Germany’s fabulous cycling trails

Germany is a nature lover’s paradise, with mountains, meadows, wetlands and forests just waiting to be explored. One fantastic way to do exactly that is by hopping on your bike and start pedaling. Chances are good that wherever you live, you’re not far off from a “Fahrradweg,” a dedicated cycling path free from motorized forms of traffic. According to one statistic, an amazing 46,000 miles of cycling trails criss-cross the country.

As with most things, it’s fun to be spontaneous and just see where the open road takes you. But when it comes to planning a cycling trip, newbies to this fun form of sport and recreation might want to keep these tips in mind when plotting their first adventures.

Know the rules of the road

What better way to boost your conference that to actually know which rules apply to cyclists? In order to keep everyone moving along safely and swiftly, rule-abiding Germany has a traffic code for those cycling the friendly trails. To help English-speakers to get to grips with the basics, the German Road Safety Council, in partnership with other key players, publishes Cycling in Germany The Most Important Rules. It’s a good introduction to the very basics. And yes, it’s true: you can be fined for violating the rules, including those concerning blood alcohol content – so go easy on the adult beverages!

Choose a suitable route

Your choices as to where to go and what to see are vast. If you’re just looking for a short jaunt through a couple neighboring villages, it’s likely there’s a themed route based on architecture (castles), food (asparagus), or figures of historical importance (Barbarossa) somewhere nearby. If you’re feeling ambitious, opt for a trail making up part of the Radfernwegenetz, a network of 12 long-distance trails linking up cities and regions from Flensburg in the north to Füssen in the south.

When it comes to tours, the tourism board for the state you now call home will likely propose some interesting cycling routes. Those in Baden-Wurttemberg can check out the cycling and hiking tour portal. Bayern’s bikers can find inspiration and route descriptions under Cycling in Bavaria; for Rheinland-Pfalz, see radwanderland; and the Saarland tourist office keeps its info under cycling tours to remember.

Stick by the river

If getting lost comes naturally, and you find no thrills from hills, a route by a river is sure to deliver. Rivers have provided us with water for drinking and irrigation, food, transportation and power needs since the dawn of civilization, meaning the trails by rivers will provide you with views of charming ancient villages as well as stunning nature. Consider the castles and monasteries dotting the surrounding hills an added bonus. Cyclists from throughout the world flock to Germany to take on the challenge of cycling alongside the country’s mightiest rivers for days on end. Imagine being able to talk about your Rhine cycling trip in which you biked from Basel to Rotterdam all under your own steam – now that’s bound to impress!

Check the elevation

Once you’ve found a route you wish to take on, it can be wise to find its official presence on the web, and from there, take a look at its “Höhenprofil,” a graphic illustrating the fluctuation in height. This feature will let you know if you should anticipate any steep inclines along the way – vital information when pedaling with kids or less sporty types.

Pack a picnic

The best way to get otherwise reluctant co-cyclists on board with your idea? Bribe them with food! Pack a thermal insulated bag with a bottle of water frozen solid and snacks such as cheese cubes, crackers and dips, cut-up fresh fruits and veggies, dry sausages and a crusty baguette. Or just pack a knife, cutting board, cups and paper plates, amble into a supermarket and grab whatever catches your eye.

Stay the night

Make it a weekend getaway or full-fledged vacation by planning to spend a night or two. Bett & Bike is a network of around 5,800 hotels, guest houses, private apartments and campgrounds geared to the needs of cyclists. Other cheap bed options include hostels (Jugendherberge or independent hostels), or Naturfreunde, an association for environmentally conscious folks with a network of simple, rustic facilities for overnight stays in amazing, off-the-beaten track places.

Bring bikes on the train

Suppose you’ve found your dream trail, but it’s quite a distance from your home. It’s an easy matter to take a bike along on local rail networks, which includes trains indicated by the codes IRE (Interregio-Express), (RE) Regional-Express, (RB) Regional and the S-Bahn; however, rules do apply, which vary for each network. For example, during the hours of the busy morning commute, bicycles are generally prohibited, and in some states, the carriage of a bicycle costs extra and you must buy a ticket for it to ride. For an overview of the specific rules, see the info page pertaining to Bicycle transport in local traffic (Google translate) on the website of German Rail.

A great resource for cyclists

The German National Cyclists’ Association (ADFC) is a nationwide, non-profit organization committed to popularizing cycling as a mode of healthy recreation and sustainable mobility. If you’re mad about biking, become a member and enjoy group rides with like-minded individuals and perks such as a hotline to call when you’re on the road and mechanical issues arise or you’ve got a flat.

Recommended trails

Here is just a tiny sampling of the countless routes worth checking out and the places you’ll pass along the way:

• Glan-Blies Radweg: this 80 mile trail runs between Sarreguemines, France and Staudernheim, Germany, passing Homburg and Lauterecken en route.
• Lahn Radweg: this 127 mile route connects Marburg in the north with Loreley along the Rhine in the south, passing Gieβen, Wetzlar, Braunfels, Weilburg, Limburg, Diez and Bad Ems before entering the Rhine Valley.
• Main RadWeg: this 346 mile monster of a trail unites the sources of the Main River near Bayreuth in the east with the place where it flows into the Rhine across from Mainz. En route you’ll pass such stunning cities as Bamberg, Schweinfurt, Kitzingen, Würzburg, Wertheim, Miltenberg, Aschaffenburg, Hanau and Frankfurt am Main.
• Neckartal Radweg: this 209 mile trail links Mannheim in the north with Villingen-Schwenningen in the south, passing through the Black Forest and gems including Rottenburg, Tübingen, Esslingen, Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, Marbach, Heilbronn, Bad Wimpfen and Heidelberg.
• Saar Radweg: this 69 mile trail runs between Sarreguemines, France and Konz, where the Saar flows into the Mosel. Highlights along the way include the disused ironworks of the Völklinger Hütte, the bow-like bend in the river known as the Saarschleife, the Villeroy & Boch factory and porcelain museum and Saarburg.

In the summer of COVID-19, when many foreign destinations remain no-go areas, cycling is set to be a more popular option that ever. As we’re by no means out of the woods yet in terms of the virus, be aware of whatever current restrictions apply to you and your family specifically, as well as country-wide, before you hit the trail.

Which of Germany’s rad Radwege have you biked and loved?