Cycling in Katsuyama: Avoid the Crowds and Enjoy Nature, Local Gourmet, and Top Tourist Sites

This plan involves touring the Katsuyama-see tourist spots in Katsuyama by e-bike, including the Echizen Great Buddha, Katsuyama Castle Museum, Heisenji Hakusan Shrine, Yume Ole Katsuyama, and White Saurus. In addition to the e-bike rental fee, the fee includes admission fees to each facility and the experience fee at Yume Ole Katsuyama.Please take your time and explore at your own pace while referring to the model course map.
3-8 hours Feel free to explore your favorite spots by bicycle.
The Charms of Katsuyama: Nature, Gourmet, Tourist Attractions and More
Katsuyama City is located in the northeastern part of Fukui Prefecture, in the Reihoku region, and is one of the snowiest areas in Japan. Surrounded by the Hakusan mountain range, the city offers magnificent scenery, with the Kuzuryu River flowing through the center of the city, and in spring, the Benten cherry blossoms bloom along the river. In autumn, the foliage is beautiful, and the wonderful scenery of each season will leave you in awe.
Fukui is also known as the "town of dinosaurs" and is home to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, one of the three largest dinosaur museums in the world. In addition to dinosaurs, the town has many other historical attractions, such as Hakusan Heisenji Temple, famous for its moss, and the Echizen Great Buddha, the largest Buddha statue in Japan.

There are various ways to get around Katsuyama City, but cycling is recommended, especially on sunny days or if you want to enjoy the city at your own pace. In this article, we will introduce a model itinerary for touring by bicycle.
Sightseeing in Katsuyama by e-bike
Getting your e-bike Ready at Katsuyama Station

E-bikes can be picked up at the Echizen Railway Cafe inside Katsuyama Station.

Katsuyama Bridge connects Echizen Railway Katsuyama Station to Katsuyama City .
The dynamic curved structure is beautiful.
You can get a panoramic view of Katsuyama City.
You can enjoy the scenery of each season, such as rows of cherry blossom trees in spring, mountains covered in snow, and deep green mountains in summer.

Yume Ole Katsuyama is a living cultural asset where you can enjoy the world of textiles.
It is a must-see to see the textile-related machines that were active in the Showa era moving with a sense of realism. You can learn about the history of the textile industry and the structure of textiles while operating the weaving machine and picking threads from the cocoons. The hand-woven coaster experience and cocoon ball craft experience are also very popular. You can enjoy creating your own original work.

The model for the Great Buddha is a seated statue in the Longmen Grottoes on the outskirts of Luoyang, Henan, China, the origin of Buddhism. It is 17 meters tall. It is larger than the Nara Great Buddha (16.2 meters in documents, 14.98 meters in actual measurement). In addition, the halo is 23 meters, and the 3 meter lotus pedestal is placed on a 2 meter stone base, so the total height is 28 meters. While the Nara Great Buddha is stocky, the Echizen Great Buddha is characterized by its slender and gentle face and neck. It is made of copper, with a total weight of 200 tons. In addition, 1,281 stone and gold Buddhas are enshrined on the three walls on the left, right, and back of the Great Buddha, and two arhat statues (10.3 meters) and two bodhisattva statues (11.2 meters) are enshrined on each side of the Great Buddha as attendant Buddhas.

"Heisenji" is a base temple for worshiping Hakusan, located at the entrance to the Echizen side of the sacred Mt. Hakusan (altitude 2,702m).
In the Middle Ages, it became one of the most influential in the Hokuriku region, and it is said that there were dozens of temples and shrines and thousands of temples in the precincts, which were much larger than the current Hakusan Shrine.
However, in the 2nd year of Tensho (1574), the whole mountain was destroyed by fire during the battle against the Ikko Ikki, and most of the things that tell of the past have been lost.
However, a full-scale excavation survey that began in 1989 revealed that the remains of the former precincts remain splendidly. The full picture of Heisenji in its glory in the Middle Ages is now being revealed little by little.

Opened in 1992, this historical museum is located inside a 5-layer, 6-story castle tower that boasts the highest height (57.8m) in Japan. From the observatory on the top floor, you can see the scenery of Katsuyama, which has a history dating back to the Paleolithic age, and the beautiful nature that is registered as a geopark. In addition to the collection of daimyo armor and battle screens, we also store and display works related to the calligrapher Nishiwaki Goseki. Now that most of the remains from the feudal era have been lost, the existence of this museum also functions as a symbol that allows you to feel at a glance that there was once a domain in Katsuyama.

A pure white dinosaur sculpture on the way to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.
It's a popular photogenic spot.
There is a parking lot and a grassy area around White Saurus.
Be sure to stop and take a photo with the dinosaurs.
The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is also located near Whitesaurus.
It's about a 5-minute bike ride.
Using an e-bike makes it easy to climb hills, so if you have the time, be sure to give it a try.

Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture is known nationwide as a treasure trove of dinosaur fossils. Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is one of the world's leading dinosaur museums. The vast, immersive space is filled with exhibits of dinosaur skeletons, fossils, specimens, dioramas, reconstructed models, and more, allowing you to see impressive dinosaurs up close. The area surrounding the museum is also full of experiences such as fossil excavations and play equipment, making it an area that the whole family can enjoy.
The Dinosaur Tower, which reopened in July 2023 and appeared in the new small egg hall, is a must-see.
In the atrium of the new building, there is a 13m-tall monument called the Dinosaur Tower, which features five species of dinosaurs and one species of bird discovered in Fukui. In addition, the facility has been upgraded to be a facility that can be enjoyed in all seasons, including the impressive ``3-sided Dino Theater'' and the ``Fossil Research Experience'' .

Echizen Railway "Katsuyama Station"
Cycling Course Itinerary

Local Gourmet Recommendations
You're sure to get hungry while cycling, so be sure to try local delicacies such as "oroshi soba" (soba noodles with grated radish) and "sauce katsudon" (pork cutlet rice bowl) at restaurants in the city.
Reserve an e-bike and Explore Katsuyama!
E-bikes are available for rental at Katsuyama Station . Advance reservations are required , so please apply early.
1 unit: 2500 yen
Daily hours: 9:00~17:30
Reservations cannot be made, but if there is availability on the day, you can rent a bicycle at the station. If you forget to make a reservation, please ask a station attendant.
Regular bicycle: 100 yen / Electric assist bicycle: 500 yen

This time, we introduced a cycling plan that is recommended for touring Katsuyama. On sunny days, we recommend renting a bicycle so you can explore at your own pace. Please make use of the rental bicycle.
Spots introduced in this itinerary
Katsuyama City is located in the northeastern part of Fukui Prefecture. The city is located on a river terrace formed along the course of the Kuzuryu River, and is a rural city rich in water and greenery, with commerce and industry based on the local textile industry since the Meiji period, and agriculture and forestry having been thriving since ancient times. Our company is a DMO (tourism region development organization) that works with local communities to develop tourist areas. Katsuyama City is a treasure trove of attractive tourist content, including the Dinosaur Museum and Heisenji Temple! We provide detailed services to customers visiting Katsuyama , such as guided tours that allow many people to experience Katsuyama , the Geo Terminal in the parking lot of the Dinosaur Museum, and the operation of the "Dinosaur Valley Katsuyama" Roadside Station , which opened in June 2020. We are also actively challenging ourselves to create new businesses centered around tourism, aiming to revitalize the town of Katsuyama.
The contents on this page may partially contain automatic translation.