Bikepacking is far from being a mass-tourism trend in Germany. Nevertheless, there are regions that are quite popular and frequented, and therefore have lost a bit of their charm. With our five insider tips for unknown bikepacking tours in Germany, you can discover new regions and experience great adventures along the way. At the bikepacking meetup, you can also score points with these tours in terms of insider knowledge.
Tip 1: Haßberge
The 6-day bikepacking route through this (still) relatively unknown region promises one thing above all: bikepacking as it should be. In the region, the highest brewery density in the world meets centuries-old winemaking craftsmanship, and the center of the German Castle Corner meets the picturesque backdrop of the Haßberge Nature Park. Lots of nature, many ruins, castles, and palaces, good beer, wine, and excellent cuisine await you. Biker's heart, what more could you want?
The "Adventure Haßberge" starts in the small historic district town of Haßfurt. Over 47 kilometers, the first stage leads through picturesque half-timbered towns and past the Ellertshäuser Lake through the entire "Haßgau," the gently rolling foothills of the actual low mountain range of the Haßberge. The destination of the first stage is the Sulzfeld bathing lake with a campsite, where your tent can enjoy fresh air for the first time again. Well warmed up, the second day leads to the former inner-German border and even runs a few kilometers on the great international Iron Curtain Trail and directly on the column path right along the death strip. Almost 70 kilometers and a challenging 710 meters of elevation await you on this stage. In Nassach, you can also pitch your tent directly at the Nassach Nature Recreation Lake.
The third stage can definitely be called the queen stage: 63 kilometers lead through the heart of the German Castle Corner. Bike paths, gravel roads, forest paths, and trails provide variety and plenty of riding fun. Over quiet forest paths and fast gravel roads, it continues on the fourth day, first up to the Bramberg castle ruins and then over the Rennweg to the southeastern border of the Haßberge. Various breweries in Baunach and the surrounding villages offer a varied selection of isotonic drinks for the evening to replenish the lactate-plagued bikepacking calves with new strength for the last two stages.
The penultimate stage is all about wine: Through the deep forests of the Haßberge north of the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bamberg, it goes to the sun-drenched vineyards of the Main Valley. The route winds picturesquely through the vineyards and finally to the Sand am Main campsite on the other side of the Main. The sixth and final stage is a rewarding excursion into the northern Steigerwald. The highlight of this stage is the summit of the Zabelstein. Relaxed 31 kilometers and around 370 meters of elevation bring you back to Haßfurt and leave enough time for a reward and the return journey.
Catering
Along the route, you will repeatedly pass through larger towns with supermarkets. For example, Hofheim in Unterfranken, Bad Königshofen, and Ebern. However, there are also smaller villages in between with bakeries, butcher shops, and beverage markets. From the campsites, supermarkets can almost always be reached within a radius of less than 10 kilometers. Some pizzerias in the area also offer a delivery service.
Arrival and Departure
Haßfurt has a very good train connection to Schweinfurt (to the west) and Bamberg (to the east). Other starting points are not so easily accessible by train.
Photo: Ralf Schanze
Tip 2: Ebbe Mountains
This tour is quite challenging despite its "only" 110 kilometers, mainly due to the over 2,700 meters of elevation gain. For ambitious riders, this bikepacking tour through the Ebbe Mountains can be done in two days. If you prefer to take your time and maybe take a dip in the Biggesee, you can easily extend this tour to three relaxing days.
Your bikepacking adventure begins in Eiringhausen. At the start, you can warm up along the Lenne until the first major climb comes – and it won't be the last. Through the beautiful tangled Wald, you then ride down from Rabenkopf and return to Lenne. Through a large detour into the Wald, you ride to the borders of Finnentrop. You now encounter the Bigge, which ultimately leads you to the reservoir of the same name. Since you have now completed about half of the route, you might look for a nice spot to spend the night.
Along the Biggesee, it also doesn't get boring; it remains pleasantly varied and quite hilly. Now you head north again through much Wald and nature. The Oestertalsperre offers you another beautiful view of the water. The last good 20 kilometers have a few really challenging climbs. But they also offer great descents and wonderful views. In the end, you roll back into Eiringhausen via the Hohe Molmert.
