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Ruhr Valley Cycle Path: 8 days

From the Sauerland to the Rhine

Bike tour
8 Days / 7 Nights
individual tour
easy to moderate
from
849.00 €
Book now Book
from
849.00 €

One of the most varied and versatile rivers in Germany invites you to discover an entire region with its riverside paths. No other river combines culture and nature in such a small area. On the 230 kilometers from the source near Winterberg to the confluence with the Rhine near Duisburg, the Ruhr connects the original landscape of the Sauerland with the exciting and eventful Ruhr Metropolis. In the Sauerland you cycle mostly downhill through the expanse of mountains and forests, before the valley in the Ruhr area is framed by industrial monuments, castles and half-timbered towns. Here the river is dammed up several times to form large lakes, which serve as attractive leisure and recreational areas and are lined with beautiful bike paths.

Your trip is perfect for:

  • Versatile travelers: The journey takes you through a wide variety of landscapes from the source of the Rhine to its estuary.
  • Indecisive travelers: city trip or pure nature? This trip combines the fantastic Sauerland region with the Ruhr metropolis.
  • Culture vultures: Whether it's castles, palaces or monuments, you'll find it all on this trip!

Highlights

Winterberg
Nature, sport and culture characterise the holiday region Winterberg and Hallenberg - you will encounter them at every turn.

Meschede
Discover the vibrant regional administration and university town of Meschede!

Lake Harkort
The northern shore of Lake Harkort is particularly popular: The attractive boardwalk, which runs along the lake from Herdecke, is used by walkers, cyclists and skaters alike.

Hattingen
Hattingen Old Town is very popular as a tourist destination. With its picturesque Old Town and its attractions, Hattingen is situated in the south of the Ruhr region.

Essen, Lake Baldeney
An ordinary summer’s day in Essen: hop on the bike and off down to the Lake Baldeney.

Baldeney White Fleet
The Baldeney White Fleet sets sail from April to October – for tours of Essen’s home waters and for cruises along the Ruhr River to the neighbouring city of Muelheim – shore leave in Essen-Kettwig included upon request.

Ruhr Valley Cycle Path: 8 days
easy to moderate
Bike tour
8 Days / 7 Nights
individual tour
from
849.00 €
Book now Book

Tour

Look forward to Winterberg, the well-known holiday resort in the Hochsauerland near the source of the Ruhr, because Winterberg is not only beautiful in winter! If you have a little time, you shouldn't miss a trip to the observation tower and the fascinating Hochheide on the Kahler Asten. 

At the source of the Ruhr near Winterberg, at an altitude of 654 m, you start your varied journey along the Ruhr. From there it’s mostly cycling downhill through light forests with wonderful views to the award-winning rose village of Assinghausen. This place has been a officially recognized rose village since 2007 and on a worthwhile tour you will discover beautiful gardens and houses that are decorated with over 150 different types of roses.

At lunchtime, you can take a delightful break in the freshly selected Kneipp spa in Olsberg with its charming cafes and historic restaurants. Also worth seeing is the herb garden and orchard garden in the renatured Ruhr meadows. Finally, via Bestwig, it goes to Meschede with the pretty pedestrian zone. Here you can take a nice excursion to the Hennesee. The park-like Henne-Boulevard leads directly to the "Himmelstreppe", which leads up to the dam with 333 steps.

Today the Ruhr runs deeply cut and is framed by the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park. As soon as you are in the saddle, the beautiful park of the moated castle Laer offers a first photo stop. Later in the morning you can take a excursion to the Hünenburg before you come to the old town of Arnsberg, which is almost completely surrounded by the deeply cut Ruhr. Counts, electors, Hesse and Prussia have left their mark on this historic city with the imposing castle ruins, the Landsberger Hof with the Sauerland Museum and the classicism quarter in the well-preserved medieval timber-framed town. In the afternoon you continue cycling along the Ruhr to Neheim with its neat half-timbered houses, the typical Burgmannshöfen and the striking “Sauerland Cathedral”. Here you can end the day in the spacious pedestrian zone or have a sporty tour around the Möhnesee.

Today you leave the Hochsauerland, the surrounding hills become gentler and the valley floodplain becomes wider and forms a scenic new section of the Ruhr valley cycle path. Small towns like Wickede or Fröndenberg invite for a break from the saddle. The route leads leisurely through wide meadows and fields to the old Hanseatic city of Schwerte, with lovingly tended half-timbered houses and the last historic mustard mill in Westphalia (tastings possible). In the afternoon, the Ruhr valley becomes narrower again and a sporty excursion up to the viewpoint of the Hohensyburg ruins is possible. However, the bike path leads flat directly along the banks of the Hengsteysee, a popular local recreation area, and on to the idyllic Herdecke with its new promenade at the Ruhr bank.

