. Rocamadour was the sumptuous setting in 2022 for the Tour de France’s final time trial (40km), where Jonas Vingegaard completed his victory in the event while his team-mate Wout van Aert won the stage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage 14: KM 37.6 \u2014 Pay your respects in Lourdes<\/b><\/h2>\n

Every year, Lourdes welcomes millions of visitors from every continent. Since 1858, they have come on pilgrimage to the place where Bernadette Soubirous met the Virgin in a grotto near the river Gave. In 2018, Lourdes celebrated 160 years since the apparitions. A stage of the Tour de France<\/a> set off from there towards Laruns, where Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d won his second stage victory in the Grande Boucle. It was not until 1948 that a finishing line was drawn for the first time in Lourdes for the victory of Gino “The Pious” Bartali. On that day, the national hero of Italian cycling, tasked along with Fausto Coppi with boosting his country’s morale, took his winning bouquet to the grotto and attributed his miraculous victory in the Tour, ten years after the first, to Our Lady of Lourdes. He would return to the shrine each time he visited the region.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage 15: KM 19.9 \u2014\u00a0Get your spa day on in Bagn\u00e8res-de-Luchon<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"Bagneres-de-Luchon\"<\/a>
Enjoy a spa day in Bagn\u00e8res-de-Luchon. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Its privileged position has enabled t to host the Tour de France 55 times, a record for a town of its size. It has to be said that this renowned spa town has been part of the history of the race since 1910, when it hosted the first two high mountain stages of the event, both of which were won by Octave Lapize, the future winner of that edition. The Queen of the Pyrenees has also often crowned the future winner of the Tour or its hero, such as Pascal Simon in 1983, Thomas Voeckler in 2010 and Julian Alaphilippe in 2018. That year, the all\u00e9es d’\u00c9tigny were the setting for a novel start in the form of an F1 Grand-Prix-style grid. Bagn\u00e8res-de-Luchon is the most distinctive mountain town in the entire Pyrenees range. Surrounded by the 13 most famous peaks in the range, including Aneto (3,404 m), the highest peak in the Pyrenees, Luchon has everything you need for thrills and relaxation!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage 16: KM 7.2 \u2014\u00a0Indulge in a seaside escape in Fleury<\/b><\/h2>\n

Also known as Fleury d’Aude, this seaside commune covers more than 5,000 hectares and comprises three entities: the winegrowing village of Fleury, the seaside resort of Saint Pierre la Mer, frequented by Toulouse-Lautrec, and the fishing and yachting port of Les Cabanes de Fleury. The commune offers a wide variety of landscapes: 3,000 hectares of garrigue, 6 kilometres of sandy beaches and the River Aude, which crosses the area for 9 km before flowing into the Mediterranean, 1,000 hectares of vineyards, 1,000 hectares of marshes, ponds and wetlands. The open-air market in Saint Pierre la Mer is the largest in the region and is open every day from May to September \u2014\u00a0yes, please!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage 18: KM 139.4 \u2014\u00a0Capture the “fairy chimneys” in Les Demoiselles coiff\u00e9es<\/b><\/h2>\n

Les Demoiselles coiff\u00e9es (The Hatted Maidens), more commonly known as “fairy chimneys”, are original formations created by erosion. They take the form of a column of various conglomerates supporting a rock of varying size. In order to prevent their further deterioration and, above all, to avoid putting the public at risk of accidents, a footpath has been created below them, with explanatory panels and superb panoramic views. The 2.60 ha parcel of land housing the Demoiselles coiff\u00e9es of Sauze du Lac has been a listed site since 1966.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage 20: KM 35.9 \u2014\u00a0Go medieval in Sospel\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

A medieval village at the gateway to the Mercantour Park, Sospel is famous for its old toll bridge. This type of bridge is one of the last in Europe and is a rare sight indeed. In addition to this historical curiosity, Sospel boasts a remarkable natural environment. Nestling on the banks of the River B\u00e9v\u00e9ra, the medieval village lies just 20 km from Menton at an altitude of around 350 metres. The Second World War almost devastated the town. But Sospel fought back, and even today proudly displays its rich historical heritage, with no fewer than seventeen listed buildings.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Tour de France is much more than an annual showcase of athletic prowess; it’s an odyssey through some of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":6989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-6970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-the-latest"],"yoast_head":"\nHidden Gems Along the Tour de France Route 2024 - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hidden Gems Along the Tour de France Route 2024\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Tour de France is much more than an annual showcase of athletic prowess; it’s an odyssey through some of […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-02T12:50:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-05T12:52:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/18\/2024\/07\/2024_Tour-de-France-Peloton-profimedia-0886222558.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"990\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"660\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"hettie\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Megan Flottorp\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/\",\"name\":\"Hidden Gems Along the Tour de France Route 2024 - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/18\/2024\/07\/2024_Tour-de-France-Peloton-profimedia-0886222558.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-02T12:50:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-05T12:52:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a58d0e261e2851d32c04ca4395fc8c19\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/18\/2024\/07\/2024_Tour-de-France-Peloton-profimedia-0886222558.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/18\/2024\/07\/2024_Tour-de-France-Peloton-profimedia-0886222558.webp\",\"width\":990,\"height\":660,\"caption\":\"Tour de Frace peloton\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/\",\"name\":\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom\",\"description\":\"\u0160koda WeLoveCycling - United Kingdom\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a58d0e261e2851d32c04ca4395fc8c19\",\"name\":\"hettie\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19084731f07a409b63389e027895fb3dd559baf357989497b89ac21b1807677a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19084731f07a409b63389e027895fb3dd559baf357989497b89ac21b1807677a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"hettie\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/author\/hettie\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hidden Gems Along the Tour de France Route 2024 - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hidden Gems Along the Tour de France Route 2024","og_description":"The Tour de France is much more than an annual showcase of athletic prowess; it’s an odyssey through some of […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/","og_site_name":"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom","article_published_time":"2024-07-02T12:50:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-07-05T12:52:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":990,"height":660,"url":"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/18\/2024\/07\/2024_Tour-de-France-Peloton-profimedia-0886222558.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"hettie","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Megan Flottorp","Est. reading time":"4"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/","url":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/","name":"Hidden Gems Along the Tour de France Route 2024 - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/18\/2024\/07\/2024_Tour-de-France-Peloton-profimedia-0886222558.webp","datePublished":"2024-07-02T12:50:22+00:00","dateModified":"2024-07-05T12:52:07+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a58d0e261e2851d32c04ca4395fc8c19"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2024\/07\/02\/hidden-gems-along-the-tour-de-france-route-2024\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/18\/2024\/07\/2024_Tour-de-France-Peloton-profimedia-0886222558.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/18\/2024\/07\/2024_Tour-de-France-Peloton-profimedia-0886222558.webp","width":990,"height":660,"caption":"Tour de Frace peloton"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/","name":"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom","description":"\u0160koda WeLoveCycling - United Kingdom","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a58d0e261e2851d32c04ca4395fc8c19","name":"hettie","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19084731f07a409b63389e027895fb3dd559baf357989497b89ac21b1807677a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19084731f07a409b63389e027895fb3dd559baf357989497b89ac21b1807677a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"hettie"},"url":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/author\/hettie\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/190"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6970"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6986,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6970\/revisions\/6986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6970"},{"taxonomy":"global-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/global-categories?post=6970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}