Vélorail des Gorges du Doux, Rail bike circuit in Gorges du Doux at Boucieu-le-Roi, France
Vélorail des Gorges du Doux is a rail bike experience where you pedal specially designed vehicles along abandoned railroad tracks through a narrow valley. The routes wind through tunnels and follow the contours of steep canyon walls, offering views from the tracks themselves.
The tracks follow a 19th-century railway line that once connected the Rhône Valley with the Ardèche mountains to carry goods and people. The line was abandoned as a commercial route but has been repurposed for this recreational experience.
Visitors experience French railway heritage while crossing engineering structures that represent significant achievements in industrial architecture of the region.
Each vehicle seats five people with two pedaling in front and three riding as passengers in the back. Those who want to pedal must be at least 1.40 meters (4.6 feet) tall, though younger children and non-cyclists can ride as passengers.
One route passes through a 265-meter tunnel and follows tracks that cling to cliff edges directly above the river gorge. This passage brings riders exceptionally close to the water and canyon walls during the descent.
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