In the morning, the cycle path leads to the “cradle of Ruhr mining” and to the first foothills of the classic Ruhr area. But the Ruhr Valley Cycle Path mostly runs in the countryside and leads over long distances through popular local recreation areas directly on the old towpath on the river bank.
First you cycle next to the Harkortsee, one of a total of six Ruhr reservoirs. Later you cycle via Wengern with the historic town center to Muttental, the cradle of Ruhr mining. Here, the first chunks of black gold were brought to light almost 200 years ago. In the “Zeche Nachtigall” industrial museum, which is well worth seeing, it goes back to the time when horizontal tunnels were driven into the slopes for coal mining and the first shafts were dug into the depths later.
Then you reach the Kemnader reservoir and from there it is not far to Hattingen, where a stroll through the historic old town is worthwhile.

In the morning you can first plan a tour of the disused Henrichshütte in Hattingen and follow the varied circular route vividly on the trail of iron up to the top of the blast furnace.
Today, the cycle path leads again in an idyllic rural setting right along the river bank. In the morning there its the possibility for a excursion to the Bochum-Dahlhausen Railway Museum with its more than 180 old steam locomotives, wagons and rail buses. You can then comfortably cycle along the Baldeneysee with its many refreshment stops. Here you can visit the Villa Hügel, found in 1873 by the industrialist Alfred Krupp. With so much culture along the way, today's bike stage to the half-timbered old town of Kettwig is kept short!

The last day of cycling is also packed with highlights. In the morning, the bike path offers an idyllic alternative right on the riverbank to Mülheim. It leads along Broich Castle to the award-winning Aquarius water tower with its multimedia museum on 14 levels. At the end of the trip the route continues on separate cycle paths to where the Ruhr flows into the Rhine. Here, at the end of the Ruhr Valley Cycle Path, symbolically stands the fascinating Rhine Orange, a luminous 25 m high landmark in the middle of the impressive panorama of the Duisburg harbor.
Hopefully you will have enough time in the afternoon to take part in a harbor tour through the largest inland port in the world. You can end the beautiful journey in the renovated inner port in one of the numerous restaurants, pubs or bars.

The impressive tour on the Ruhr Valley Cycle Path with its diverse scenic and cultural impressions will certainly remain in your memory for a long time! If you want to go back to Winterberg, we offer a practical return transfer in a minibus including bike transport (only on Sundays).

Map

Ruhr Valley cycle map

Prices / Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Services / Info

All-carefree service
    • Overnight stay with breakfast: Comfortable middle-class hotels, mostly in the center 
    • Room with D/bath/WC
    • Luggage transport
    • Cycling map with marked route
    • Digital route guidance via smartphone app
    • Tips for trip preparation
    • Tourist information
    • 7-day hotline service

Worth knowing about the bike tour Ruhr Valley Cycle Route: 8 days
Below you will find specific and helpful information. If you have further questions about this trip, you simply call us: Phone: +49 (0)6421 – 886890.

Arrival by train
Winterberg is accessible from by train. You first go to Dortmund and from there a local train brings you to Winterberg within 2 hours. It is possible to take bikes with you on the train. Current schedule information and price information can be found at: www.bahn.de.

Parking facilities at the arrival location
Free public parking spaces are available in the immediate vicinity of the hotel; reservation in advance is not possible. You will receive detailed information about the parking options at the hotel booked for you with the detailed travel documents approx. Two weeks before the start of the journey.

Conditions of the bike paths
The Ruhr river bike trail leads mostly on sphalted bike paths without any traffic, paved paths or small roads with few traffic. The bike path is well signposted from Winterberg to the Rhine River. During the first 35 km you will have to climb some rises but after that the route is mostly flat. This bike tour is suitable as well for beginners, groups and families with children from 12 years.

Transfer back to the starting point of the journey
Every Sunday there is the possibility to return to Winterberg by transfer with a minibus (with bike transport trailer) at approx. 9am (arrival there approx. 11.30am). The driver comes to your hotel and has room for you, your luggage and if necessary your private bike. He will drive you back to your starting hotel, thus ensuring a perfect return service without annoying transfers or lugging of luggage. If you bring your own bicycles, an additional fee will be charged.
The minimum number of participants for this transfer is 2 people.

Extra costs which are not included in the tour price
A possible tourist tax and charging fees for bicycle batteries are also not included in the tour price and must therefore be paid at the hotel 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.

For all those who want to combine comfort with sustainability and only require digital travel documents, we grant a discount of € 20.00 per room.
Please let us know at the time of booking whether you would like to use printed or digital travel documents.

Available rental bikes

7 speed bike
27 speed bike
Velociped E-Bike
7 speed bike

We would recommend the 7-speed tourer for all those that are looking for a back-pedal brake and wide gel seat for maximum comfort in an upright sitting position. It is equipped with a simple hub gear shift and is perfectly suited to tours on flat to slightly hilly terrain.

27 speed bike

The 27-speed tourer is the best choice for cyclists that value the advantages of the dérailleur gear shift for flexibility whilst going up and down hills. This bike allows you to be a little more active without compromising on saddle comfort and practical everyday suitability.

Velociped E-Bike

 

E-bikes combine a lot of advantages. The electric drive ensures a completely relaxed cycling, even during long tours or on hilly routes. Other features, such as a suspension seat post and front fork plus well-tuned gears, ensure additional riding comfort.

Your travel expert for this tour

I provide you with advice and assistance

Nicole Janke

Travel Expert

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