An hour's drive from Frankfurt, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, you'll find the Kraichgau-Stromberg region. To be honest, I've always driven past it with great enthusiasm. On the way to Freiburg (for the Black Forest), to Switzerland or further to Italy. That you can find Kraichgau-Stromberg It can gravelly well, that you can actually guess. The nickname is the Land of the 1000 hills (land of the 1000 hills) and they are dotted with beautiful gravel paths. Time to take a look there and tell you why you want to gravel in Kraichgau-Stromberg. At least, that's what we have to see.
Basecamp Knittlingen – Gravelen in Kraichgau-Stromberg
When I pull up my bike bag and backpack towards the church of Knittlingen at the end of August, I can’t yet imagine what awaits me. After all, I’ve only been given a hotel name. Gasthaus Faust, In the middle of Knittlingen. I had never heard of Knittlingen, let alone be able to point it out on a map. Faust doesn’t refer to the ‘famous’ Faust, but to ‘the other one’. Also handy. But still. I’m here, so I’m all in. As it turns out, there’s a veritable welcome committee. One of the co-owners of the almost brand new guesthouse in the town is waiting for me. An animated conversation ensues and I’m sold immediately. What a wonderful place. Once inside, my mouth dropped open. The half-timbered house has been beautifully renovated and everything exudes high-quality luxury. The rooms are no different. Space, tranquility, a lovely bed. It’s going to be a treat. Should I try the menu too? We’ll see about that later.
Getting to know the region
I quickly notice that this region is an ideal gravel area. On the way to Knittlingen, I can already see the vines and the hills around me. Sometimes I see a nice path rising up, but more often I also see forests and fields. That means: lots of unpaved roads, so lots of beautiful gravel. The region itself is also aware of this. We receive a whole bunch of varied routes in advance. A nice mix of challenge and relaxation, we’ll also notice later on. I say ‘we’ consciously, because on this trip I’m not alone. For partner platform SieWielrent.nl Dorien and Sandra are involved. Experienced world travelers who have already visited many exotic countries with the gravel bike. Kraichgau-Stromberg fits in well with that.
Walk around the neighborhood
We start our journey with a ride around the neighborhood. A warm-up ride as it’s so nice to get moving. A coffee ride at this time of day (late afternoon) is not logical. More of a pre-dinner ride. On to the vineyards and the Monastery of Maulbronn, one of the highlights of the region. We’ll take a closer look at the monastery later, but it provides a beautiful backdrop during the first ride. From there we head into the fields and forests. The signs list beautiful village names like ‘Zaiserswieher’ and ‘Freudenstein’. Here you’ll find those beautiful long gravel paths that we miss so much in the Netherlands. There’s still room for that here, because there’s so much land and relatively few people. Yet you’re never really alone. We see other cyclists, greet hikers and dog lovers. Everything is pleasant together. We conclude this neighborhood ride with a beautiful descent towards Knittlingen. The dinner at Clubhaus 1920 is just as surprising and pleasant as this first ride.
Delicious ‘Taste’ route
The next day we are in for a wonderful adventure. We go into the woods, via the monastery of Maulbronn, towards the Neckar River near Besigheim. There is also our first stop of the day at Kramer’s Biergarten. Highly praised and we are looking forward to it. To get there we still have to travel a bit. It is about half of our tour (which is more than 100km in total) and we also have to travel on unpaved roads. Plus taking the photos makes it necessary to go a little further. But with an environment like this, where we cross through the vineyards and then enter the forests, that is no problem at all. We sporadically see other cyclists and encounter villages and towns along the way. In Sachsenheim we stop for a coffee and something sweet. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Kramer’s Biergarten
Our sub-goal is therefore Kramer’s Biergarten in Besigheim. By the way, would the name Heimwee come from here? There are many villages and towns that end in ‘heim’ in German. Also in the Alsace, by the way, but that could also have to do with the German-French relations there. In Bietigheim-Bissingen, we drive through the Japanese gardens to pick up the river there and then head towards Besigheim. We follow the water and in Besigheim we whirl through the old town, with beautiful half-timbered houses, to Kramer’s Biergarten. There we are treated to local cuisine with Maultaschen (a specialty), a good burger and a 0.0% beer. Because we still have a long way to go afterwards!
