Rhine Valley loop

Arrive in Cologne as early as possible, as there is a lot to discover and experience, including Cologne Cathedral and the historic city centre, which is well worth seeing. Round off the first evening of your cycle tour in one of the many restaurants.

You start your journey with a cycle tour through the inner green belt in Cologne, past the Aachener Weiher and the Lindenthal canals, to the outer green belt. Enjoy the varied urban landscape of the cathedral city from a green perspective! Cycle past the Cologne Forest Laboratory and through the vast farmlands of the Rhineland Nature Park. You will pass the Marienfeld, a local recreational landscape created from the recultivated open-cast lignite mine between Frechen and Kerpen. Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the closing mass at the 2005 Catholic World Youth Day on the Pope's Hill in Marienfeld. The Erft, a tributary of the Rhine, with its unique meadow landscape in the immediate vicinity of Loersfeld Castle near Kerpen, is quickly reached. The Michael Schumacher Kart & Event Center is a household name, especially for motorsport fans. A short drive takes you to Bergheim.

Today's cycle route always follows the Erft. You cycle first to Pfaffendorf Castle with its brasserie and beer garden and then past the decommissioned Frimmersdorf power station into the Grevenbroich recreational area. Your journey continues to Dyck Castle. With the Museum Insel Hombroich and the Clemens Sels Museum, culture is the order of the day on this stage.  The extremely scenic route along the Erft offers a 7 km branch via Langwaden Abbey and Hülchrath Castle. You soon reach Neuss, where the Erft flows into the Rhine. You first follow the Rhine Cycle Path on the left bank of the Rhine before crossing the Rhine to Düsseldorf's Rhine embankment promenade and old town. In the evening, enjoy a Düsseldorf Altbier and the fantastic view of the Rhine.

Today's cycling day is also all about the Rhine! You follow the Rhine Cycle Route and cycle to the old German capital Bonn in the morning. Bonn epitomises German politics and democracy like no other place. Authentic sites of German politics, such as the Palais Schaumburg, the Chancellor's Bungalow or the former Bundesrat Hall, can still be visited and illustrate the historical and political context of events from the post-war period to reunification in 1990. But Bonn is not only the former federal capital! Its reputation as a city of the arts extends far and wide. As a city of Beethoven, Bonn commemorates its world-famous son with the Beethoven Festival, a series of concerts that spread the splendour of great classical music every September and October. Bonn is also home to two of Germany's most important museums, the Kunstmuseum Bonn and the Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Take a boat trip from Bonn to Cologne in the afternoon (incl.) and enjoy the beauty of the Rhine from the water!

Look forward to today's cycle excursion along the ‘Erlebnisroute Süd’ to Brühl. Here you will be greeted by Augustusburg Palace and Falkenlust Palace, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the palace park is one of the most important examples of French garden art in Europe. A visit to the Max Ernst Museum is highly recommended for anyone interested in art. It provides a comprehensive overview of the work of the Dadaist and Surrealist Max Ernst. A trip to Phantasialand, which boasts the best rollercoaster and water ride in Europe, is ideal for families! The return journey from Brühl to Cologne is possible by bike or train (without changing trains), so you can plan enough time to explore Brühl.

Unfortunately, your lovely cycling holiday comes to an end after breakfast. We will be happy to book an extension for you so that you have enough time to visit the sights of Cologne and the city.