In just a few years, this European city has established itself as an essential reference for cycling lovers. It even has the luxury of going beyond Amsterdam thanks to more than 1000 kilometers of slopes.
In recent years, large cities in Europe have been banning cars in favor of soft mobility, including cycling. Thus, the face of urban areas is radically changing in order to create ever more cycle paths and participate in the collective effort in favor of ecology. And some cities are doing well.
When we think of cycling, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, often comes to mind. The Dutch capital has long been considered the model par excellence for cycling cities. With its 500 kilometers of dedicated trails, it remains an essential reference but be careful when you are on the pedestrian side, the cyclists have absolutely no pity for you and do not hesitate to honk their horn angrily if you have the misfortune of taking one step too many on their trail… However, it is not Amsterdam which offers itself the gold medal for the most cycle-friendly city in Europe.
Indeed, this is what the ranking of the Top 10 cycling cities in Europe reveals, carried out by the Nordic transport company DFDS on the basis of several criteria such as infrastructure, safety, cycling culture and local public policies…. Furthermore, this ranking also took into account the degree of flatness of the terrain, the number of kilometers of cycle paths reported per 10,000 inhabitants, as well as the interest generated online for cycling and sustainable journeys. And it’s a French city that wins!
Thanks to these precise criteria, it is the city of Paris which stands out as the emblematic example of a cycling city on the Old Continent, ahead of serious competitors such as Copenhagen or Berlin. The French capital now has more than 1,000 kilometers of trails connecting almost all of its neighborhoods by bike. According to a study carried out by the Paris Region Institute, 11.2% of trips in the capital are now made by bicycle, compared to 4.3% by car. Parisians and Ile-de-France residents are particularly mobile, especially during the week, with nearly 34.5 million daily trips, a large part of which is to go to work!
The growth in bicycle use in the city has a direct impact on pollution in the capital. The Paris town hall indicates that it has reduced the number of cars on its streets by 45%, accompanied by a 13% reduction on the ring road. This reduction in car traffic resulted, in part, in a 32% drop in the city’s carbon footprint between 2004 and 2022.
