Author’s Note: I recently came across a pdf file in which I wrote about a bike tour Kathrin and I made with some family members. The newsletter style pdf was meant for a family member who was on an extended sabaticle in a remote location. This trip was several years ago so I can’t really add anything more to it, but I still wanted to put it on my website to keep the memory and share a little something with my fans (aka Mom)

Over 6 days in July, Kathrin, her sister Monika, Aunt Frieda and I went on a 200 mile, 5 river (and one canal) bike tour in Bavaria. We saw the cities of Nuremburg, Regensburg, Kelheim, Neumarkt, and Beilngries. We biked through some other lovely villages/town such as Sulzbah-Rosenburg. The tour took us along the Pegnitz, Vils, Naab, Altmül, and the Donau (Danube in English) Rivers. We saw castles, breweries, walled cities, cathedrals, and monestaries.

Overall Schedule

Day 1: Nuremburg to Amberg – 48 miles
Day 2: Amberg to Regensburg – 41 miles
Day 3: Regensburg to Kelheim – 20 miles
Day 4: Kelheim to Beilngries – 29 miles
Day 5: Beilngries to Neumarkt – 29 miles
Day 6: Neumarkt to Nuremberg – Nuremburg – 30 miles

Nuremburg

History, architecture, cathedrals, Christkind Markt,
Nürnburg Wurst. Nuremburg has it all

Nuremberg was establish, with the original castle, around 1050. From 1050 to 1571, the city expanded and rose dramatically in importance due to its location on key trade routes. During our visit we went to the Dokucenter which chronicals the rise and fall of Hitler and the 3rd Reich. Nuremburg was a major Nazi city. Today it is simply beautiful and interesting. I enjoyed walking through the city, admiring the architecture and food.

Nürnburg Wurst

Nuremburg sausages are famous in Germany. They are slim, short, and delicious. They are the size of your middle finger and restaurants serve them in groups of 6,8,10,12… along with potato salad. Yummy!

Nuremburg’s Dark Past

The Documentation Center chronicals the rise and fall of Hitler and the 3rd Reich. The building was actually built by Hitler.. He had a master plan for Nuremburg which as to show the grandeur and might of the 3rd Reich. It was one of the few buildings in Nuremburg that was completed.

Amberg

Amberg, a town dating back to 1034, came at the end of our first leg of the bike tour. It was our longest day at 54 miles, with lots of uphill biking. We were rewarded along the way with some charming villages, and Amberg was no disappointment. The town had a river or two running through it which reminded me of Brugges a little bit. The main cathedral was undergoing some renovation work so it was covered in scaffolding. But none the less it was a lovely town to see. The best site was a bridge called the Stadtbrille (city glasses). Named after the two circles formed from the reflections in the water.

Regensburg

Regensburg was beautiful! Its rich upbringing is evident in the architecture throughout the city. The cathedral was amazing! Regensburg was the former capital of Bavaria and home to a branch of the Thurn and Taxis family. The family is famous, and rich, for establishing the postal service in Europe in the 16th century. Regensburg sits at the intersection of the Danube and Regen rivers. The medieval city center is a UNESCO world heritage site. I definitely want to come back here, it’s worth a long weekend trip.

Kelheim

Kelheim was both interesting and funny. Interesting in that the Befeiungshalle (“Liberation Hall” sitting on the hill) built by King Ludwig 1 to commemorate the defeat of Napolean in the Wars of Liberation (1813 – 1815). Funny in that while looking for a geocache we stumbled upon a brewery that brews the favorite beer of a colleague of mine. He made a pilgramige to this
brewery and met the current CEO by accident. The beer was good and so was the food in the beer garden behind the brewery.

Neumarkt

Neumarkt was a quiet town and a very peaceful end to our bike trip. It is another very old city, dating back to the 1200’s. In the 15th century it was the residence of the rulers of the Palatinate. But they left the city not too long after establishing their rule there and the city just quietly coasted along in history. This was our last stop before biking back to Nuremburg and we walked around the small town, relaxed, and enjoyed the sites. From here it was an easy 22-mile ride back to Nuremburg and our waiting car.

Danube Cruise

While in Kelheim we went on a river cruise through the Danube Gorge. The gorge has been declared an EU “national park” of sorts and has 300 foot cliffs, a small former abbey, and a pirate cave. The Danube river is at its narrowest through the gorge. Once through you can see the famous Weltenburg Kloster (or Abbey).

The Abbey

The monks in Weltenburg Abbey have been brewing beer for centuries, helping to sway the minds and souls of the local population. The abbey was founded around 600 AD by the monks of St. Columbanus. The church and existing buildings were built between 1716 and 1751. In the chapel is a painting of St. Mary arriving on the American continent with waiting Indians.