Provisions
There are several larger towns on the tour where you can replenish all supplies in supermarkets, bakeries, and gas stations. These include Finnentrop (KM 33), Attendorn (KM 45), and Valbert (KM 68).
Arrival and Departure
Not only is Eiringhausen suitable as a starting point, but Finnentrop and Attendorn are also suitable for arrival and departure by train. This way, the round can also be ended early.
Tip 3: Müritz
For this tour, we thought of a short weekend bikepacking tour, where you set off to the Müritz National Park on Friday after work and return on Sunday afternoon. Depending on which direction you're coming from, you can easily travel by train to Wesenberg, Neustrelitz, or Waren and start your bikepacking adventure.
We start the tour in Waren at the Müritz and don't ride around it for long, but go straight into the Müritz National Park. You follow the long and beautiful forest paths, past natural spectacles and other attractions to the source of the Havel. Passing small lakes and along the tracks, you come to a rest area after about 50 kilometers, which would be ideal to call it a day in the saddle and calmly set up your night camp. The next day, you pack everything up calmly and head towards Neustrelitz. There, it's time for breakfast first. Afterwards, you ride past a lookout tower to the borders of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage: the old beech forests of Serrahn. By now, you have already completed half of the bikepacking tour.
Through wide forest highways and sometimes short trails, you now wind your way between the many small and large lakes further towards Wesenberg. It would be a good idea to do some shopping for the evening there, to then look for a place for your night camp. Since you are riding between Woblitzsee and Großer Labussee, you are guaranteed to find a suitable spot. On the way back to Waren, you ride once more into the beautiful Müritz National Park. Again, a bunch of beautiful lakes and nature trails await you. At the very end, you come directly to the Müritz Lake once more. If the weather is right and you have some time, you can refresh yourself in the cool water. You can then use the last ten kilometers of your bikepacking tour to slowly arrive back in the here and now.
Provision
The already mentioned major towns of Wesenberg, Neustrelitz, and Waren form the main supply points for your tour. If there's no other way, you must divert from the tour to reach one of the towns faster.
Arrival and Departure
As already mentioned, Wesenberg, Neustrelitz, and Waren are also ideal for arrival and departure.
Tip 4: Thuringian Slate Mountains
Anyone who hasn't been on the move in the Thuringian Slate Mountains will hardly believe how many meters of altitude you can collect here. On this multi-day bikepacking tour, you can get to know the beautiful quarries, forests, lakes, and rivers of this region.
Saalfeld is the ideal starting point to explore the Thuringian Slate Mountains. After leaving the city limits, you follow the Saale along small paths and forest roads until you reach the Hohenwarte reservoir. The Saale then leads you further through the beautiful nature of Thuringia until you reach Germany's largest reservoir (by volume), the Bleilochtalsperre. Here, you navigate along many trails and paths until the reservoir becomes the Saale again, and you turn towards Bad Lobenstein. Now you have already completed half of the journey and can reward yourself with at least a snack in the small town.
Immediately after, you dive back into a vast forest area and head towards the Rennsteig and some small idyllic stone quarries and lakes. Because, of course, you want to find out where the name Slate Mountains comes from. A very undulating section follows, where you are mostly on the Rennsteig cycle path. You continue to follow this path northwest, through quaint villages and remote forests. Occasionally, you will also be confronted with the former division of Germany, as the former border of Germany repeatedly crosses your path. At the end, there is once again a tough climb, but the accompanying descent brings you back to Saalfeld.
Provisions
Saalburg (KM 63), Bad Lobenstein (KM 83), and Probstzella (KM 120) are the only larger places on the tour, so you should take advantage of the supermarkets and bakeries there. For refilling water in between, you can also use the small bakeries, as well as the many guesthouses in the villages.
Arrival and Departure
In Bad Lobenstein and Probstzella, there are train stations that you can use for arrival and departure. By car, Saalburg is particularly suitable, as it is close to the A9. In the Saalburg Monastery, there is also a nice campsite that you can use as a base.
