Tour
Total tour distance: 292 miles
Daily tour distance: 23 miles
Difficulty: 20 / 100
Description
8 out of 16 days BIKE AND BARGE. Easy biking. Guided. English speaking.
3 world-class cities. This tour taps into the youthful and creative pulse of Germany. There is something for everyone on this BikePlanet tour! In Berlin, we visit all the major sites…and after four days biking, walking and exploring this capital treasure, we join the Elbe River bike path. Destination: dreamy Dresden.
Riding is flat and easy along the river as we bike through the romantic Saxony alps…where sandstone formations rise up like giants waking from a deep sleep. We pass Europe’s most northerly vineyards on our way to the Meissen porcelain factory. We finish in the former-Imperial city on the Main river in Bavaria. Medieval Bamberg is a perfectly preserved medieval gem, luckily spared from the ravages of war. It’s a journey to Germany’s greatest monuments—past and present.
Hang onto your hat for a bike and barge part like no other. Join the IRIS in northern Bavaria—the ancient kingdom of Franconia. This is the heart of old Germany and home of the Bratwurst! The bike path along the Main River is rated 5-stars by the German Federation of Cyclists. It’s hands-down one of the best cycle routes in the country. This tour is superbly solid and smooth in every way—just like a BMW. Vibrant cities, quaint villages, and gently rolling fields and forests. Simply enchanting. A place you dream about. See it all from the comfort of the barge or astride the saddle of your iron horse.
Yes, this part of the tour is officially in Bavarian territory, but only recently. The locals still refer to themselves as Franks…seat of the early German kings and ancestral home of the British royal family. The cycling is easy along the river; the locals are friendly and proud of their vineyards and poets, musicians and beer…and we mean beer! The feeling here is very Gemütlich—a tongue-twister you’ll hear a lot that translates as “cozy, friendly, fun” wrapped up in one word. Come explore this colorful tapestry of castles and cathedrals, popes and princes spanning the ages.