Main: winery tour

We recommend to arrive early, then you have enough time to visit the remarkable "Kleine Museum". Marvel at more than 100 works by the Austrian artist Hundertwasser, because this unique private collection is supplemented by loans from galleries from Germany and New York.

You hop on your bikes with relish. After approx. 18 km, the first vineyards appear near Wipfeld. A beautiful cycle route takes you through small wine villages into the heart of the Franconian wine country through the Volkacher Mainschleife, the largest contiguous wine-growing region in Franconia. Look forward to the picturesque village of Sommerach, baroque town houses and half-timbered vineyards. In the afternoon, visit the Winzerkeller, the oldest winegrowers' cooperative in Franconia. In addition to the Winzerkeller's excellent wines, discover the wine kingdom. Look forward to the "Kostbar" with wine advice, wine sales and wine tasting, to the "Sommerbar" for relaxing and to the wine school - the only school where wine enjoyment is not only permitted, but compulsory. Take part in an individual wine tour in the afternoon. Look forward to an entertaining tour through nature, the wine school and the wine cellar, during which you will learn interesting facts about the Sommerach vineyards, the hundred-year history of the wine cellar and the craftsmanship of the winegrowers (advance booking required).

Between Dettelbach and Kitzingen: Marvel at the almost entirely preserved city walls, the many small turrets, the cobbled streets and the picturesque rows of half-timbered houses dating from the late Gothic and Renaissance periods. Be amazed by the historic market square, characterised by Franconian half-timbered houses, imposing town houses and the Renaissance town hall. Visit the architectural highlights: the town church of St. Petrini with its imposing portal in the Franconian Baroque style, and the late-Gothic church of St. John with its famous Cross Chapel by Balthasar Neumann. Pass through Marktbreit with its beautiful ensemble of the Main Gate and the Malerwinkelhaus (built around 1600 AD). Admire the new town hall from 1515 with its lance turrets and ornate figurative and moon clock in Ochsenfurt, before cycling on to Sommerhausen. The old town centre of Sommerhausen, with its stately town houses and winegrowers’ homes, is surrounded by a well-preserved defensive wall. A Franconian wine village straight out of a picture book. You’ll stay overnight with a winegrower, watch him at work, marvel at his wine cellar and sample the fine wines of his craft. Overnight stay in Ochsenfurt or Sommerhausen.

Let yourself be enchanted by the romantic townscape of Eibelstadt, whose historic city walls enclose many sights. Right next to the cycle path on the steep slopes leading down to the Main, renowned vineyards such as Teufelskeller, Pfülben, Marsberg and Sonnenstuhl stretch out and guide you towards Würzburg. Marvel at the market square, the town hall, the old Main bridge, the imposing fortress and the Marienkapelle with its sandstone figures by Tilman Riemenschneider. The highlight is the former prince-bishop’s residence, built between 1720 and 1744. Thanks to its cohesive design, it is now regarded as one of the most beautiful Baroque palaces in southern Germany. You then cycle via Veitshöchheim to Thüngersheim. This small wine-growing village is often referred to as the ‘delicatessen of Franconia’. Alongside the main Franconian varieties Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner, specialities such as Grauer Burgunder, Weißer Burgunder and Rieslaner are also grown here. Via Himmelstadt, with its short ecological wine trail, you cycle to the picturesque town of Karlstadt. Set off on a journey of discovery through the old town, surrounded by ancient walls, towers and gates.

The landscape now changes in a variety of ways, and the characteristic vineyards give way to shady woods right alongside the cycle path. You can shorten today’s stage to 28 or 42 km by taking the Maintalbahn train, which takes just 10 minutes (Karlstadt–Gemünden) or 25 minutes (Karlstadt–Lohr). Whichever way you choose, Lohr will welcome you with the charm of its fairytale-like old town. Visit the Spessart Museum in the old castle or the small school museum. A further 28 idyllic kilometres of cycling then await you. Running directly alongside the river, the beautiful cycle path takes you through Marktheidenfeld with its parish church, well worth a visit, and the Franck House (built in 1745 by the wealthy wine merchant Franz Valentin Franck). Look forward to the romantic wine village of Homburg and the vineyards that now once again enrich the landscape. With their outstanding vineyards “Edelfrau” and “Kallmuth”, the Homburg winegrowers produce top-quality examples of the coveted Franconian wine: earthy, fiery and with a delicate almond flavour.

Today, the wooded hills through which the Main meanders draw close together once more. Cycling past Wertheim, with its charming half-timbered houses and winding old town, you’ll mostly ride right along the riverbank, soaking up the unspoilt natural beauty. It’s not until you reach Bürgstadt that you’ll see vineyards again, where red wine grapes are now mostly ripening. Bürgstadt is renowned for its excellent wine, perhaps precisely because viticulture here is still practised with the passion of the independent winegrower. With almost 75 hectares of vineyards, Bürgstadt is one of the largest wine-growing villages on the Lower Main. Look forward to a charming, lively wine-growing village, to little delicacies in the wine taverns, to the Red Wine Trail and to St Martin’s Chapel with its unique interior paintings.

It’s just a stone’s throw to Miltenberg, which proudly showcases its half-timbered houses! Marvel at the magnificent market square – better known as the ‘Schnatterloch’ – and at the Gasthaus zum Riesen, Germany’s oldest princely inn. Cycling alongside the Red Wine Trail, you’ll reach Großheubach, where wine has shaped life in the village since 1254. Even today, just as they have for centuries, the vines grow mainly on the steep natural stone terraces found only in the Lower Main region. These dry stone walls act as natural heat reservoirs, creating a microclimate that is extremely favourable for the vines. The weathered red sandstone soil provides the foundation for the fine red grape varieties Blauer Spätburgunder, Frühburgunder, Portugieser and St. Laurent, from which fiery, velvety and full-bodied red wines flourish. On flat paths, you cycle swiftly through Klingenberg, where excellent red wines are also grown, to the sandstone castle of Johannisburg in Aschaffenburg.

Your wonderful wine tour ends today after breakfast in Aschaffenburg. If you would like to return to your starting hotel in Schweinfurt, we recommend our practical return transfer service.