You will start your route not far from the Ryanair airport "Baden Airpark" in a beautiful countryside hotel. From there your path continues via the Iffezheim barrage - a technical marvel - with its fishing staircase - through Rastatt with its castle (which is much similar the castle of Louis the XIV. in Versailles) to Woerth. The well-flattened cycle path will lead you through the well-fortified fortress town of Germersheim to Speyer. The more then 2000 year-old town enthralls with a mix of lively history and vital presence, the mighty cathedral with the imperial tombs (a World Heritage Site). In Heidelberg you will see the world’s biggest wine barrel and you will have the opportunity to visit the Heidelberg Castle, where you will have a fantastic view of the Neckar. In Germany´s oldest university you can see the historic detention cells for students (Karzer) and of course there is time for strolling through the beautiful alleys of the old town. The German Mountain Road (Deutsche Bergstraße) with its romantic medieval towns and castles lies sourrounded by a picturesque countryside, between the gentle hills of the Odenwald and the vast plains of the Rhine river. Via Ladenburg and Weinheim – both lovely villages with half-timbered houses – you will come to Worms, one of the oldest towns of Germany, the world-famous town of Nibelungen and the patriarchal Romanic imperator cathedral. But soon you will make a foray through the beautifully ethnic floodplains changing with lovely, slopes full of vine - and will make a trip into the famous horticultural localities of the Rhine Terrace - Mettenheim, Oppenheim and Nackenheim - until you will reach Mainz. From your landscape hotel you will reach the center of the town by S-Bahn-transit easily within 20 minutes and have so the possibility to stroll relaxed through the streets of the Old Town. A ship will bring you from Mainz to Rudesheim, which is well known for its famous Drosselgasse Lane. Then you will drive on to the Loreley Valley. The river bed becomes narrower and high hills arise on the left and the right. you will cycle slowly along the river bed. Twenty-nine castles, manor-houses and castle ruins narrate a productive history. The beautiful old localities of Bacharach, Oberwesel and Boppard will invite you to stay within their city walls, towers and half-timbered houses. From the "Konigsstuhl" (King Chair) in Rhens, on which the German electors crowned their King in the late Middle Ages, but also from the castles Stahleck and Schönburg you will have unique views of the Middle Rhine Valley. Where Rhine and Mosel merge in Koblenz, the historical German Corner waits for you with the rebuild Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial. From Koblenz you will reach by train the next airports Cologne, Frankfurt or the Ryanair airport Frankfurt-Hahn within a short time. Tour Itinerary: Day 0: Arrival. We come together in a beautiful landscape hotel not far from the Ryanair airport Karlsruhe-Baden (Baden Airpark). You will be picked up from the airport directly, if you want. In the evening we will have a get-together meal to get to know each other. Day 1: From Helmlingen to Woerth, 70 km - 44 miles In this morning we will have to start early, because the guide will fit everyone out with their bikes. You will be cycling along the Rhine bank and will then make a trip to Rheinmünster-Schwarzach. It is situated on the foothills of the Black Forest in the middle of meadows and forests. The Schwarzach Minster Abbey - visible from a distance, is an attraction made up of the gorgeous monastery compound and workshops. Back at the Rhine you will be cycling to the Rhine River Iffezheim Dam. 40,000 ships pass through this watergate every year. Enjoy watching them. The 300 m long fish passageway enables the salmons to return to the Rhine. You will leave the Rhine River and will be cycling to Rastatt, where you have the possibility to visit the castle and to have lunch. In the afternoon you will be crossing through little villages and Rhine meadows. You will change banks and reach our hotel in Wörth soon. Day 2: From Woerth to Speyer, 56 km - 35 miles The path will first be leading you to Jockgrim, a small, picturesque town with marvellous half-timbered houses. But soon you will be out of the town and will be cycling round spacious Old Rhine arms, remained of the former meandered Rhine, in the midst of natural Rhine forests and meadows. The only larger town that you will be cycling through is the old fort town of Germersheim, telling you its history while passing the fort walkabout. In the late afternoon you will reach Speyer. The monumental Cathedral of German Emperors and the Old town are a real pearl. Both can be reached by foot. Our hotel is not far from the town