Main: Bamberg radial tour 8 days

Magic suitcase Franconia

On this star bike tour you open the magic suitcase Franconia. Starting in Bamberg (UNESCO World Heritage Site), you will discover such beautiful destinations as Pommersfelden Castle, the Baroque pilgrimage basilica of Vierzehnheiligen, the German basket town of Lichtenfels, the varied Regnitz Valley, Seehof Castle, Coburg with its famous Veste or works by Tilman Riemenschneider in Hassfurt. You cycle on cycle paths and small country roads through the partly hilly Bamberg countryside. With its approximately 70 small private breweries, this area is considered to have the highest density of private breweries in the world. In the midst of the Upper Franconian brewery diversity, rich in carp ponds and game, gourmets as well as fans of delicious snacks will get their money's worth.

Your hotel: 4-star-superior hotel Royal Palace in central Bamberg

You will stay overnight in Bamberg on the banks of the river Regnitz, just a few steps away from the old town, in the Welcome 4-star superior hotel Residenzschloss. Enjoy the interplay of baroque and modernity that characterises the ambience of the hotel (built in 1787). Let yourself be enchanted by culinary delights in one of the two restaurants and treat yourself to coffee and cake on the sun terrace, which already makes breakfast an experience. Then round off your day in the lounge with a cool drink.

Welcome Residenzschloss Bamberg

1. day Bamberg Arrival

Upon arrival Bamberg Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage) invites for a first visit. Your hotel is situated in a quiet location on the Regnitz in the city center (easy parking, railway station 2.1 km, bike rental on site).

2. day Discover Bamberg by Bike (only Mon or Thu) 12 km

Look forward to a highly interesting city tour by bike. An experienced city guide will show you the beauties of the city in the saddle on a 12 km long route. Except for Domberg and Michelsberg, where you have to push your bike for a short while, the cycle route runs flat and comfortably, mostly on asphalt, in the old town partly on cobblestones. Discover the old town hall, the traditional Schlenkerla restaurant, Kleinvenedig, St. Michael's monastery, the old court, the cathedral, the rose garden, the new residence, the Concordia moated castle, the historic lock 100, the old town, the university, the gardener's town, the grove park and the theatre. In 3 hours you will not only learn a lot about the history and the sights but also about the country and its people.

3. day Round trip to the castle Pommersfelden 32 - 56 km

On this round tour you will discover the slightly hilly but very beautiful Bamberg area. After just a few kilometers with little traffic, you are at the gates of the city. You cycle slightly uphill through shady forests and are then rewarded with fantastic views. In Grasmannsdorf, take a worthwhile break in the beer garden of the castle brewery (founded in 1783) before continuing on to Pommersfelden. The originally preserved baroque building shines majestically in front of you. Let yourself be impressed by the imposing Marble Hall, the magnificently furnished rooms and the gigantic staircase. On your way back, a stopover in Pettstadt is recommended. Marvel at the splendor of the baroque parish church. Afterwards, a break in the beer garden of the Schrauder-Keller, known for its excellent snacks, tempts you. For this circular tour you need a certain level of fitness up to Pommersfelden, but you can simplify the tour by either using the Steigerwald Express bus (with bike trailer) to Pommersfelden, or cycling via Pettstadt on the way there and back.

4. day Main Cycle Path Lichtenfels and Fourteen Saints (Vierzehnheiligen) 46 km

You start the day with a train ride (approx. 20 minutes) to the German town of Lichtenfels, which is known far beyond the borders of Franconia. In the second half of the 19th century, the basket industry flourished here on the Upper Main, building up its global trade relations from Lichtenfels - from New York to St. Petersburg, from London to Rio de Janeiro. Around 1900 there were 14 basket companies in Lichtenfels, including the largest in the industry. In Lichtensfels discover the historic town hall, a late medieval half-timbered building and the Catholic parish church. With exhibits from all parts of the world, it shows almost everything that can be woven from willow: prams and doll's prams, miniatures, designer furniture, wickerwork and curiosities. You should definitely not miss a detour to the baroque pilgrimage basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (2.5 km). It was built by the famous architect Balthasar Neumann, extensively renovated just a few years ago and now shines in all its glory.

5. day In the Regnitz valley from Bamberg to Erlangen 35 or 51 km

Look forward to a varied bike tour along the Regnitz and start right in front of the hotel door! The Regnitztal cycle path takes you idyllically out of Bamberg. You cycle through the wide Regnitz valley with its alluvial forests, historic water wheels, through fertile fruit and vegetable land, where freshly caught fish and the best Franconian beer culture are at home. You alternately follow the idyllic small river, sometimes the cycle path along the Main-Danube Canal. Discover the Slavenkirche in Seußling, the oldest single malt whiskey distillery in Germany in Neuses and the beautiful half-timbered old town of Forchheim with picturesque houses from the Gothic and Baroque periods. Experience Erlangen, the smallest city in Bavaria, stroll through the beautiful castle gardens and through the winding, narrow streets of the old town, which exudes French flair. In the afternoon, you can travel comfortably by train from Forchheim (35 km) or Erlangen (51 km) back to beautiful Bamberg.

