Bicycle Tour from Hamburg to Nuremberg July 2020

Tuesday, July 7 Arrival by train

We exchanged the ticket that was booked for May 25th and took the new ICE train in the evening, which also has places for bicycles, to Hamburg.

Wednesday, July 8 Hamburg - Hitzacker 120 km

Thanks to Teasi, we get out of the city and reach the Zollenspieker Fährhaus via Bergedorf. We get really wet during a heavy rain shower, but afterwards it stays dry. We cross the Elbe with the ferry in Hoopte. The navigation system leads us not as planned on the Elbe Cycle Path but on the Ilmenauweg through lonely villages. We meet the Elbe Cycle Path again near Hohnstorf, which we follow until shortly before Hitzacker. The last kilometers lead us over the cycle path 'Elbhöhen', so that we gain some altitude. We find accommodation at the Hotel Waldfrieden with a beautiful view of the Elbe.

Thursday, July 9 Hitzacker - Wolfshagen 105 km

It is already raining heavily in the morning, and the rain will accompany us all day. Due to a detour on the cycle path, we have some difficulty getting out of Hitzacker, but after 10 km we are back on the Elbe Cycle Path. We cross the Elbe at Dömitz and meet the Iron Curtain Trail there. Goodbye, hopefully see you next year! We are well soaked in Lenzen and take a break. Afterwards, we follow the cycle route through historical town centers and pass through lonely villages. We wonder who lives there and what people live on. The first historical town center is in Perleberg. The city was located on the important transit route Hamburg - Berlin during GDR times. In the town center, you can find historical residential and commercial buildings as well as the old town hall. After a break, we continue and initially mistakenly follow the cycle path towards Berlin. This means we have to take a detour with poor roads and a few uphill sections. We are glad when we reach the hotel near Schloss Wolfshagen in the evening. There we enjoy the beautiful ambience and a good dinner.

Friday, July 10 Wolfshagen - Neuruppin 85 km

Despite the predicted rain, it stays mostly dry today. Our route takes us to Heiligengrabe, an impressive monastery complex from the 13th century. During our lunch break in Wittstock/Dosse, we can even sit outside. The city has a large marketplace dominated by the town hall. A 2.5 km long brick wall surrounds the city. In the Thirty Years' War, a major battle took place here in 1636, which ended with the Swedes' victory over the Imperial troops. From Wittstock, we continue towards Neuruppin with poor signage. The path often runs parallel to the railway line. Shortly after 4 pm, we stand in front of Anke and Steffen's house, where we are warmly greeted. We are also very happy to see them again. In the evening, they show us the city with its wide streets, large squares, and many interesting buildings. Due to its generous, right-angled layout and its neoclassical buildings, it is considered the most Prussian of all Prussian cities.

Saturday / Sunday Stay in Neuruppin

Anke and Steffen take plenty of time to show us Neuruppin and the surrounding area. We ride to the Boltenmühle, where we take a walk around the popular excursion restaurant. Afterwards, they take us to Rheinsberg, where we visit the Hafendorf and the palace of Crown Prince Friedrich. In Neuruppin, we take a stroll to Theodor Fontane's birthplace before going to a birthday celebration by the lake in the evening.

On Sunday, we cycle around Lake Neuruppin and end the day in a nice wine bar.

Monday, July 13 Neuruppin - Niemegk 150 km

After a good breakfast, we say goodbye and look forward to the next reunion. We make good progress on well-developed paths, so that we reach Ketzin around noon. Before that, we made a detour to the Birnbaum von Ribbeck, made famous in a German poem. Shortly after Ketzin, we take the ferry and cycle along the Havel Cycle Path to Werder. There we once again have the problem of finding the right way, as there are no signs. After a few kilometers of detour, we find the Berlin-Leipzig Cycle Path and follow it with joy. But in our joy, we overlook a sign, which leads to a big detour. When we finally arrive in Niemegk in the evening, we are quite exhausted.

Tuesday, July 14 Niemegk - Wittenberg - Leipzig 115 km

At least it is only about 30 km to Wittenberg now. In Saxony-Anhalt, there are more uphill sections, but they are all manageable. In Wittenberg, we visit the Castle Church on foot, where Luther posted his 95 theses, the market square with the monuments of Luther and Melanchthon, the town church, and the Luther House, where Luther lived with his family for many years. There are not many tourists, so you can visit and enjoy the places in peace. After the navigation system still indicates 80 km to Leipzig, we decide to ride there today. Today we also have no problem finding the way, as we trust the navigation system completely. It leads us safely to the hotel in the city center, and we still have plenty of time for a first exploration of the city.

