Route Outline

The official Start of the 2013 MSA Euroclassic will be in Dover on Saturday 7th September, before the event travels across the channel into France, Belgium and Germany, finishing in Luxembourg on Friday 13th September.

Documentation and eligibility checks will take place in Dover on Saturday between 11.30 and 14.00hrs.

Participants from mainland Europe may join the event on Saturday night in Bethune for the Welcome Reception.

Please note that all route information is provisional and subject to amendment.

SATURDAY 7th SEPTEMBER

Spectacularly situated above the White Cliffs of Dover, the magnificent Dover Castle has guarded our shores from invasion for 20 centuries and on Saturday 7th September will provide a stunning setting for flagging off the classic car enthusiasts at the Start of this year's popular tour.

Parking up in the grounds of the castle overlooking the port of Dover, the Start will provide participants with the opportunity to take a tour around the castle itself and enjoy light refreshments as well as documentation and eligibility checks.

After the short journey across the channel, we will arrive at the beautiful La Chartreuse du Val Saint-Esprit Hotel on the outskirts of Bethune in plenty of time to prepare for our Welcome Reception this evening, a chance for everyone to meet and discuss the week ahead.

SUNDAY 8th SEPTEMBER

From Bethune we will have a leisurely start to the day, heading into Belgium and our refreshment stop at Waterloo, the site of the legendary Battle of Waterloo in 1815. There is plenty to explore around the town in memory of Napoleon's historic defeat.

Château Jemeppe will be a Sunday lunchtime checkpoint after Waterloo, en route to Liege, a beautiful castle with history dating back to the thirteenth century.

The historical city of Liège will be our overnight location - we will be arriving outside the beautiful Palais des Princes Évêques on the site of St. Lambert's Cathedral. Built around the year 1000, the cathedral was destroyed in 1827 with this square containing the last remaining architecture of the building.

Our parking area is in the centre of the city, and a mid afternoon arrival will allow plenty of time to explore the adjacent shops and cafés before we head off to our hotel for the evening.

MONDAY 9th SEPTEMBER

Monday morning will see us leave Liège, from the Palais des Princes Évêques, to travel to Stavelot Abbey for morning coffee and croissants. As well as being the oldest monastic foundation in Belgium, Stavelot is also home to the Spa Francorchamps Museum, retracing the prestigious history of the track in the Abbey's magnificent vaulted cellars.

Leaving Belgium and entering Germany, we will be stopping in the picturesque town of Bernkastel-Kues on the banks of the Moselle for lunch, before driving Presberg's 28-turn Hill Climb course.

Our overnight halt will be in Wiesbaden, one of the oldest spa towns in Europe, with parking outside the Kurhaus.

TUESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER

Leaving Wiesbaden, the first stop of the day will be in Heidelberg for morning coffee. Lying in a deep valley on the River Neckar, this charming town is a world-famous tourist destination.

We then head for the Bosch Proving Ground in Boxberg, which boasts 24 hectares of test tracks and a 3km long oval high-speed track. A number of German car manufacturers use this facility to test their new models.

Our afternoon check point will be at the stunning new Porsche Museum. Designed and built over three years as an architectural emblem of the Porsche brand, the display includes over 80 vehicles as well as some of the technical achievements of Professor Ferdinand Porsche from the early 20th century.

Our overnight halt will be in Stuttgart, the first of 2 nights spent in the city, with an arrival in the prestigious Königsplatz.

WEDNESDAY 11th SEPTEMBER

Wednesday morning will start with a visit to the Steiff Factory, the home and birthplace of the famous teddy bear with the 'button in the ear', and a tempting shopping opportunity.

From Steiff, we will head off towards Schloss Langenburg, the residence of the princely Hohenlohe - Langenburg family, situated on the top of a hill overlooking the enchanting Jagst valley. A barbecue lunch will be served in the beautiful Orangery and baroque gardens, hopefully hosted by the Prince himself!

The last check point of the day will be at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, showcasing over 125 years of Mercedes-Benz history from its very beginnings to the present day. We have been given the honour of parking our cars outside the front of the museum.

The Mid Event Dinner will take place this evening in Stuttgart.

THURSDAY 12th SEPTEMBER

We say goodbye to Stuttgart this morning as we travel into Southern Germany. First on the agenda is a stop at the city of Ulm, which lies at the point where the rivers Blau and Iller join the Danube. We will be parking in the Münsterplatz, in front of the cathedral with the highest spire in the world (161.53m).

Continuing on through the Black Forest, the town of Titisee will be the venue for our afternoon coffee stop, alongside the beautiful Lake Titisee, a protected nature reserve.

Leaving Titisee, we enter the Alsace region of France for a visit to a Crémant d'Alsace vineyard. Crémant d'Alsace is the jewel in the crown of the sparkling wines produced in Alsace, made from grapes picked at the very beginning of the harvest.

We head to Strasbourg at the end of the day where we will be arriving in the Place Kléber. Located in Strasbourg's historic centre the area was classified a World Heritage site in 1988, the first time such an honour was placed on an entire city centre.

FRIDAY 13th SEPTEMBER

The last day of the MSA Euroclassic will start with a drive through the scenic 'Petite-France' area of Strasbourg, where the river splits up into a number of canals and cascades through a small area of medieval half-timbered houses and baroque sandstone buildings.

These roads take us to another of our driving venues, the Circuit de Chenevières, for laps of their 3.5km demanding track, full of fast corners and tight hairpins. This is a brand new venue for the Euroclassic, never before visited in the event's 21 year history. There may also be an opportunity for participants to drive one of the circuit's fleet of Renault Alpines.

A visit to Smartville, the Smart Car Factory in Hambach is next on the itinerary, giving a fascinating insight into this cult car. Production is currently centred on Smart's brand new electric car, the Electric Drive, due to go on sale this Autumn.

We will enter Luxembourg during the afternoon for our End of Event Dinner, in one of the country's most luxurious hotels.


A provisional, outline route map is below - please note that all route information is provisional and subject to amendment.