Thinking of taking a bicycling holiday in Germany? Bicycling in Germany is rewarding from both a physical and mental perspective. Germany is bicycle friendly, more so than most other western European nations. It is as safe or safer than bicycling in any country of which I know in the world. You will find yourself welcome by citizens who frequently go out of their way to be helpful.

This website is a broad overview of what you may find when you visit. You will find information about maps, bicycle theft, and some "just riding down the path" impressions.

Perhaps most importantly, Germany is simply beautiful. It is a bouquet of mountains, low lands, river valleys, high plateaus, forests, and farms. The mountains include not only the majestic Alps but also smaller mountain ranges like the Hartz, Schwäbische Alb, and Eifel. Germany is dotted by many forests too numerous to name; the most famous might be the Black Forest for example. But the thing that pulls my heart strings the most is the villages. They frequently are no more than a cluster of white half-timbered buildings with red tile roofs, nestled in valleys or along rivers.

This page is a forerunner to the following pages: Trains, Culture, German Food and Drink, German Beer, German Wine, City of Kassel, and Calendar of Holidays just to name a few.

I loosely paraphrase Andre Volkel of Mercurio-bike-travel.com*, owner of a guided tour company, as follows:

'Although Germany is well-known for its automobiles and speed-limit-free autobahn, it should also be considered a cycling nation as well. There are 40% more bicycles than cars. Two out of five German vacationers take bicycle vacations too. Well over 7,400 miles of dedicated, car-free cycling routes make it an ideal place for vacationers of any age and fitness level. Many routes lead through flat areas or along rivers, cycling is a perfect way to relax and recover. In a week or two you can see and do a lot: celebrate vibrant wine festivals along the Rhine, marvel at hand-made filigree Meissen Porcelain in Dresden, or experience Bavarian traditions and mouth-watering cuisine.

'Whether you going it alone, booking a self-guided trip, or joining a guided bike tour, organizing your own tour is certainly the most exciting way. Don’t forget to visit Tim and Maxa Burleigh’s website called bicyclegermany.com first. It presents their experiences on most of the cycling routes. As they are recreational cyclists over 50 [in truth, we are over 60], their insights are perfect for those of you that may not be as fit as others or for families.' [Ahh ... Is he insinuating that Tim and Maxa are not fit? No, that cannot be the case.]

'On the other hand, traveling with a guided bike tour is a great and safe way to see the countryside and offers the added benefit of accompanying vans that transport your luggage. Your guide will organize city tours and support you at any matter. Mercurio-Bike-Travel.com offers some exceptional packages that are easy riding along the rivers such as the Danube, Elbe, Moselle and Rhine.' [This is the end of my paraphrasing Herr Volkel.]

With press like that, is it any wonder that Andre is one of my favorite people? It would seem that he has said it all but I am guilty of wordiness as anyone who spends any time on this website can tell. So, I need to add a few things to Mr. Volkel's well thought out remarks.

Germany is famous for many things besides manufacturing a few automobile brands like Mercedes Benz, VW, Porsche, and BMW. To begin with there are the things you put in your body, like the many different types of bread available at every grocery store. They are a major producer of wine, beer, schnapps, liquors, and brandy. The nearly infinite types of sausages is mind boggling.

I have asked many people who have bicycled in other countries and while each country has its own appeal, none compare with the 50,000 of kilometers of dedicated bicycle paths and bike routes that are signed. Adding in the hiking paths, there are over 190,000 kilometers of signed bicycle and hiking tours in Germany. The several guidebook companies that compete in Germany make finding a route that fits your preferences easy, even if the choices are many.

I said the people in Germany are bicycle friendly. Many ride bicycles from barley out of diapers to well into their 80s. Seeing people on their way to and from the grocery store with a bicycle is a common sight. In the mandatory driver training that every German has to take before obtaining a driver's license, people are taught to treat bicycles the same as any other traffic on the road. They do not honk at you and offer a one finger salute when come up behind you on a narrow road. The do patiently follow you at your speed (even if you are huffing and puffing slowly up hill) until it is safe to pass. Then they pull out into the other lane leaving you plenty of space.

We seldom stop to consult our map without someone offering to help us find whatever it is that we are looking. Not that that does not happen in other countries as well, but it seems to happen more often in Germany.

The ADFC Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad Club,* which translates roughly to the General German Bicycle Club has published and maintains a list of Bett & Bike overnight accommodations that meet their rigid criteria of local and bicycle knowledge and bicycle service abilities.

The German Tourism industry and the federal train system (Deutsches Bundesbahn,* or just "DB" or Die Bahn) have cooperated in making the entire country “bicycle friendly.” The DB publishes brochures about bicycling vacations and interesting bike rides. In Germany, individuals, entire families, clubs, and sometimes entire school classes take bicycling holidays for a week or more. Some camp out in a Campingplatz but others use the local hotels, guesthouses (Gasthaus and Gästehaus), bed and breakfast establishments like Pensions and, our favorite, Zimmer. See our Overnight Accommodations page.

Bicycling is ingrained in the German culture. According to the Grosser Fahrrad-Atlas Deutschland by Mair Geographischer Verlag, Karl von Drais invented bicycling over 175 years ago. (Of course, the first bicycle did not have pedals or a chain: you had to push it along with your feet like a scooter except that you sat on it so one could use both feet to push.) It is rare to find an adult German who did not grow up riding a bicycle and whose children, parents, and even grandparents probably still ride - if they still live. This fact makes drivers and pedestrians understanding and accommodating to bicycle riders (unlike here in the US).

The only drawbacks about bicycling in Germany are a slight shortage of campgrounds. And in some areas the castles are on top of steep hills (darn it). You can solve the campground problem by getting a good guidebook listing them. Sorry, we cannot solve the castles-on-the-hilltops problem.

I think I could go on and on until the cows come home. But I will stop here having some comfort that I have made the case for bicycling in Germany.

For more about riding in Germany, check out the following pages: What to Expect, Tim's Tips, and Bicycle Theft in Germany.