Western Front Way by Waytrails

12/10/2024

Our latest blog! If you have any questions about cycling the WFW, let us help answer them. You can also join the dedicated group 'Hike & Bike the Western Front Way'.

Add questions to the comments below🚴‍♂️

How to cycle the Western Front Way

01/10/2024

Jäger Memorial, Turku, Finland.
Long way from Albert in the Somme…

23/09/2024

Follow Team Blind Dave Heeley on the Western Front Way with BBC News. Incredible progress being made, the steepest cycling in the Vosges now behind them, but they remain long days in the saddle.

Raising money for the The Albion Foundation.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgd7gpj7wjo

Commonwealth War Graves Commission en France Ville de Lunéville Vosges Matin Région Hauts-de-France Arras Pays d'Artois Tourisme Région Grand Est Stad Nieuwpoort

"Blind Dave" Heeley is leading a team of cyclists along the Western Front Way in France and Belgium.

28/06/2024

Celebrating Waytrails' 2000th Trail User: Access the GPX Files of our official trails and have a trail or two on us.

Waytrails are celebrating a momentous milestone as we hail our 2000th trail user. As a thank you to our ever-growing community, we are releasing the GPX files of three of our official, bespoke trails. Choose from the Normandy Way Bike or the Western Front Way Hike or Bike Trails. After a decade of development and with the support of both local and international backing, it's a big moment for us.

You can now easily access and download the official Waytrails GPX files onto your preferred mapping aid, whether it's Garmin, Komoot, Strava, or any other tool you prefer to use. Using a mapping tool alongside the Waytrails app saves you time, money and hassle. We include recommendations for hotels, restaurants and campsites along the trails, checkpoints, and amenities to help you plan your stops conveniently.

With all this at your fingertips, grabbing a friend and making adventures is effortless.

18/06/2024

LAUNCHED: Waytrails has released their latest City Trails - London and Paris.

You might be wondering why we would post this on the WFW page? Because what connects our trails is giving users a deeper cultural context on our trails so if the WFW interests you because of its history and stories then so too might a city.

Waytrails is known to combine trails and stories, and cities can be just as exciting as a backcountry trek - let us help you know where to go and where to look.

https://waytrails.com/

Send a message to learn more

15/05/2024

🚴‍♂️Calling all cycling enthusiasts!🚴‍♀️
If you want to be part of the DDAY 80th Anniversary year, then the Normandy Way cycling trail is for you. A 300km loop taking in the beaches as well as Norman history, Bayeux and Caen.

02/05/2024

We have added some 'How To' episodes about the Western Front Way in our Waytrails podcast series. It covers some tips and ideas about the trail.

If you have any specific questions not answered in the app, keep asking. You're likely not the only one who wants to know.

We have split them into 4 parts:
KM Zero - Pont a Mousson
Pont a Mousson - Corbeny
Corbeny - Notre Dame de Lorette
Notre Dame de Lorette - Nieuwpoort

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hike-bike-run-brought-to-you-by-waytrails/id1689537257
Also available on Spotify

‎Health & Fitness · 2024

21/12/2023

🎙️ LATEST PODCAST EPISODE: Peter Fiennes, author of Footnotes, To War with God & A Thing of Beauty

Episode highlights:
📚 Travelling in the footsteps of authors;
🪖 How his grandfathers' WWI trunk spilled with out diaries, memories and letters. A chaplain who struggled with faith on the front;
🗺 How nature, walking and people combine to meet extraordinary adventures;
🥾 History will fade or get misunderstood. By walking along places where history took place, our understanding changes with it.

Tune in to this conversation on Hike Bike Run available via: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2gW9bpAv3h0Qk2I7CM0dKE?si=mX538DY0Q3y94lW2jQCtew

🍏 Apple
🎵 Spotify
🎧 Audible

13/11/2023

Where will your next cycling holiday take you? Into stories and your imagination? Well, that sounds amazing!

Discover the Western Front Way and let it take you on an incredible adventure.

10/11/2023

EN: Exciting news! We're thrilled to announce the official link between Belgium & France, made possible by the exceptional efforts of and Ville de Fromelles.

Today, we celebrated the initial inauguration of the Western Front Way marking in France. Combining the WFW app and the stories, you can understand this area as you go. The original vision of a path for peace for all nations and people laid out by AD Gillespie in 1915 has now been realised.

The Western Front Way is more than just a trail; it's an opportunity to embark on a captivating or through history and nature. A dynamic and immersive experience, accompanied by compelling stories that bring the past to life. This trail awaits you....
FR: Nouvelles excitantes! Nous sommes ravis d'annoncer la liaison officielle entre la Belgique et la France, rendue possible grâce aux efforts exceptionnels de Lille Métropole, Office de Tourisme de l'Armentiérois et des Weppes et Ville de Fromelles. Aujourd'hui, nous avons célébré la première inauguration du marquage Western Front Way en France. La vision originale d'un chemin vers la paix pour toutes les nations tracée par AD Gillespie en 1915, s'est désormais réalisée.

Le Western Front Way est plus qu’un simple sentier ; c'est l'occasion de se lancer dans une ou un captivant à travers l'histoire et la nature. Une expérience dynamique et immersive, accompagnée d'histoires captivantes qui font revivre le passé. Ce sentier vous attend....

.de

08/11/2023

The thrill of finding hidden stories on the Western Front Way.

Plan your walking or cycling holiday for 2024 with rewarding exploration in mind.

.attractivite

07/11/2023

"On November 7th, 1920, in strictest secrecy, four unidentified British bodies were exhumed from various temporary battlefield cemeteries. One body was selected at random. The other three were reburied.

