Official Launch Of The EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea (Francigena) App

By Andrew on September 19, 2017 • ( 1 Comment )

From the EuroVélo website… (and the reason why I was in Brussels last week):

“A new application has been launched for smart phones and tablets to help people plan and then cycle the route of EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea (Francigena). Over a thousand years ago, pilgrims used to travel all the way from England to Rome, among them Sigeric the Serious Archbishop of Canterbury, who did it to receive his symbols from the Pope. Now you can follow their footsteps by taking our 3,300km long version of the route: EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea (Francigena).

The new EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea (Francigena) app is available for Android and iPhones and covers all sections from Canterbury in the United Kingdom to Brindisi in Italy. It provides an overview of the Via Romea (Francigena) with links to where you can find detailed information in each country or region. The app has an interactive map that shows the current level of development of the route in each country, elevation profiles for each stage and identifies the major points of interest along the way. There is also a reward system that allows you to ‘check in’ to those points of interest that are linked to the theme of the route and share with your friends and family how much of the route you have completed. The app was developed in the frame of the EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea (Francigena) (EV5-VRF) Project, which is supported by the COSME Programme of the European Union. It was launched at the project’s final meeting in Brussels, Belgium – close to the route of EuroVelo 5 – on Friday 15th September 2017.

The route passes through 6 different countries and connects many cathedrals, churches, monuments and museums which remind us of the long-standing importance of this pilgrimage route. It also links the seats of some of the major European Institutions: Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg as well as Rome – arguably the birthplace of the European Union following the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. The EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea (Francigena) forms part of EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, which aims to connect the continent through a network of 15 long distance cycle routes. The routes can be used by cycle tourists as well as local communities for daily mobility. Cycling the EuroVelo routes is an extremely sustainable form of tourism and mobility, particularly if combined with public transport.

The EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea (Francigena) (EV5-VRF) Project received co-funding from COSME Programme of DG ENTR. The project brings together project partners from relevant public and private organisations responsible for cycle tourism in the target region. The current version of the app mainly focuses on the most developed sections of the route between Canterbury and Brindisi. It is planned to extend the coverage of the app as other sections are developed.”

I never thought of the EuroVelo 5 as a hommage to the European Union but there you go… Yet another reason to get on your bike and follow in my bike tracks from 2010. Alternatively, read the book…The website can be found at www.ViaRomeaFrancigena.com