Blog about the Main winery tour: on the road with Velociped

Historic stone bridge crossing the Main River in Kitzingen with church towers and colorful buildings visible along the waterfront under blue sky.

Two cyclists with helmets and sunglasses taking a selfie on an oversized wooden bench in Randersacker, with bicycles parked nearby on grass.

Terraced vineyard on Kallmuth hill near Homburg with river Main below, green slopes, and town buildings visible in the distance under blue sky.

Cyclist in blue shirt riding through Stammheim village with half-timbered house and small stream along the street under cloudy sky.

Between wine and Main

Arrival Schweinfurt

The journey to Schweinfurt is quick. After checking into the hotel, we take a stroll through the city. We walk through the old town, along the city wall, to the Old Town Hall and the Schrotturm tower, and on to St. Johannis Church. Judengasse is a small alleyway that is well worth seeing. Satisfied and full of anticipation for the days ahead, we end the evening on the banks of the Main River.

Cluster of ripe white grapes hanging on vine with green leaves in Schwarzach am Main, Franconian wine country near Münsterschwarzach.

Main: winery tour

8 Days

1 rating

View of the Main River in Schweinfurt with a small island covered in grass, waterfront buildings, and a boat on the calm water under blue sky.

Schweinfurt – Sommerach

The bike path is easy to find from our hotel, and we ride along the Main River through meadows and past industrial areas. We ride through fields and meadows, always along the Main River, to Wipfeld, the first small wine village. There we take a small ferry to the other side of the Main River. From here on, vineyards and orchards accompany us. Before Volkach, we make a detour up into the vineyards to the pilgrimage church of Maria im Weingarten. We are rewarded with a magnificent view over the Main loop and Volkach. Back at the Main, we quickly reach Volkach. There we stroll through the alleys, past half-timbered houses and across the market square. A little tip for ice cream lovers: the Buonissimo ice cream parlor on the market square is simply delicious. After our ice cream break, we cycle along the Main loop via Nordheim towards Sommerach. Shortly before Sommerach, we make a detour to the vineyards to the Sommerach Franconian Vineyards observation tower. Here you can marvel at the wonderful landscape in all directions. In the evening, we take a walk through Sommerach to the four city gates, through the small alleys, past half-timbered houses and various opportunities to taste Franconian wine.

Green vineyard rows near Volkach stretching across rolling hills. A town with a church spire is visible in the distance under a cloudy sky.

Sommerach – Sommerhausen

After breakfast, we set off through meadows and fields. Once we arrive in Schwarzach, we make our first stop at the Benedictine Abbey of Münsterschwarzach. From there, we continue on to Dettelbach, where we are greeted by a view of the Maria am Sand monastery. Here we rejoin the Main River and cycle along it to Kitzingen. Take a break on one of the benches on the banks of the Main and enjoy the view of the city. The next highlight awaits us in Ochsenfurt: the old town, churches, town hall, and beautiful old fountains. After strolling through the alleys of the old town, we set off again, following the Main all the way to Sommerhausen. After dinner, we explore the narrow streets and half-timbered houses and climb a vineyard, where we are rewarded with a magnificent view of Sommerhausen, the vineyards, the Main River, and the surrounding area.

Stone marker in vineyard rows overlooking Sommerhausen village. Green vines in foreground, rolling hills and houses visible below under blue sky.

Sommerhausen – Karlstadt

The bike path runs directly along the Main River, past many parks with benches and playgrounds, and we quickly arrive in Würzburg. There, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to what to visit: St. Kilian's Cathedral, Neumünster Church, the Würzburg Residence, the Old Main Bridge, the old town, Marienberg Fortress, and the Käppele pilgrimage church. We skipped the last two and instead strolled extensively through the old town and visited the Residence, the cathedral, and Neumünster. Back on our bikes, we leave Würzburg via the Old Main Bridge. If you're lucky, like we were, you can watch a ship in the lock from the Main Bridge. The view of Würzburg and the Marienberg Fortress is simply magnificent. We now cycle on the left side of the Main towards Himmelstadt. There we had to make a stop to look for the Christmas post office where I sent my wish lists to Santa Claus as a child. Continuing along the Main, we cycle via Erlabrunn and Zellingen to Mühlbach and then just over the bridge to Karlstadt. Continuing along the Main Cycle Route, we find our hotel, located directly on the banks of the Main.
Later, we set off on foot to explore Karlstadt. We stroll through the narrow streets, past the old town hall and St. Andreas Church, and circle Karlstadt on the path around the city wall. The Main promenade invites us to linger with its many benches and the view of the Karlsburg ruins on the opposite side of the Main. At the end of the day, we enjoy a drink on our balcony.

