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. Winterberg can be easily reached by train. If you want to arrive by car, you can park directly at the hotel for the duration of the entire bike tour.
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

Prices / Dates
Services / Info
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- Overnight stay with breakfast
- 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 your trip in the Ruhr Valley
Below you will find specific information about the Ruhr valley bike tour from Winterberg to Duisburg. If you have further questions about this trip, you simply call us: Phone: 06421 – 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 hotel
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.
Available rental bikes
If you would like a velocipede rental bike for the tour, we will bring it to your starting hotel and of course pick it up at your destination. You can choose from women's and men's bikes with either a 7-speed gear hub and coaster brake or 27-speed derailleur gears and free-wheeling. All women's bikes have a deep step-through and men's bikes are available in different frame sizes. Our women's bikes are suitable for all cycling enthusiasts from 150 cm in height and the men's bikes from 165 cm. Furthermore, 8-speed unisex e-bikes are available on request. Simply state your bike requirements when booking.
Back transfer to Winterberg
Every Sunday at around 9:00 a.m. there is the possibility to transfer back to Winterberg in a minibus (with bicycle transport trailer) (arrival there at around 11:30 a.m.). The driver comes to your hotel and drives you back to your starting hotel with your luggage and if necessary with your private bike (extra fee) and ensures a perfect return journey service without the hassle of changing trains or lugging suitcases. The minimum number of participants for this transfer is 2 people.
Extra costs which are not included in the price
A possibly applicable city tax is not part of the tour price and has to be paid at the hotel locally.
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.

I provide you with advice and assistance
Anja Benndorf