On the morning of the 8th November, a specially designed coffin made of oak from the grounds of Hampton Court arrived and the Unknown Warrior was placed inside.

On top was placed a crusaders sword and a shield on which was inscribed:

"A British Warrior who fell in the GREAT WAR 1914-1918 for King and Country".

On the 9th of November, the Unknown Warrior was brought onto HMS Vernon bound for Dover. The coffin stood on the deck covered in wreaths, surrounded by a French Honour Guard. Upon arrival at Dover, the Unknown Warrior was met with a nineteen gun salute.

A special train had been arranged and he was then conveyed to Victoria Station, London.

He remained there overnight, and, on the morning of the 11th of November, he was finally taken to Westminster Abbey.

It was the intention that all of the relatives of the 517,773 combatants whose bodies had not been identified could believe that the Unknown Warrior could very well be their lost husband, father, brother or son."

Image credit: IWM, public domain.

24/10/2023

🎙️ LATEST PODCAST EPISODE: Tom Isitt & author of 'Riding in the Zone Rouge: The Tour of the Battlefields 1919 – Cycling's Toughest-Ever Stage Race'

Episode highlights:
🚴Feeling the "hills and bumps" on foot or bike is vitally important to understand topography & story;
🪖"If you're genuinely interested in WWI, there is a lot more to understand";
🗺Favourite sections;
👨‍👦‍👦What remembrance means as a father & daily remembrance;
🧳What kit to carry on a long-distance ride

Tune in to this conversation on Hike Bike Run available via:
Bio link
🍏 Apple
🎵 Spotify
🎧 Audible

22/10/2023

Are you looking for a unique outdoor holiday unlike any you've had before? Allow the Western Front Way to tell you on a story... actually the stories of millions; what they saw; what they ate; what they wrote and how they lived.

The Western Front Way is a place like no other and if you let it, it will take you and teach you about bravery and courage, resilience and loss.

By exploring the Western Front Way, you can gain insights into how it shaped the world as we know it today and our role within it.

How's that for something different?

📱 To know more about the Western Front Way, find our app and begin exploring today.

21/10/2023

Any preconceived ideas about the Western Front will be quickly dispelled as you begin your chosen section. Whether you encounter renowned UNESCO Heritage sites or stumble upon the unassuming markers in the woods that bear names or depict events, you will continue to be captivated by stories. These places serve as custodians of the past and the present, ensuring that their narratives continue to be heard in todays' noisy landscape. So enjoy the trail and remember to stop for a coffee on the way!

📱 To explore these stories before you go, read them from home, or have them in your pocket as you travel, you can find them in the Western Front Way app.

20/10/2023

🎙️ LATEST PODCAST EPISODE: Kev Fisher & FKT solo cycle on the Western Front Way

Episode highlights:
🎽 Living with a brain tumour, resilience & cycling;
👬 How WWI stories connected him with friends;
💪 How the trail draws a strength for visitors;
🚴 Training for a long distance cycle tour

Find out more about Kev and his experiences
https://www.resiliencebikesandbrains.com/
The Brain Tumour Charity Brain Tumour Research

19/10/2023

Are you looking for some inspiration for an early springtime adventure /mini break?
⁠
We love France, particularly this area of France and its history. Despite the idyllic scenes of picturesque villages, warm local hospitality, and the presence of numerous walkers and cyclists, you may not realise the significant events that occurred here. That's where we come in, ready to share the stories and its hidden history.

HOW?
Planning your trip can be daunting, but we provide you with valuable information to explore, even before you go! With the Western Front Way app, you can dive into our stories and facts about this area, discover historical events that unfolded, and gain insights into the local food and culture. We also offer recommendations on where to eat, where to find provisions, and it even helps with booking your travel arrangements. Let us take the hassle out of your travel preparations and equip you with the knowledge you need for a seamless and enjoyable trip.

18/10/2023

Discover Lunéville, also known as Petit Versaille, and the last King of Poland to live here. As you take in the château and its gardens you can settle in with a delicious lunch or dinner in this picturesque town. Lunéville has a rich history and played a significant role in the region's cultural development.

📱Find out more stories and tips about Lunéville with the Western Front Way app stories as well as how to get there.

17/10/2023

People's connection to the great outdoors is often personal. We explore perspectives on sports, business, creativity, and combat, and how nature has influenced their mindset. Our guests come from varying backgrounds, including GB athletes, international rugby players, authors, successful businesspeople, and fellow adventurers. Find us on on available podcast channels.

16/10/2023

Winter walking can spark conversations and connection, even in the cold! Grab some friends, a flask and a free weekend and let us take you somewhere exceptional. On a pathway with so many sites to see and stories to hear, you'll want to find your way back for more.

11/10/2023

The Western Front Way app has added new updates and information! All ready to plan your next minibreak or long distance hike or cycle trip.

01/10/2023

Tired legs but mega effort from the cycle team. Big hills today from Munster to Lunéville in the Vosges, but rewarded with blue skies and views.

This is all for a fantastic fundraising challenge to raise awareness and support for those living with, and alongside, brain tumours.

Thank you for another superb support day. Onwards north! Tomorrow -

01/10/2023

Are you like one of these travellers? Bits of both or waaaaay off the mark? Find out 👇

Http://www.thewesternfrontway.com?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Fb_ad_blog&utm_campaign=blog_ads

01/10/2023

Day 2 of the Western Front Way Challenge.
Early start (and a climb) from Munster to Musée du Linge. Onwards via Saint Dié des Vosges, Raon L'Etape to the end destination in Lunéville, .

All supported by

30/09/2023

It begins! The cycle challenge along the Western Front Way sets off.