6. day Round trip to the privat breweries 37 km

This circular tour combines leisurely cycling through a charming landscape with enjoying the special variety of beers and the beer tradition of Upper Franconia. Discover Seehof Palace just outside Bamberg, which was built as a summer residence for the prince-bishops according to plans by Antonio Petrini (from 1686). Marvel at the White Hall with its impressive ceiling paintings, the sandstone sculptures of the rococo garden and the babbling cascades of the water features. Then you cycle along the sculpture path into the "Franconian Tuscany" and around noon you reach the small community of Geisfeld with its pretty half-timbered buildings and several private breweries. From here your bike tour is peppered with breweries, beer cellars and enticing beer gardens. You then cycle via Strullendorf along the Main-Danube Canal back to Bamberg.

7. day To Coburg 60 km or Main-Cycle path to Hassfurt 36 km

You are spoiled for choice today. You either take the train to Coburg, visit the old town, which is well worth seeing, with the impressive market square and Ehrenburg Castle. It is also worth paying a visit to the famous castle complex (Veste). The Veste Coburg towers over the city and is rightly called the 'Franconian Crown'. You then cycle through the hilly Coburg countryside to the baroque Tambach Castle and on to Sesslach with its unique old town, which is still completely surrounded by a city wall and has often been used as a film backdrop found use. It then continues on flat paths along the Rodach and the Itz to the Main and back to Bamberg.

Or you cycle completely flat on the Main Cycle Path downstream and pass the 'border' between 'Bierfranken' and 'Weinfranken', because now sun-drenched vineyards also line the path. After a recommended break at the Maria Limbach pilgrimage church, you finally reach the charming old town of Haßfurt with the town parish church on the market square, which is well worth seeing, and the two important town gates. You can then take the train back to Bamberg in comfort.

8. day Bamberg Departure

Much too quickly the time passed. Bamberg and its beautiful surrounding areas have much more to offer. Book an extension or just come back again.

The daily tours

On this radial bike tour we offer you 7 different day tours to choose from. Every day you can decide which of these tours you would like to do and you can choose for yourself whether you prefer flat stages or whether you would like to experience hilly day tours. For some daily stages, you can also individually choose how many km you want to cycle, there is then a shorter and a longer option to choose from. So you can spontaneously decide how much time you want to spend in the bike saddle. Only the city tour by bike is tied to two specific days of the week.

Worth knowing about your Radial Tour Bamberg

Please find more information about the Radial Tour Bamberg below. If you have any further questions feel free to contact us by phone: 0049 - (0) 6421 - 886890.

Arrival by train

Arrival by train: Bamberg is easy to reach by train from all major cities in Germany. From Bamberg main station we recommend taking a taxi.
By public bus you first have to go from the station to the ZOB (Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof) with the lines 901/902/907 and then change to line 916, which goes directly to the hotel.

You can find timetable information and prices at www.bahn.com/en

Parking facilities at the hotel

Sufficient parking spaces are available in the hotel's underground car park for the entire duration of your cycling trip (approx. € 12.00 per night). A reservation is not necessary.

Condition of cycle paths

You cycle almost entirely on paved paths, only short unpaved forest path passages have to be mastered. Three day tours are completely flat and three stages lead through hilly terrain.

Available rental bikes

If you would like a Velociped rental bike for the tour, we will bring it to your starting hotel and of course pick it up again at your destination. You can choose between ladies' and men's bikes with either 7-speed hub gears and coaster brake or 27-speed derailleur gears and freewheel. All ladies' bikes have a low step-through and men's bikes are available in various frame sizes. Our ladies' bikes are suitable for all cyclists over 150 cm tall and the men's bikes over 165 cm. Furthermore, 8-speed unisex e-bikes are available. Simply state your desired bike when booking.

The Velociped hire bikes

Extrakosten, die nicht im Reisepreis enthalten sind

Any city tax that may be incurred is not part of the tour price and is therefore payable locally at the hotel.

The tickets for the transfer trips that are necessary on some days
are not included in the tour price:

• Steigerwald Express: approx. €10.00 per person
• Taxi transfer to Vierwiesenheiligen: approx. €7.50 per person
• Train rides to Lichtenfels or Haßfurt: approx. €8.00 per person
• Train ride to Coburg: approx. €14.00 per person
• Tickets in the Regnitztal: approx. €7.00 to €12.00 per person

7 day hotline service

Just in case the bike chain breaks, flooding makes it impossible to continue your tour or any other nasty surprise: You can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help you as fast as possible.

