The Lakeland by Cycle bike touring route is ready for the new cycling season. The route offers over 1,400 kilometers of rideable paths across 22 municipalities including connecting trails.
The gravel roads in Jyväskylä Region have gained international fame as rally stages. Now, the Lakeland by Cycle route offers cyclists a similar experience at a slower pace: hundreds of kilometres of quiet gravel roads winding through lakes, forests, gorges, and fields. The route immerses cyclists in the heart of the Finnish countryside and Lakeland nature.
The Lakeland by Cycle network consists of three main gravel loop routes and several connecting trails, allowing cyclists to shorten or extend their journey:
The Old Church Gravel Loop (442 km)
Jyväskylä – Korpilahti – Jämsä – Halli – Koskenpää – Petäjävesi – Keuruu – Multia – Uurainen
Goblin’s Gorge Gravel Loop (349 km)
Jyväskylä – Joutsa – Toivakka – Lievestuore – Kuusa – Uurainen
Green Gold Gravel Loop (333 km)
Viitasaari – Kannonkoski – Kivijärvi – Kinnula – Reisjärvi – Haapajärvi – Pihtipudas
Each loop can be comfortably cycled in about a week at a moderate pace, or shortened for day trips, for example.
The route is digitally guided and available on the Finnish Center for Cycling Tourism’s Bikeland website (www.bikeland.fi/lakelandbycycle) and on Outdooractive, a platform for nature and activity routes. Cyclists can easily follow the route by downloading GPS tracks to their preferred navigation apps on smart devices.
The digital maps also include local services and daily route recommendations with suggested stops. Riders can choose to stay in inns, hotels, or farms—or camp at designated tent sites and lean-tos.
Finland’s climate is ideal for bike touring—rarely too hot, and there’s daylight well into the night.
Janne Paananen
“Finland’s climate is ideal for bike touring—rarely too hot, and there’s daylight well into the night. Lakeland by Cycle is a major addition for Finnish cyclists and a fantastic adventure for international visitors,” says Janne Paananen, project manager of The Allure of Gravel Roads.
The routes were developed as part of the Visit Jyväskylä Region’s project “Hiekkateiden hurmaa pyöräillen tuhansien järvien maakunnassa” (The Allure of Gravel Roads – Cycling in the Land of a Thousand Lakes), funded by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Lapland (ELY Centre). The project concludes at the end of September 2023.
More information:
Visit Jyväskylä Region Tourist Information
📞 +358 14 5690113
📧 [email protected]