It was already hot when we set off this morning at around 9.30am – a sign of things to come.

We started out returning to Belfort to have a look at the citadel, which we missed yesterday. It was well worth it, the battlements are huge and there are panoramic views of the town and countryside from up on high.

      

     

We also rode around them a little with our bicycles, before exiting through the old town.

From here we made our way back onto the bike path alongside the Montbelliard river until Sevenanas, where we turned off onto a different bike route that went through Bourogne, to rejoin Eurovelo 6 along the canal.

We rediscovered the spot where we first found the Eurovelo 6 in 2012.

However we didn’t follow the Eurovelo 6 route, instead we enjoyed passing through the small towns of Brebotte, Grosne, Vellescot, Suarce, Lepuix-Neuf. Then we joined the D463, which is marked on our map as a green (scenic) route, all the way to Basel. There were quite a few trees, which was a relief as it became hotter and hotter. We stopped at a water trough in a small town and threw water over each other. The countryside also became flatter and we had some nice long (cooling) downhill runs around 15km out from the city.

I was feeling quite ill from the heat when we reached the Swiss border, just after St Louis (around 3pm). It was at least 38 degrees Celsius (from outdoor thermometer). We decided to head back to Germany to find accommodation. We reached the Rhine, and there was a place where several people were swimming – so we also stopped and jumped in – to the bemusement of nearby swans. It was a relief from the heat. It didn’t take long for our clothes to dry again.

From here we crossed the river and the border into Germany and made our way to the satellite town of Weil and the tourist office. They helped us find our accommodation and also provided information on cycle routes north along the Rhine.

Our accommodation was good, and included a fridge so we could chill our wine! It only began to cool down after 10 pm.