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Rhine: Cologne – Arnhem Netherlands

Middle Ages, Rheinaue and industrial culture

Bike tour
7 Days / 6 Nights
individual tour
Velociped-Original-Tour
easy
from
769.00 €
Book now Book
from
769.00 €

The Rhine Cycle Route from Switzerland to Cologne is known by almost every bike lover, but the beautiful route from Cologne to Holland is still mostly unknown - quite wrongly, in our opinion! The continuous flat route is rich in culture and nature, industrial history and historical sights and it full of great dining experiences and the lust for life. In the heart of the city of Cologne is the start of your bike tour. Here the locals are full of humor not only during the carnival. The first destinations are the small fortified town of Zons with its still completely preserved city wall and the old town of Düsseldorf with the "longest bar in the world". In Duisburg, you can take an interesting boat ride through the largest inland port in Europe, and in the "Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord' you can climb the disused blast furnace. In Wesel a visit to the museum of Prussia is worth the effort and in Xanten, the Roman excavations are a real highlight. From here you continue to cycle through the wide floodplain of the Lower Rhine to Emmerich with its beautiful Rhine promenade. The final stage leads over the border in the midst of the Dutch Rhine delta in the Dutch shopping town of Arnhem.

Highlights

Cologne guided bike tour
Explore the city by guided bike tour! - the best way to give you the chance to see Germany's oldest Metropolis within just a few hours and in an active and environmental-friendly way. 

Cologne guided bike tour

Cologne Cathedral
It can be seen from nearly every point in the city centre and from many places elsewhere: The magnificent Cologne Cathedral hovers above the roofs and chimneys of the city. It is not only used as a point of orientation but is the pride of the people in Cologne.

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Museum Ludwig
Roy Lichtenstein's M-Maybe, Andy Warhol's Brillo Boxes and George Segal's Restaurant Window, all icons of American Pop Art, had all just been completed when in 1969 they arrived as a loan at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. 

Cologne Museum Ludwig 

Fortress town Zons
Do you want to experience the Middle Ages live? Take a trip to the medieval town on the Rhine (formerly called Zollfeste Zons).

Zons

Düsseldorf "Die längste Theke der Welt"
The selection of pubs in the old town of Düsseldorf is huge. Not for nothing is the Old Town in the well-known "Altbierlied" as the "longest bar in the world". 

Längste Theke der Welt

Düsseldorf MedienHafen
In contrast to other cities, when modernising its harbour, Düsseldorf didn't just attempt to wipe the slate clean, but decided to treat each lot individually and adapt it to its future users. 

Düsseldorf MedienHafen

Rhine: Cologne – Arnhem Netherlands

easy
Bike tour
7 Days / 6 Nights
individual tour
from
769.00 €
Book now Book

Tour

Arrive at Cologne in time and visit the famous Cologne Cathedral and the picturesque old town (Arrival by train (DB) is possible, parking in the underground parking garage or at public garages near the hotel, rental bikes on site).

With Cologne humor in the baggage you leave the cathedral city and cycle along the banks of the Rhine till you reach the medieval town of Zons. This fortress city with a city wall still entirely preserved is also called the Rothenburg of the Rhineland'. It features the mighty Rhine Tower from 1388, the Juddeturm with baroque dome and a windmill with a wooden mill from the 17th century. You continue cycling the Rhine cycle path and in the afternoon you reach Düsseldorf's Old Town, also known as "the longest bar in the world'. This expression leads back to the 250 pubs, restaurants and bars, lined up in the streets of the old town. Relax with a real Düsseldorf Altbier at Castle Square and enjoy a wonderful view of the Rhine. This square with the area around the castle tower was named as one of the most beautiful squares in Germany.

Again directly on the Rhine you cycle first to Kaiserswerth with the picturesque ruins of "Kaiserpfalz". Shortly after you take the ferry to cross the river to the left side of the Rhine. Here you take a short sidetrip to see the Moated Castle Linn. The green floodplains drain away and make space for impressive industrial architecture until the cycle path leads on the right side of the Rhine to the river mouth of the Ruhr. From here it is only a short distance to downtown Duisburg. Here it is worthwhile to take a boat tour of the largest inland port in Europe before you let the evening fade away in one of the many bars and restaurants at the harbor and waterfront.

