The Rhine Route by bike: from the springs to the sea through Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands
Epic route of 1,370 km along the Rhine, one of Europe's great rivers.which passes through six countries on its way from Switzerland to the North Sea.
Along the way, the Rhine Cycle Route passes the remains of Roman cities, medieval villages, castles, cathedrals, palaces, great cities of the industrial revolution and relics of 20th century warfare, and takes in a variety of breathtaking landscapes.
Starting in the Swiss Alps with high mountains, deep glacial valleys and ravines, it soon arrives at Europe's third largest lake, the Bodenseeand its largest continental waterfall. After BaselThe Rhine becomes a wide river, today the busiest commercial artery in the world.
The Middle Rhine, between Bingen y KoblenzThe Rhine River, which flows through the narrow, rocky Rhine Gorge, is lined with romantic castles perched above Germany's finest vineyards. Finally, the river flows through the Netherlands famous for its numerous dams and windmills.
In Koblenz (Koblenz), the route can be linked to the Moselle cycle route..
READ ALSO: Cycling along the Moselle River".
Practical guide
When to go?
Stages 3 to 27 can be cycled at any time of the year, although April-October is the best period. The entire route can be cycled when the Oberalppass and Surselva valleys (Stages 1 and 2) are free of snow, usually between mid-May and mid-October.
Difficulty of the route
The countries visited are very bicycle friendly and the signage is excellent. The whole trip can be completed in two weeks by a fit cyclist.
The route is easy, tends to be downhill and along cycle paths. There are no steep climbs and, apart from a few gentle ascents, in Switzerland. The route is generally downhill or flat, mostly on good asphalt surfaces suitable for hybrid or touring bikes.
Mainly cycle paths, often along flood embankments suitable for family cycling. Where roads are used there is usually a well-marked cycle path.
Not to be missed
- The Oberalppass and the Surselva alpine valley
- The Ruinaulta Canyon
- Liechtenstein
- Bodensee (Lake Constance)
- Medieval towns in northern Switzerland
- The city of Basel
- The industrial cities of Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Koln and Düsseldorf
- Governmental centres in Strasbourg and Bonn
- Historical and religious centres of Speyer and Worms
- Fortified towns such as Neuf Brisach and Germersheim
- Large vineyards and attractive villages of the Rheingau and the Rhine Gorge between Mainz and Koblenz
- World War II memorials at Remagen and Arnhem Bridge
- Rotterdam, with the second largest port in the world.
Cities & Services
Bregenz, Constance, Basel, Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, Speyer, Worms, Koblenz, Cologne (Cologne), Düsseldorf, Arnhem, Rotterdam.
Stages
The entire 1,372 km route from Port Oberalp to the Hoek van Holland is divided into 27 stages of 32-69 km, most of which follow well-surfaced cycle paths.
- Stage 1 Oberalppass to Ilanz
- Stage 2 Ilanz to Chur
- Stage 3 Chur to Buchs
- Stage 4 Buchs to Bregenz
- Stage 5 Bregenz to Konstanz
- Stage 6 Konstanz to Schaffhausen
- Stage 7 Schaffhausen to Waldshut
- Stage 8 Waldshut to Basel
- Stage 9 Basel to Neuf-Brisach
- Stage 10 Neuf-Brisach to Strasbourg
- Stage 11 Strasbourg to Drusenheim
- Stage 12 Drusenheim to Karlsruhe
- Stage 13 Karlsruhe to Speyer
- Stage 14 Speyer to Worms
- Stage 15 Worms to Mainz
- Stage 16 Mainz to Bacharach
- Stage 17 Bacharach to Koblenz (possibility to link up with the Moselle cycle touring route)
- Stage 18 Koblenz to Remagen
- Stage 19 Remagen to Köln
- Stage 20 Cologne to Düsseldorf
- Stage 21 Düsseldorf to Duisburg
- Stage 22 Duisburg to Xanten
- Stage 23 Xanten to Arnhem
- Stage 24 Arnhem to Wijk bij Duurstede
- Stage 25 Wijk bij Duurstede to Schoonhoven
- Stage 26 Schoonhoven to Rotterdam
- Stage 27 Rotterdam to Hoek van Holland
You may be interested in: The best cycling routes in the world".