Tip 5: Emsland
The Emsland is much larger than you might think, and this tour provides the proof. Because this nearly 300-kilometer-long bikepacking tour sends you from the southernmost point of the Emsland to the northernmost and back again. But don't worry about so many kilometers. Firstly, it is quite flat the whole time, and secondly, we have kept the off-road portion of this bikepacking tour below 50 percent. So you can cover a good distance.
The start of your bikepacking tour is in Osnabrück. Strictly speaking, this does not belong to the Emsland, but it offers a very good connection to the train. At the famous branch canal, you quickly wind your way out of the city and continue to follow it for a while. Then you dive into the typical landscape of the Emsland. Many green areas alternate with forests and small lakes. The small villages you pass through are like something out of a cheese commercial, full of farmhouses and old brick houses. Occasionally, you will even pass through some areas that are very reminiscent of heath landscapes, and you will even get to see and feel a few hills.
Then, just before the halfway point of your bikepacking tour, you reach the northernmost point, the city of Papenburg. You completely change direction and join the Dortmund-Ems Canal, then the Hase, and wind your way further south with this small idyllic river. Now a few small lakes appear again, which are ideal for an overnight stay. In the final sprint, you cross the Mittelland Canal and pass through the Haler Feld nature reserve. The branch canal brings you back to Osnabrück, gently ending your bikepacking tour.
Food
At regular intervals, you pass through smaller and larger towns. There is always something available, from the dairy farm to the village shop to the bakery. In the towns of Sögel (KM 88), Papenburg (KM 124), Dörpen (KM 140), Lathen (KM 155), Meppen (KM 176), and Haselünne (KM 198), however, there is the possibility to visit supermarkets.
Arrival and Departure
Osnabrück is, of course, best connected to the transport networks. But there is also a good train connection in Papenburg at the northern end of the bikepacking tour. In between, there are many options to end the route earlier.
Photo: © Emsland Tourism
Tip 6: Swabian Jura
The last tour is quite a blast with a good 280 kilometers and 4,300 meters of elevation gain. Depending on how fit you are, this bikepacking tour can take three or four days. It does not yet cover the entire Swabian Jura. The two reference points were Ulm and Rottweil.
That's why the bikepacking adventure also starts in Ulm. You join the Danube and can ease into the first 30 kilometers. "On the beautiful blue Danube" is not only a very well-known piece of music but also a brilliant entry into the Swabian Jura from a bikepacking perspective. Right after Ehingen, however, the first steep climb awaits you. But you are also surrounded by magnificent nature and repeatedly enjoy beautiful views. You keep riding from the deep forests into small romantic villages, only to immediately dive into the next Wald. Occasionally, you also cross small rivers and streams. After exactly 150 kilometers, you reach Rottweil, and with that, you have already mastered more than half of your bikepacking tour.
The next 20 kilometers are likely to be among the toughest of the tour. At first, the climb leads you quite acceptably into the high altitudes of the Swabian Alb. But then there are a few really brutal kilometers that you have to master. However, the Plettenberg rewards you with a breathtaking view and the certainty of having conquered this inner demon. If you can arrange it, there's also a great spot for an overnight stay up here. The subsequent wild descent is definitely challenging and demands your full attention. Over valleys and hills, you now continue rolling back eastwards. Here, too, you repeatedly cross bodies of water and nature highlights. For the last 15 kilometers, you can really enjoy coasting, as it's all downhill until you roll back into Ulm, exhausted but overjoyed.
Provisions
You repeatedly cross larger towns (or their outskirts) where you can find supermarkets. For example, Gammertingen (KM 83), Onstmettingen (KM 103), Tailfingen (KM 190), and Hayingen (KM 233). In between, there are also other small villages with bakeries and village shops.
Arrival and Departure
Ulm and Rottweil are of course the best places to start or end this bikepacking tour. In between, there are also train stations, such as in Ehingen (Donau) and Gammertingen.
Photo: Swabian Alb Tourism, Photographer: Gerd Eisenschink
