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Cycling holiday in Germany is super popular
Cycling in Germany is hugely versatile. The flat coastal region. The hills so characteristic of the various Bundesländer. But also the climbs in the south, where the Alps begin. Think also of the Harz, or the Black Forest. Germany actually has everything for the cycling enthusiast.
Germany
Northern Germany: If you go cycling in northern Germany, there is a host of options. No hills here, or challenging climbs. Cycling in northern Germany is cycling with lots of Netherlands-like landscapes. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. You can cycle well there.
Central Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia.
In the middle of Germany you will find some very popular cycling regions. Munsterland, the Eifel, the Harz, the Thuringerwald.
South Germany: Baden-Württemberg and Bayern, Rhineland-Palatinate
Germany is not only very close, cycling in Germany is also very diverse. You can cycle flat kilometres along the coast or in the 1000 lakes region. Cycling along the Rhine or Moselle is also good and relatively flat. You can also cycle through the hilly countryside in, for example, Munsterland, Sauerland North Rhine-Westphalia or more to the east in Saxony. Mountains also call. In the Harz, in the Black Forest and in Bavaria, you can climb really nicely.
One of the most popular destinations for the Dutch, about 3 hours' drive from Utrecht, is the Eifel. This is where many novice cyclists learn to climb well. It is also the region of the gravel event 'Highway to Hellenthal'. Another much-used destination is the Sauerland, where you can make a lot of altimeters. You can also gravel well here.
There is fantastic graveling all over Germany. Because of the many wooded areas, it is actually everywhere. Across the border near Nijmegen is the Reichswald. Near the Czech border is Saxon Switzerland, known for the Bohemian Border Bash. Think also of Baden-Wurttemberg and the Land of 1000 Hills. In fact, you won't be wrong anywhere
Germany also lends itself perfectly to a lot of altimeters. Around Freiburg you are in the Black Forest and there you have the Feldberg, among others. Further down in Bavaria you have a lot of nice climbs near Garmisch Partenkirchen. And as mentioned earlier, the Harz has been a favourite for years.
In short: Germany is the perfect cycling destination nearby.
Germany has a continental climate. That means it can get very hot in summer and very cool in winter. Due to its relatively northerly location, you can cycle well in lots of places in Germany between roughly March and October.
In summer, the mountain region around the Black Forest is very beautiful but relatively hot.
If so, opt rather for destinations towards the Harz or Saxon Switzerland, for example.
Germany has lots of beautiful gravel paths and forest trails, but pay close attention to local regulations. There has been a lot of fuss in Germany about sharing paths with hikers and other road users.
Germany has a special infrastructure where cycle paths are sometimes very narrow, seem to run on the pavement and where the car still rules in many places. So always pay attention to where you can cycle, use daylighting if you find it convenient and, of course, always be friendly.
If you want to cycle in Germany, there are basically three ways to get there.
Car: The Autobahn is there for the tourist, it seems. Basically, all of Germany is perfectly reachable by car. Although south-east Germany is a bit of a cart. But basically you can be in 60% of Germany in 4-5 hours from Utrecht. That's a lot of cycling routes to choose from
Train: Germany's train network and certainly in connection with the Netherlands is very good. The only challenge is whether and how you can bring your bike. On the ICE, for example, it takes some time to find out. On regional trains, you can usually take your bike in its entirety (and there are plenty of places available). Always have a look at Bahn.de for the latest info
Bike: The advantage is that you can reach Germany from the Netherlands by bike. What's hot! You can bikepack from your front door for a weekend and then cross Germany. You can take the train to, say, Maastricht or Nijmegen and then head into Germany. Or you can just ride 'just to Berlin'.
On our Komoot page you will find some route collections with beautiful routes from beautiful Germany.
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