Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [677]
Cycling
Strap on your helmet! Germany is superb cycling territory, no matter whether you’re off on a leisurely spin along the beach, an adrenaline-fuelled mountain exploration or a multiday bike-touring adventure. Practically every town and region has a network of signposted bike routes. For day tours, staff at local tourist offices can supply you with ideas, maps and advice. Most towns have at least one bike-hire station (often at or near the train station); many are listed throughout this book. The folks at bike shops are also great for getting the inside scoop on the local scene.
Germany is also criss-crossed by more than 200 long-distance trails covering 70,000km, making it ideal for Radwandern (bike touring). Routes are well signposted and are typically a combination of lightly travelled back roads, forestry tracks and paved highways with dedicated bike lanes. Many traverse nature reserves, meander along rivers or venture into steep mountain terrain.
For inspiration and route planning, check out www.germany-tourism.de/cycling, which provides, in English, an overview of routes, helpful planning tips, a route finder and free downloads of route maps and descriptions.
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TOP FIVE LONG-DISTANCE CYCLING ROUTES
Altmühltal Radweg (190km) This easy to moderate route goes from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Beilngries, following the Altmühl River through the Altmühltal Nature Park.
Bodensee–Königssee Radweg (414km) Lindau to Berchtesgaden; a moderate route running along the foot of the Alps with magnificent views of the mountains, lakes and forests.
Elberadweg (860km) Follows the Elbe River from Saxon Switzerland to Hamburg through wine country, heath and marshland and past such cities as Dresden, Dessau and Wittenberg. Also see the boxed text, Click here.
Donauradweg (434km) Travelling from Neu-Ulm to Passau, this is a delightful, easy to moderate riverside trip along one of Europe’s great streams.
Romantische Strasse (359km) Würzburg to Füssen; this easy to moderate route is one of the nicest ways to explore Germany’s most famous holiday route, though it can get busy during the summer peak season.
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For on-the-road navigating, the best maps are those published by the national cycling organization Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad Club (ADFC; www.adfc.de, in German). Their regional maps for day and weekend tours and cycle tour maps for longer excursions are available in book stores, at tourist offices and online. They indicate inclines, the condition of the track, how busy it is and the location of repair shops. GPS users should find the UTM grid coordinates useful.
ADFC also publishes a useful online directory called Bett & Bike (www.bettundbike.de, in German) that lists thousands of bicycle-friendly hotels, inns and hostels. Bookstores carry the printed version.
For an overview of transporting your bike within Germany, Click here.
Hiking & Nordic Walking
Got wanderlust? With lovely scenery throughout, Germany is perfect for exploring on foot. Ramble through romantic river valleys, hike among fragrant pines, bag Alpine peaks or simply go for a walk by the lake or through the dunes. Many of the nicest trails traverse national and nature parks or biosphere reserves. Nordic walking, where you strut with poles just like a cross-country skier, has taken Germany by storm in recent years.
Trails are usually well signposted, sometimes with symbols quaintly painted on tree trunks. To find a route matching your fitness level and time frame, pick the brains of local tourist office staff, who can also supply you with maps and tips. Many also offer multiday ‘hiking without luggage’ packages that include accommodation and luggage transfer between hotels.
The German National Tourist Office website (www.deutschland-tourismus.de) should be your first port of call, with inspirational information in English on walking throughout Germany. Other