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

Information on current decisions of the German Federal Government can be found here:
https://www.bundesregierung.de/corona-these-rules-and-restrictions-apply

Current information on entry requirements to Germany can be found here:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/coronavirus

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

Bamberg

During excursions through the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bamberg, visitors are particularly fascinated by the multifaceted nature of this city. In the mountain town, Bamberg presents itself as the Franconian Rome, the island town with Little Venice is its lively centre and the gardener's town is unique. Bamberg, that's beer from eleven breweries in the city area, enjoyed in rustic brewery pubs, that's shopping in modern shops and historical ambience. And in the old town everything is close together: discover the imperial cathedral just a few minutes from your hotel or holiday flat!

Bamberg sights

Weissenstein Castle, Pommersfelden

The highlight of Franconian Baroque with its picture galleries, its complete interior design and its magnificent architecture attracts numerous visitors to Pommersfelden. Every summer since 1958, young musicians from all over the world have presented themselves at the Collegium Musicum. The castle is surrounded by a spacious park that was transformed from a baroque castle garden into an English landscape park in the 19th century. It is open to visitors all year round for relaxation and sightseeing.

Weissenstein Castle, Pommersfelden

Lichtenfels

Lichtenfels is known far beyond the borders of Franconia as a German basket town. The traditional basket market, the basket city queen, Germany's only vocational school for wickerwork design, the Lichtenfels innovation center for marketing, design and technology, the largest and the smallest basket in the world - in Lichtenfels a lot revolves around the ancient craftsmanship of weaving.

Immediately in front of the gates of Lichtenfels is the famous "Franconian triumvirate" - the legendary Staffelberg, the magnificent Banz monastery and the unique basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, an architectural masterpiece of European standing.

Lichtenfels sights

Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (Vierzehnheiligen)

The pilgrimage church of the Fourteen Saints is an architectural highlight in the Upper Main area and is considered the artistically most successful sacred building of the German Baroque. The world-famous basilica is right next to Lichtenfels and is a masterpiece by Balthasar Neumann, one of the greatest master builders in Europe.

Basilica of the Fourteen Saints

German Basket Museum, Michelau

Michelau, 3 km from Lichtenfels, is considered the cradle of basket-making. Here is the German Basket Museum, which shows the whole world of weaving with exhibits from all parts of the world:

Prams and prams, miniatures, designer furniture, wickerwork, curiosities, beaten works - almost everything that can be woven from willow can be seen in the Basket Museum.

A focal point of the collection is fine weaving, which was typical for Michelau itself for a long time. The most beautiful pieces from two centuries can be admired here, filigree works of art that are rarely made today.

Basket Museum Michelau

Erlangen

Wide streets, baroque buildings and open squares - Erlangen is considered one of the best-preserved baroque planned towns in Germany and attracts visitors with a very special atmosphere. Experience the versatility of Bavaria's smallest city: the beautiful palace garden in the centre of the city, the Erlangen Old Town with its winding, narrow streets, optimal shopping opportunities with short distances, creative gastronomy, outstanding cultural institutions and events and, last but not least, the living beer tradition. Let yourself be enchanted.

Erlangen

Seehof Palace

Seehof Palacee was built from 1686 onwards as the summer residence of the Bamberg prince-bishops according to plans by Antonio Petrini. After secularisation and neglect in private hands, it was extensively renovated at the end of the 20th century and now houses the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments.

Nine showrooms of the restored flat of the prince bishops are open to visitors, including the "White Hall" with its virtuoso ceiling painting by Giuseppe Appiani.

The restored cascade with its fountains and the preserved sandstone sculptures by Ferdinand Tietz bear witness to the splendour of the former rococo garden.

Seehof Palace

Coburg

Coburg was the residential town of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg from the 16th/17th centuries until 1918 and a garrison town from the mid-19th to the end of the 20th century. One of the largest castles in Germany, the Veste Coburg, rises above the town.

Coburg sights

Coburg Castle

The Veste Coburg, also called the "Franconian Crown", rises high above the city with its mighty walls and towers. Koburgk" was first mentioned in a document in 1056. The beginnings of the present castle complex date back to the time of the Staufers at the beginning of the 13th century. The era saw a cultural flowering at the beginning of the 16th century, when the Saxon electors used their castle for frequent stays. In the 19th century, the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha began to establish world-class art collections there.

Veste Coburg

Hassfurt (Haßfurt)

The great treasure of monuments brings color to the Hassfurt cityscape: the historic, newly renovated town hall, the two-tower town parish church, the knight's chapel, the two gate towers that border the old town, the town hall, which is of national importance as a place for conferences, concerts and cultural events enjoys, and the Mainpromenade.

Hassfurt sights