With a short transfer (6 minutes) you get to the district Duisburg Meiderich and from here you can cycle directly to the Landscape Park "Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord" , a 200-hectare disused steelwork. It is possible to take a guided tour about industrial history and climb the blast furnace. Visitors can walk through the former ore bunkers and get explanation about casthouse, Gasometer and Gebläsehalle. After this impressive visit, which certainly is considered a highlight of this bike trip, you follow a comfortable bike path on an old railway line to the River Rhine. After a few kilometers you cycle on the left side of the river through rural idyll and nature reserves at the Lower Rhine to the Hanseatic city of Wesel with his Prussian Museum. A day of biking can not be more varied!

Today the Rhine cycle path leads first to Xanten with the historic downtown, the splendidly decorated St. Victor's Cathedral and the Archaeological Park and Roman Museum, which is by itself worth a trip. From here you continue the route along inviting bathing lakes and enjoy beautiful views of the wild Rhine-current to the amusement park "Wunderland Kalkar". Finally you reach the longest suspension bridge in Germany, also called as Golden Gate on the Lower Rhine. Your destination is the old Hanseatic city of Emmerich with the beautiful Rhine promenade, which still invites to an end-of-day stroll.

Also today's stage holds new impressions ready. Already in the morning you cross by ferry the Rhine to the Dutch side and cycle past the point where the river divides into Waal and Niederrijn. Here one speaks of the Rhine Delta, which extends until the North Sea. Follow the Niederrijn on raised causeways, through locks and bridges to the old city of Arnhem, where you not only enjoy a varied shopping offer. In the Information Centre „Brücke von Arnheim“ you can indulge in history and in the open air museum you can visit more than 80 historic Dutch houses and windmills.

All too soon the time passed and your trip ends after breakfast in Arnhem. If you with to go back to Cologne there is a back transfer available (every Saturday at 9 am).

Map

Prices / Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Services/Infos

All-carefree service:
  • Accommodation incl. breakfast
  • Room with shower/bath/WC
  • Luggage transport
  • Map of bike trails with marked route
  • Digital route guidance via smartphone app 
  • Tips for tour preparation
  • Touristic information
  • 7 days hotline service
other included services
  • Guided Tour in the Park Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord in German (Mai to September)
Worth knowing

Below you will find specific information about the Rhine bike trail Cologne to Arnheim/ NL. If you have further questions about this trip, you simply call us: Phone: 06421 – 886890.

Arrival by train

Cologne is easily accessible from all major cities in Germany by train. All our partner hotels are located within easy access to the station. Current schedule information and price information can be found at: www.bahn.de.

Train schedule information

Parking facilities at the hotel

Our partner hotels in Cologne always offer good parking for the entire duration of your bike trip. In addition, you will find several car parks close to the hotel. Please count with costs of approx. 12, - Euro per day (price of 2023). You will receive detailed information about the parking facilities at the hotel booked for you two weeks before the start of the journey with the detailed travel documents.

Condition of cycle paths

The route along the Rhine runs almost exclusively on asphalted and fortified cycle and dam roads or on quiet country roads. Direct driving is rare.

The route is marked with white-green signs, which always indicate the next village. Due to the good signposting, the right way is easy to find.

Available rental bikes

If you choose to rent a velocipede-rental bike for the tour, we take it to your first hotel and bring pick it up at your destination. You can choose between woman’s and men's bicycles either with 7-speed gear shift and coaster brake or 27-speed gear shift and freewheel or electric bikes. All ladies' bikes have a low opening that makes mounting and dismounting much easier. The bikes are suitable for all ladies from 150 cm in height and for all gentlemen from 165 cm in height.
On our Velociped tours we use high-quality e-bikes of the Velo de Ville brand. They are technically mature and very robust.
You simply specify your wishes at time of booking.

Velociped rental bikes

Return to starting point of the journey

On Saturdays at 8:00 am there is the possibility to transfer back to Cologne with a small bus (with bike trailer). Arrival at 11 am. The driver comes to pick you up at your hotel and has much room for you, your luggage and where required your own bicycle. The bus takes you back to your first hotel, thus ensuring a perfect return service without transfer and the hassle of hauling luggage.

Extra costs that are not included in the tour price

A possible tourism tax is not part of the tour price and therefore payable at the hotel on site. Also the ferry rides and the use of the S-Bahn in Duisburg is not an included service and must be paid on site.

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

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

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.

Your Travel expert for this tour

I provide you with advice and assistance

Steffi Groß

Travel Expert

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