Rivers – Views
The lunch is therefore delicious and we continue our journey towards Heilbronn. We follow the river and at Laufen we cross over to the right bank. This provides some beautiful scenery. Shortly afterwards, near the Horkheim lock, we cross back again. Heilbronn and the Heuchelberg Technically, it is located just outside the Kraichgau-Stromberg area. However, we call it that because of the view from the Heuchelberg. This location is perfect for a drink and we are completely delighted by the view. Not for nothing is it a popular wedding location! From there, we head west and return via the forests and along some lakes to our home base Knittlingen. Tired but definitely satisfied, we park the bike back at Gasthaus Faust. The dinner in the evening in Maulbronn is just as good as the day before.
A round of wine and Hügelfest (that’s wine)
On our last day of travel, we head west from Knittlingen. The goal? To experience the Hügelfest, which we are highly recommended to do. For this trip, we will ride a total of 65km on horseback and take in some beautiful highlights along the way. It’s true ‘hügel’, because the hills are also noticeable here. We first head towards Bretten, where we also pick up Lena from the local tourism office. She knows the route better than we do and heads in the direction of Bruchsal. The viewpoint just before the city on the Michaelsberg is a must-see. You can also immortalize yourself on the Global web! The descent afterwards is a bit technical, but it's also doable with a gravel bike. Once we're in the city, we let ourselves be spoiled with spaghetti ice cream. If there's anything that's a childhood memory, it's spaghetti ice cream. The other surprise is Bruchsal Castle. A beautiful castle with a garden and outdoor space. Impressive and unexpected.
Wine and more
I already said: the region is all about wine. You can see so many vines, for example, along the Moselle, or in northern Italy. Also when you go gravel biking in the Kraichgau-Stromberg area. With the gravel bike you can often cycle through the vines as well. Not too often, be careful. Outside Bruchsal we first make a stop at Klumpp. A hypermodern winery that also grows organically (and biodynamically). Wow. Truly stunning to behold. A tiny nip of the local elixir should be enough, right? It shouldn’t get in the way of our ride towards Weingut Klenert for the festivities. The route through the Kraichbach valley rounds it all off.
Why and when should you go?
The reason to go gravel biking in Kraichgau-Stromberg is the combination of friendly people, gastronomy (and of course the wine), and the beautiful gravel routes. I had forgotten for a moment how good you are at Germany You can go gravel biking. So often I let myself be surprised by a new environment, but this time it’s completely justified. Long gravel paths through the forest, the vineyards, the climbs, and then of course beautiful viewpoints. The stops at the wine farms, at the ‘eisdielen’ (i.e. the ice cream parlors). Everything just fits together perfectly. The best time to go is the edges of summer and the autumn and winter. We were cycling at 35+ degrees one day, and then it’s really hot even in the forest. You could do better in the autumn and winter. Just be prepared for more rain.
Tips for a delicious pit stop
If you’re going graveling in Kraichgau-Stromberg, you’ll need a pit stop from time to time. Here are our tips.
- coffee and more: Luisenhof Hofladen in Oberderdingen
- Germany has a good ice cream culture. For example, in Bruchsal we stopped by for a ‘gelato’. Go for Spaghetti ice cream at Gelateria GranCaffe
- Drinking. Germany is known for its beer culture, but the wine is also well represented here.
- Along our route you will come across Weingut Klummp or at Weingut Klenert. Stop for a tasting or a small glass
- Kramer’s Biergarten has a good (non-alcoholic) beer selection
- Eating along the route and in the evening
- Kramer’s Biergarten -> Proper German. The maultaschen are a specialty.
- Gasthaus Faust -> for that little extra bit of gastronomy. Varied menu.
- Zum Scheffelhof – Maulbronn – wide selection of meat but also vegetarian options. Decent plus.
- Reinhardt's Alte Feuerwache -> perfect for ‘Kaffee & Kuchen’
- Clubhaus 1920 -> no sports canteen, but good food. The pasta with mushrooms was a delight, among other things.
Special mention for Hofladen Luisenhof. We stopped here both on our third and fourth day. On the third day we arrived after closing time and were given a ’bag’ to take with us for the journey, containing delicious fresh fruit and a juice. The next morning we went back for coffee with cake and that was a delight. Super friendly and a real must-try stop!
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.