centre. A guide will lead you through the old town. Day 3: From Speyer to Heidelberg, 28 km - 18 miles From Speyer you will cycle along the Kurpfalz cycle path to Heidelberg. After about one hour you will reach Schwetzingen castle. The former summer residence of Prince Carl Theodor is located in the middle of one of Europe´s most beautiful palace gardens, characterized by various architectural highlights. you will reach Heidelberg by lunchtime. We will make a guided tour through the Old town and will visit the famous castle, where you will see the world’s biggest wine barrel. For the rest of the day you can do whatever you like. There are a lot of interesting places to enjoy. Day 4: From Heidelberg to Worms, 60 km - 38 miles You will cycle along the Neckar river to Ladenburg. You will be amazed by the late-medieval old town with its many half-timbered houses. Afterwards you will leave the Neckar river and visit the town of Weinheim, known for its two castles. We will have lunch at the historic marketplace with its Mediterranean flair and many cosy cafes. You will get to Worms in the late afternoon. There we will make a guided tour and visit the cathedral (Kaiserdom), the synagogue, the Nibelungen museum or the Dominican monastery. Day 5: From Worms via Oppenheim to Mainz, 47 km - 29 miles Today you will leave the Rhine and will be cycling through the splendid Rhine terraces through the vineyard village of Mettenheim, passing the largest Riesling areas of Alsheim and through Guntersblum, famous for its vine cellars at the Keller lane where every year the cellar festivities take place. Our cycling path will lead you through lovely vineyards bordered by hedges and you will be arriving in Oppenheim - its monumental gothic Katharinenkirche visible from a large distance. You will see the bone house in the Michaelis Church, in which 20.000 thousands of years old natural conserved human skulls are piled up, and you will be leaded through the cellar maze, because the town is eroded like a Swiss cheese. After lunch you will be cycling through the vineyard parishes Nierstein and Nackenheim to Mainz, where you will spend the night in a beautiful landscape hotel. You can reach the centre of the town by the S-Bahn transit within 20 minutes and have so the possibility to take a stroll through the Old town yet. Day 6: From Mainz to Oberwesel, 34 km - 21 miles Today we have to get up early to catch our ship in Mainz on time. You can leave our guide the bicycles and enjoy the boat trip on the Rhine river. Before lunchtime we will get to Rüdesheim, where you will have enough time for a walk through the famous Drosselgasse and the Old town. In the afternoon we will cross the Rhine on a ferry and ride on from Bingen with its Mice Tower and historical Old town. The Drusus Bridge derives from Roman times yet and crosses the river Nahe. Then the cycling path will be leading you through the idyllic, narrow Rhine valley, passing old towns and castles. No district possesses a higher concentration of castles as this area. High mountains will now line the Rhine River to the left and right. You will reach the old Stahleck Castle. A short time later you will be in Oberwesel with its 16 towers and town walls - one of the most beautiful towns in Germany. Here is it also worthwhile to scale the Schönburg Castle. In the evening we can try the local wine again. Day 7: From Oberwesel to Koblenz, 42 km - 26 miles In the morning we take some time for a village tour through the beautiful town of Oberwesel. After this you will be cycling along Rhine loops passing fertile vine lopes to well-known Loreley. In former times many ships sank here due to the numerous maelstroms, which are the reason for the saga of the beautiful womanly shape, which lured the passing ships on to destruction by her singing from the top of the rock. In Boppard, you will have the possibility to view the remains of the town fortification, the castle, the splendid Severus Church, the Binger Gate and the Old town. After lunch you will be passing through large viniculture areas and will be reaching Rhens with its picturesque Old town. From Königsstuhl monument you can have a nice view of the town and Rhine river. In the afternoon you will be arriving in Koblenz at the crossroads of Rhine and Mosel. At any rate it is worthwhile to take a tour through the town. The numerous churches, the Münzplatz, the elector castle and much more are lovely. Day 8: Departure. After breakfast you can arrive by train the Frankfurt-Hahn, Frankfurt or Cologne airports within a short time. Notes: - 7 cycling days, 8 nights, 337 km - 211 miles - Self led tours can be started in the evening (arrival) of every Thu, Fr, Sat, Sun. Notes: Prices: 
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