Kocher-Jagst Cycle Route

The Koja is 332 km long. It should be called Jako for me, because Ulla and I first cycled up the Jagst river.

After the drive by car and a rainy Saturday (30.8.2020) in beautiful Miltenberg am Main, we visit Ulla's aunt Rosemarie in Amorbach/Odenwald. After visiting the uncle and grandma at the cemetery, we continue to Möckmühl on the Jagst river in the afternoon. The car is parked at the swimming pool. It's raining again, so I can sit in the car and eat my cereal in peace. Then it stops and we start the first stage upstream on the Jagst river and reach the Hollenbach campsite 60 km away without getting wet. It goes through cozy towns with lots of half-timbered houses. Jagsthausen with the Götzenburg castle and Schönau monastery invite you to stop. To get to the campsite, we have to leave the Jagst river in Ailringen and cycle 7 km uphill. After a quick meal of vegetable pan with millet, I take a short bath in the pond.

Stage 2, September 1, 2020, Hollenbach-Ellwangen, 84 km To start, we go down 160 meters into the Jagst valley via Zaisenhausen. Unfortunately, the weather is very changeable today and we have to put on our rain ponchos repeatedly. The path leads mostly on small, lightly traveled roads and mostly stays in the valley. In Unterregenbach, we take a closer look at the half-timbered church and a little further on we visit the ruins of Leofels. Unfortunately, there is bad news from Hattingen. Ulla's father has a high fever, so her thoughts keep going back home. We have our lunch break in front of the unfortunately closed bakery in Kirchberg. But at least there is an open charging station here. Then we continue steeply downhill to the Jagst river and across one of the old covered wooden bridges to the Lobernsteiner Mühle, which is moderated several times by the Koja. Here, I cut off several loops of the Jagst and cycle over the heights of Tiefenbach, where, after studying the train connections, we decide that Ulla, if she wants to go to her father, would be best off returning to the car from Craisheim. I continue the tour alone and cycle to Ellwangen. I am the only one with a bike and a tent on the campsite, there are only campers. After dinner, I ride to the SU through the picturesque town to the Schlossberg. Fog rises in the valleys and on the way back to the tent, it is surprisingly fresh.

Stage 3 to Schwäbisch Hall, 104 km. I set off in the morning fog and could use gloves. Only at breakfast at Schloss Kapfenburg does the sun come out. I spontaneously pass by the excavations of Kocherburg. The digging company has a visit from the archaeologist today. That reminds me a lot of our Isenburg. Next stop, the bubbling source of the Kocher river. In Aalen, I want to charge my battery at Kaufland, but all the compartments are damaged, but the ladies from the city information office are helpful. The next section is characterized by a lot of car traffic and industry. It often goes directly along the federal road, with only a few quiet rural sections. Draisines come towards me in Laufen. Behind Gaildorf, the Koja leaves the valley and I no longer return to the Kocher river at Tulla because I want to meet my friend Meinolf and Conny, who live on the heights at Rollhof. After a joyful greeting and a delicious meal, we still drive to the SU for a look and enjoy.

Stage 4 and final stage, September 3, 20 to Bad Friedrichshall, 94 km. After a good, cozy breakfast, I take a look around Schwäbisch Hall. The houses are beautifully reflected in the Kocher river and I climb the theater stairs up to the church. The middle Kocher river is beautiful to ride again. I ride on quiet paths through orchards and directly along the Kocher. Small villages with half-timbered houses and city walls invite you to linger: Künzelau, Niederberg, and Forchenberg are pleasing to me. The weather is great now. I start wearing shorts again from 11am. I am considering whether to camp one more night and finish the loop to Möckmühl. But I am drawn home and I want to support Ulla. So at 4pm, I board the train and start with the "Quer-durchs-Land" ticket. I couldn't get a last-minute bicycle ticket for the IC. Unfortunately, a train gets cancelled in the middle and another one is delayed, so I have to cancel the onward journey in Cologne at 11pm and stay overnight at Berni's place.

So there is still an additional 5th stage, Cologne-Hattingen, 68 km. I almost know the route by heart now. Through the Ford factories, over the highway bridge over the Rhine, along the Wupper river, through the Ohligser Heide. Today, as a variation, I pass the Neanderthal Museum to use the power outlets. This way, I also discover the beautiful Kirchspiel of Mettmann for the first time. Behind the Zeittunnel, on the Niederbergbahn to Velbert, I get caught in the rain and when going down the switchbacks towards Niernhof, I slide dangerously. But everything goes well and I manage the route in 3¼ hours of pure riding time.