Your trip
It is now 175 years since an entire country, an entire continent, looked with wonder and trepidation at this magnificent land on the southwestern edge of the empire: with admiration, with anger, with brutal aggression.
In 1848/49, the Paulskirche Assembly in Frankfurt failed. In the fortress of Rastatt, the arms of Baden rose up against their own grand duke. Duke Leopold fled. Baden proclaimed the republic.
Come to this beautiful country between the Black Forest, Vosges, Palatinate Forest and Odenwald on the Rhine and Neckar. Visit by bike the places of the dreamers and fighters of yesteryear!
Wine country, Rhineland, Palatinate and Bergstrasse – probably nowhere is Germany as warm, as ‘Florence’ as here.
It is almost a paradisiacal sight to see grapevines and fruit, even kiwis and figs, growing so richly in the area between the Rhine, Neckar and German Wine Routes.
It is probably also this culinary richness that makes people so proud of their homeland. So proud that they give each and every guest their full attention and are happy to share anecdotes from the region. Many of the stories revolve around the famous cathedral in Speyer or the old imperial city of Worms.
Hand on your heart – have you ever been a guest of the German emperors?
Also this tour offers you a round arc from the legends of the Nibelungen at Worms, the High Middle Ages with the imperial cities and imperial congresses at Speyer and to Worms, the Kurzpfalz with its ancient capital Heidelberg, the lovely wine route on the edge of the Odenwald with its castles and picturesque half-timbered towns, all the way to the Neckar Valley Cycle Route into the land of the Baden struggle for freedom against Prussia around the Romantic Four.
Oh and yes – you can also pay your respects to the emperors!
Strictly speaking, it was the Salians who built the cathedral at Speyer justify. About 1000 years ago, Emperor Conrad II died in 1039. He was still buried on the construction site of ‘his’ cathedral. Twenty years later, the roof was then close over the graves. The founder’s grandson, Emperor Henry IV, was able to consecrate the cathedral in 1061. At that time it was the longest church in the world. Today you enter a living church, the episcopal seat of the diocese. You can also visit the tombs of the emperors in the crypt of the church under the high altar. Take some time to let the impressions of 1000 years of power, splendor, loss, destruction, resurrection and faith take effect on you.
But so be it – you want to ride a bike!
Along this tour you will encounter history(s) at every turn. The Celts were the first to settle the Heiligenberg above Heidelberg. The Romans fortified this land, built the first bridge over the Neckar River. The electors had the first stone bridge built in the 18th century. The Baden freedom fighters wanted to blow it up, the German Wehrmacht blew it up.
But you notice – I digress.
And that’s exactly what we’d like to invite you to do with this tour: digress. Cycle what you have always wanted to know and see. Welcome to the Rhine and Neckar!
Accommodation and catering
You will stay in two high quality, regiotypical hotels. You can choose between two hotel categories when booking:
- Category A: 3*** and 4**** hotels
- Category B: Hotels / Inns in 3*** level
Every day begins for you with a rich breakfast or buffet.
The route and its requirements
- We classify the cycling tours as moderately demanding. The routes along the Rhine and Neckar rivers run entirely on the flat, with no inclines. Along the German Wine Route, the profile is rather hilly.
- You will cycle a total of about 315 km in 6 stages.
- The trip is not suitable for persons with reduced mobility. Please contact us for detailed information if needed.
Rental bicycles
- Sturdy unisex touring bikes, 7 speeds with hub gears and coaster brake or 21 speeds with derailleur and freewheel (please choose when booking), comfort saddle, 28 inch with different frame heights. On request also 21-speed men’s bike possible.
- Rental bike PREMIUM: the sportier version! High-quality equipment, for example, with 27-speed Shimano Deore XT gears, Magura brakes HS 11 and Suntour suspension fork.
- Electric bikes: unisex e-bikes with electric pedal assistance up to 25 km/h; 8-speed gears with coaster brake; range approx. 80 – 120 km (depending on riding style).
Own bikes
- It is possible to bring your own bikes, but at your own risk.
- For possible damages etc. on the own bike during the whole bike trip as well as during transport trips can not be liable.
We recommend that you always wear a bicycle helmet on all bicycle tours.
Arrival and transfers
We recommend that you arrive by train. Get in on the vacation at home. Arrive here relaxed. Dream a little during the return trip. Make yourself comfortable and book one of our rental bikes. Please book a train ticket to Neustadt an der Weinstraße.
Information and timetables can be found at Deutsche Bahn, see www.bahn.de.
Parking
If you come by car, you can leave your car free of charge and unguarded in public parking lots near the hotel. Alternatively you can rent a garage at the hotel for about 10,- € / day, payable on site. Reservation is neither possible nor necessary.
Unforgettable
- The cathedral at Worms, at Speyer
- Heidelberg, its warmth, its castle
- The wine country of the Bergstrasse with its castles and half-timbered towns
- The Odenwald with its Nibelungen saga, its simple beauty and vastness
- The Neckar with its cycle path, the Romantic Four with their old towns and castles
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