Wednesday, July 15 Stay in Leipzig

Today is a rainy day. It's a good thing we planned a day in Leipzig. After a hearty breakfast, we take part in a guided city tour. Leipzig is famous as a trade fair city with trade fairs. Old houses were demolished for this purpose and replaced by multi-story Art Nouveau buildings, in which the traders presented and sold their goods. Due to the trade fair activities, Leipzig was prosperous and cosmopolitan. The passages, which connect streets with each other through inner courtyards, are something special. They are often beautifully designed and were frequently covered with new roof structures after the reunification. Because despite having a roofer as general secretary (Honecker), most of the roofs were damaged. Bach also worked in Leipzig for many years as the cantor of the St. Thomas Church. The city with its many historical buildings and lively atmosphere impresses us deeply.

Thursday, July 16 Leipzig - Weimar 110 km

Initially, we make good progress on well-developed cycle paths until a rain cloud forces us to stop shortly before Weißenfels around noon. It pours down with rain. We soon interrupt our first attempt to continue. Finally, we unpack our rain gear and cycle on the Saale Cycle Path to Naumburg, always accompanied by rain. In Naumburg, we visit the cathedral, which is a particularly impressive experience. The west choir with the twelve foundation figures from the mid-13th century is impressive. Especially Uta as a symbol of the "most beautiful woman of the Middle Ages" and Reglindis with her laughter made a lasting impression on us.

We continue cycling in the rain and increasingly uphill to Weimar, where we arrive in the evening. There is still time for a walk through the city past the National Theatre with the Schiller-Goethe monument and the Schiller House.

Friday, July 17 Weimar - Erfurt 30 km

In the morning, we ride our bikes across the market square to Goethe's house and the National Museum. Walking through Goethe's house takes you back to the time when Goethe lived there with his family. Many original objects give a good impression. In the adjoining building, you will find the National Museum, which puts Goethe's life and work into historical context and impressively showcases his thinking and ideas. The genius with many interests and a firm worldview.

From Weimar, it's not far to Erfurt. There, the next cathedral is waiting, known for its pillar paintings and stained glass windows. In the late afternoon, we take part in a guided city tour, which takes us across the famous Krämerbrücke, the longest continuously inhabited bridge with houses in Europe. But Erfurt has much more to offer, such as the fish market with the town hall, the old university with the surrounding student houses, the old synagogue, and many patrician houses. Erfurt was located at the intersection of two trade routes, which ensured prosperity. In addition, there was trade in woad, a plant that could dye fabrics sky blue and only grew in Erfurt and Toulouse.

Saturday, July 18 Erfurt - Coburg King's stage through the Thuringian Forest 120 km / 1500 hm

In the morning, it is not clear whether we will make it to Coburg. We start in Erfurt on the Gera Cycle Path, which takes us slightly uphill to Elgersburg via Arnstadt. In the small Thuringian town, Edvard Munch stayed twice for a spa treatment and also painted some pictures there. From there on, we have to pedal energetically, as we climb up to 920 m at the Hohe Warte and Schmücke. In Schmücke, we reach the Rennsteig, which we now follow to Masserberg. It is quite exhausting, as every descent is immediately followed by a steep ascent. In the former border town of Eisfeld, we look for accommodation but can't find anything, so we cycle another 25 km to Coburg.

Sunday, July 19 Coburg - Bamberg 60 km

Dominique really wants to visit Veste Coburg, which impressively towers 140 m above the city. Despite the climb, the visit is worth it. Thick walls and bastions protect the large fortress complex, which is still very well preserved. In addition, you have a wonderful view of the surroundings. On this sunny Sunday, there are many cyclists on the well-signposted cycle paths. In the early afternoon, we reach Bamberg and can immediately check into our centrally located hotel. This leaves plenty of time to explore the city. We visit the four-towered cathedral with the famous Bamberger Reiter. Our walk takes us past the St. Michael Monastery above the Regnitz with a view of Little Venice with its romantic fisherman's and boat houses, and further on to Maxplatz. We then reach the Upper Bridge with the Old Town Hall via the main shopping street.

Monday, July 20 Bamberg - Erlangen 60 km

From Bamberg, we follow the Main-Danube Canal. Shortly before Erlangen, we take a detour to Forchheim with its beautiful medieval old town. The first German king was crowned there, and the imperial palace is still in the middle of the city. Now it is not far to Erlangen, where we visit Heidi and Gerhard Wangemann.

On Tuesday, I continue cycling from Erlangen to Nuremberg and take the train to Munich. I see my grandson Luis and his parents again for the first time in several months.

Dominique takes the train back to Basel on Wednesday.