Cyclist on paved path between golden fields and vineyards on hillside. Main cycle path between Würzburg and Karlstadt under blue sky.

Karlstadt – Homburg

Our motto for today: cycle, cycle, cycle, because we have decided to cycle the entire route and not take the train to shorten it, and still be on time for the wine tasting in Homburg. - I can already reveal that it worked.
After breakfast, we set off for Gemünden am Main with the Scherenburg ruins and the Huttenschloss castle. In Gemünden, we cross back over to the other bank of the Main and cycle on to Lohr. It's worth taking a break here and strolling through the picturesque old town. With our destination - the wine tasting - in sight, we quickly set off again and soon reach Marktheidenfeld. There is a wonderful Main promenade with plenty of places to sit and relax, a picturesque old town, and we even discover a blacksmith's workshop. We then cycle via Lengfurt to Homburg, our destination for the day. We arrive at the guesthouse just in time for check-in and even have time to freshen up before the wine tasting begins. Neither of us has much experience with wine tastings, but we can highly recommend the one at Mr. Dürr's in the Homburger Bräuscheuere. We are thrilled with the way Mr. Dürr introduces us to Franconian wines and learn a lot about the local vineyards - in short, it was a great experience that we are still talking about months later. For dinner, we follow our hotelier's advice and go to the Zum goldenen Rösslein restaurant, which serves delicious Franconian cuisine. After the delicious wine and food, we explore Homburg, the castle ruins, and the small alleys. We end the evening on our balcony.

Panoramic view over Homburg rooftops with the Main River and forested hills in the background under a blue sky with white clouds.

Homburg – Miltenberg

Unfortunately, the weather gods are not particularly kind to us on this day, so we take shelter a few times and test out our new rain ponchos. In Wertheim, we decide to climb the castle ruins despite the rain, and we are rewarded when the rain stops, allowing us to explore the ruins extensively - something I can only recommend to everyone. From Wertheim onwards, the weather gods were on our side again - alternating sun and clouds. As it was already late, we cycled briskly with few breaks. The route took us along the Main River through fields and meadows to Bürgstadt. As we were traveling at the right time, we stopped there for dinner, as it was the time for the Häckenwirtschaften (open-air dining season). We enjoy a hearty Franconian snack before cycling the last few kilometers to Miltenberg. We quickly find the hotel and, after freshening up, stroll through the old town along the Main to the Staffelbrunserbrunnen fountain, the market square, and catch a glimpse of Mildenburg Castle.

Cobblestone square in Miltenberg's old town with colorful half-timbered houses, a central fountain, and blue sky with white clouds.

Miltenberg – Aschaffenburg

We make good progress that day and are in high spirits - no wonder, as the sun is back, which makes cycling so much easier. In Wörth am Main, we take a detour through the picturesque old town, then cycle through lots of little villages and across meadows and fields. In Obernburg, the bike path leads directly through a flea market, which invites us to take a short break and stroll through the market. We continue cycling and reach Niedernberg, where we discover a gate leading to St. Cyriakus Church and a quiet bench right on the Main River. Here we take another break and let the peace and quiet sink in. Now we set off on the very last part of our bike tour to Aschaffenburg. There, we are drawn directly to Johannisburg Castle, which we visit. Now it's off to the hotel to freshen up and enjoy a final dinner on the bike tour. After dinner, we stroll through the streets and let ourselves drift. Unfortunately, the bike tour is already over, and we are already thinking about where to go next time.

Cyclist on paved path along cornfield with terraced vineyards on hillsides under cloudy sky near Aschaffenburg on the Main cycle route.

Our conclusion

If you're looking for a leisurely bike tour through small towns, lots of half-timbered houses, and good Franconian cuisine, then this trip is just right for you. But fans of larger cities won't be disappointed either, as you'll cycle through Würzburg and spend the night in Aschaffenburg. For us, the Main Cycle Route - especially as a wine tour - is a great experience and we are happy to recommend it to others.