Lahn Cycle Path: From Bad Laasphe to Marburg

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

The second day of our trip started off quite quietly. We got ready quite early and checked out. Due to Corona, we couldn't have breakfast at the hotel. That's why we bought breakfast at a bakery in the old town of Bad Laasphe, sat down on a bench there, and had breakfast. It was clear and very chilly, I even wore a fleece jacket over my sweater.

Then we started: we followed the Lahn through the industrial area. Then we rode through the valley, through meadows, often close to the railway tracks. Hills rose on the left and right, in front and behind. At Amalienhütte, we passed a lake that also feeds the Lahn. It looked very pretty!

Afterwards, we went uphill on one of the hills and at the top, we suddenly had a great view of Wallau down in the valley. It's also very rural and village-like. Then we continued in the valley as before. However, it became wider now and the small meadows were replaced by fields. The houses had less and less slate and more and more half-timbering. Although the former shouldn't disappear during our whole tour.

We took a break at Kernbach, because the Lahn shore was nice and accessible there. We looked at an insect hotel and small schools of fish and chilled on stones in the water. We dipped our feet in the ice-cold stream because it was so beautiful and the sun warmed us, we stayed there significantly longer than originally planned.

Afterwards, we mostly cycled next to the railway tracks. At one point, it looked like the Lahn was already very wide. We were very puzzled because it had just been a small stream a short while ago. But we had mistaken, it wasn't the Lahn at all, but elongated lakes. Otherwise, we passed through many villages, but the hills became flatter.

Once we had to stop at a level crossing. We chatted with locals who gave us tips for our route. They were very nice. And they said that there was nothing worth seeing in Cölbe, which is why my mom and I skipped the planned lunch break there and continued straight to Marburg.

When we arrived there, we were in front of a student house where there was a large bike rack, a snack bar, and seating steps down to the Lahn. We sat down there and enjoyed our packed lunch because it was exactly lunchtime. We chilled there for a while and then crossed a pretty little pedestrian bridge towards the old town, which we could already see and which rose up the hill. We left our bicycles at the bike racks at the student house.

First, we walked along a very impressive church up to the upper town. There were constantly references to Grimm's fairy tales because the Brothers Grimm studied in Marburg: a picture of "The Star Money," a passage from a fairy tale, a big single shoe on a staircase. We passed large squares with very colorful distinctive half-timbered houses, but also with shingles or bricks, the town hall with its clock, and the remains of a synagogue. Finally, we walked all the way up to the castle. It's in very good condition, made of red stone, and really big! Moreover, you had a great view over Marburg and the slightly hilly surroundings.

Then we strolled through the castle garden. It was also in top condition: many colorful flowers, a fountain at one point, old expansive trees, meadows, and an open-air stage that we heard more than we actually saw. There was a café near the castle where we had a Radler (beer mixed with lemonade) or homemade lemonade. Despite the few kilometers, we were both a bit exhausted because it was really hot.

Finally, we walked back down and visited two churches along the way, including the impressive university church. It seems like almost everything in Marburg revolves around the university, I think. Back at the bikes, I searched for accommodation via the internet. There was one near the train station, where we then cycled to. But you couldn't check in there without a credit card. And of course, we didn't have one. I was already very annoyed. Then there was another accommodation in the city center, right where we had just come from. So we went back and it was so complicated that I was even more annoyed.

Finally, we arrived and I checked in. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my mask outside. I quickly took off my T-shirt and tied it in front of my mouth and nose. Long live the sports undershirt that I was wearing underneath!

Later, after we had showered and rested a bit, my mom and I looked for something to eat. We finally found a restaurant called 'Havanna,' which was Cuban. It had a pretty old terrace and we sat directly above the Lahn. Very cool! The food was excellent and we enjoyed the view of the Lahn with a weir, people bathing, and a heron who seems to like getting its feet wet.

Later, we walked through the botanical garden to the Elisabeth Church (which was unfortunately already closed) and along the Lahn riverbank back (where an infinite number of groups of students stood or sat together). We finally fell into bed, completely exhausted.

Stage: Bad Laasphe - Marburg (Lahn Cycle Path)

Total distance: 53 kilometers

Weather: sunny, very warm, occasional pleasant wind