京都八幡木津自転車道線The prospect of riding from Kyoto, the Japanese capital from 794 - 1868, down to Nara, its predecessor (710 - 784), is enticing.
Cruising along from temple to temple, through sylvan rice paddies, sounds idyllic.
The reality, however, is grimly different.
If one were to ride on roads, from south Kyoto onward to Nara, the entire journey would be exurban Japan: fast-food restaurants, used car dealers, tacky signage, trucks and cars belching fumes, telephone wires overhead, and nary a bike lane to be found.
However, there is an alternative:
The Arashiyama to Kizu Bike Lane
A 45 kilometer (27 miles) bike- and pedestrians-only lane runs from Arashiyama to Kizu, which is about 30-45 minutes outside of Nara. No cars, no trucks, no fumes.
Instead: lots of cyclists and river views and clean air.
The ride to Kizu follows the Katsura and Kizu Rivers and is flat the entire way. From Kizu, there is a climb into Nara if you take Route 754.
Highly, highly recommended.
© CycleKyoto.com
Tags
Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Nara Route
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