The laid-back bicycle tour

The charming Lahn valley will convince you in no time to take this very pleasurable bike trip. Every day, you will follow the forests with their profound green colors, the juicy meadows, the mighty castles and the romantic towns drawing your attention with their beautiful half-timbered architecture. On its course of historical and mystical meaningfulness, the silvery band of the Lahn takes you to the fairy tale country of the Brothers Grimm. The high number of students in Marburg and Gießen add to the very lively flair of the university towns. In Wetzlar, Weilburg or Limburg, the narrow streets invite make you want to walk around the picturesque towns in their half-timbered style. Bad Ems, a spa town, will guarantee your well-being! On this trip, there will be enough time for all kinds of activities!

1. day  Lahnquelle arrival

You will spend the night in the direct neighbourhood of the Lahns spring, at the cozy Landhotel. (For those who arrive by train, a pick-up service is available at the train station of Feudingen.)

2. day  Lahnquelle - Biedenkopf 30 km

The first day spent on your bikes will seem to pass in no time. Starting from the Lahns spring, you will roll through a green, wooded landscape via Feudingen to Bad Laasphe and from there on past ancient half-timbered farmyards to Biedenkopf. Romantic narrow streets in the Old-town by the castles hill and the Landgraves Castle itself, built in the middle of the 15th century by Henry III. of Hesse-Marburg wait to impress you here. It is today one of the most important cultural monuments of Hesse!

3. day  Biedenkopf - Marburg 39 km

Your next stage will take you through the widening Lahn valley to the Otto-Ubbekohde-museum in Sarnau. A short break is especially worthwhile here as Otto Ubbelohde is famous for his pencilled drawings serving as printers copies for illustrations printed with the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Just a few kilometres from here lies Marburg, seat of the its traditional university since the early 16th century. You should absolutely visit the famous Elisabeths Church and the Landgraves castle. Let the fabulous flair of the Old-town capture you and enjoy the international restaurants and the cozy pubs during the evening hours.

4. day  Marburg - Gießen 34 km

Saying goodbye to the fascinating Marburg is not easy! But the route on flat trails to Gießen is absolutely enjoyable and lets you look forward to the next stop. This will be the Mathematikum of Gießen, the first mathematic do-it-yourself-museum worldwide. More than 120 displayed pieces offer a new approach to mathematics. Regardless of age and knowledge, every visitor can tempt his own experiments: Putting together puzzles, building bridges, heating up your minds with tricky riddles, watching ball races, standing in a giant soap coat and much more. Let the surprise get you!

5. day  Gießen - Braunfels 38 km

After strengthening yourself with a rich cyclists breakfast, you will reach Wetzlar already soon in the morning. Don't miss to visit the Old-town! The next stop will be the visitors mine Grube Fortuna. You will have the unique chance to catch a breath-taking look into the deepness of the earth. Ancient mine workers traditions are filled with life again; you will get inside views into a world that will surely fascinate you. On a 50-minute guided tour you will witness how ore mining was accomplished back in the days with the original machines. After this worthwhile break, you will cycle back to the Lahn valley, just to leave it again to head towards Braunfels next. The castle of Braunfels already sticks out from the distance. This fabulous castle in the middle of Hesse seems to have escaped from a fairy tale; its often called the "Neuschwanstein of Hesse".

6. day  Braunfels - Weilburg 20 km

The first kilometres of the day will be accomplished in no time. You will never forget the beautiful landscape seaming your way to Weilburg, where the Renaissance-style castle lies on a plateau elevated high above the Lahn. Take a guided tour around the castle, enjoy a cup of coffee in the castles garden and visit Germanys only boat tunnel finished in 1847 and shortening a wide loop the Lahn river takes here.

7. day  Weilburg - Limburg 31 km

Todays course of the river curls between Taunus and Westerwald. A paved bike trail takes you past Aumenau and Runkel to Limburg with its cathedral of worldwide fame. You can really be looking forward to the town of Limburg, as it is one of the few towns where the medieval constructions have been preserved almost without changes. Consequently, the Old-town and the town nucleus with its half-timbered architecture dating from the 13th through 18th century and formerly surrounded by a city wall, are under monument protection today. Colorful carved ornaments are very typical for the local architecture.

8. day  Limburg - Nassau 27-39 km

A real scenic highlight stands on your schedule today. Far off from any traffic, you will cycle through untouched landscape from Diez tu Balduinstein. Two climbs which can be comfortably avoided by train (11 km) are part of the route today. Catch your breath again at the monastery of Arnstein. A beautiful forest track will then take you to Nassau with its small castle, that you are invited to conquer in the afternoon.

9. day  Nassau - Koblenz 28 km

A historical inn waits for you on the right side of the Lahn before reaching Bad Ems. Marvel at the numerous buildings whose spa-architecture is of worldwide importance. These buildings are contemporary witnesses of Roman history and German Romanticism. Now you will take the next 12 km towards the Rhine valley. What an amazing view! On this beautiful Rhine-bike trail, you will soon reach the Deutsche Eck and the heart of Koblenz.

10. day  Koblenz departure

Your cycling holiday ends after breakfast. You can either depart by train, or if you wish to return to Marburg, our transfer service will be available (departure 9 a.m., ca. 2,5 hours).