radwanderland.de - The official website for touring cyclists in Rhineland-Palatinate

Overview:

The German Wine Route offers 97 kilometres of pure cycling pleasure and a healthy dose of the finer things in life.
A true "path to happiness", it runs north-south from the upper reaches of the Rheinhessen region to just across the border from France. You can cycle in either direction, both of which are equally appealing. Your choice also extends to the numerous places where you can join the route and the
host of tempting places to stop at along the way.

There is a main route (valley route) and a scenic route. The latter includes several side trails of a more strenuous nature.

Stage 1
Bockenheim, Grünstadt-Asselheim to Grünstadt, the heart of the Leiningerland region. Recommended excursions: Neuleiningen (medieval mountain village), Freinsheim (pretty little town with mighty fortified towers), Kallstadt wine village, Ungstein (Weilberg Roman winegrowing estate).

Stage 2
Spa resort of Bad Dürkheim (giant wine cask, Limburg Abbey), the wine and sekt town of Wachenheim (panoramic views of the Rhineland Plain from Wachtenburg Castle). Recommended excursions: Roman villa rustica (1km), vineyards from Forst to Deidesheim famous for their rieslings, architecture and taverns.

Stage 3
Via the wine villages of Königsbach, Gimmeldingen and Mussbach (Herrenhof winegrowing estate is the oldest in the Palatinate region) to Neustadt an der Weinstrasse with its delightful old quarter and Hambach Castle. Recommended excursions: Neustadt-Diedesfeld, the midpoint of the German Wine Route.
Further on is Maikammer (old-established wineries and manor houses). Recommended excursions: break off from the scenic route to St. Martin (entire village centre under historic preservation order, ruins of Kropsburg Castle). Back on the main route, you arrive at Edenkoben (Villa Ludwigshöhe with permanent exhibition on Max Slevogt, chair lift to Rietburg Castle). Beneath the castle is Rhodt with its chestnut trees and splendid wineries. Recommended excursions: take time out from the scenic route to visit Weyher. The main route, meanwhile, continues through the pretty little wine villages of Edesheim, Hainfeld, Burrweiler, Gleisweiler (subtropical garden), Frankweiler, Siebeldingen and Birkweiler. This section is one of the most beautiful on the Southern Wine Route, where the Rhineland Plain and Palatinate Forest meet. Recommended excursions: follow the Queichtal Valley Cycle Route to Landau (fortified town renowned for its gardens, now the cultural and commercial hub of the Southern Palatinate), or to Annweiler (medieval centre, imperial castle of Trifels).

Stage 4
The route forges ahead through a landscape dotted with castles to Leinsweiler (former residence of the artist, Max Slevogt), Eschbach (Madenburg Castle), Klingenmünster (Landeck Castle) and finally Gleiszellen. Here, you can enjoy the delights of the Winzergasse, a narrow street lined with wine taverns. From the small spa resort of Bad Bergzabern (Südpfalz thermal baths, spa gardens, enchanting old quarter with former residence and "Zum Engel" inn, the oldest Renaissance building in the Palatinate), it's just a short hop via Dörrenbach ("sleeping beauty of the Palatinate", half-timbered town hall, church with military cemetery) to Oberotterbach and then Schweigen-Rechtenbach (German Wine Gate on the border with Alsace), where you can see the delightful town of Wissembourg across the French border.

Whether the far south of Germany is the start or the finish of the German Wine Route is immaterial: people enjoy it so much that they often just turn around and do the tour in reverse, all the way back to Bockenheim.

Alternative routes and shortcuts:

Just before Kleinkarlbach, you have the choice between the scenic route (Kleinkarlbach, Bobenheim, Weisenheim, Leistadt) with its fabulous views of the Rhineland Plain or the valley route (Kirchheim, Freinsheim, Ungstein, Bad Dürkheim).

The choice is the same after Ruppertsberg: scenic route (Königsbach, Gimmeldingen, Neustadt-Haardt) or valley route (Mussbach, avenue of almond trees near Gimmeldingen with views over the Rhineland Plain towards Neustadt).

From Maikammer-Alsterweiler, you can follow the valley route direct to Edenkoben or take the scenic route via St. Martin.

At Rhodt beneath Rietburg Castle, take the valley route straight to Hainfeld or follow the scenic route via Wehyer (excursions to Villa Ludwigshöhe).

Signposting:

Standardised, end-to-end signposting with destination and distance markers is being introduced in 2008 in line with current guidelines. The logo for the German Wine Route denotes the route:

Terrain:

90 per cent of the route runs on surfaced paths, most of which are away from the road. There are several climbs to tackle on the scenic route, but these are rewarded with spectacular views.

The route at a glance:

Kilometres	Stage	Length (km)	Uphill (metres) Downhill (metres)	Summary of the terrain
The valley route is primarily made up of surfaced tracks or cycle paths, set a few metres away from the road; there are also sections away from the road through the beautiful wine- and fruit-growing scenery of the Palatinate. Most of the scenic route guides you through vineyards; sometimes on paths set back a few metres from the road. It continues into the Palatinate wine villages and along the back roads into Neustadt an der Weinstrasse. Although you have to pedal hard at times, the stunning panoramic views down into the eastern Palatinate and the Rhineland Plain are ample compensation.
0-20	1. Etappe Bockenheim bis Bad Dürkheim	20		Valley route / scenic route
20-31	2. Etappe Bad Dürkheim bis Neustadt a.d. Weinstraße-Königsbach	11		Valley and scenic route follow the same path
31-67	3. Etappe Neustadt a.d. Weinstraße-Königsbach bis Siebeldingen	36		Scenic route (three detours): via Neustadt an der Weinstrasse via St. Martin via Wehyer
67-97	4. Etappe Siebeldingen bis Schweigen-Rechtenbach	30		Valley and scenic route follow the same path

• Old quarter with town wall, Freinsheim
• Giant wine cask, Bad Dürkheim
• Hardenburg Castle, Bad Dürkheim
• Wachtenburg castle ruins and castle restaurant, Wachenheim
• Open-air museum at the Roman villa rustica, Wachenheim
• Historical town hall, Deidesheim
• Collegiate church, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse
• Hambach Castle, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse
• Landeck Castle, Klingenmünster
• Former residence, Bad Bergzabern
• "Zum Engel" inn, Bad Bergzabern
• German Wine Gate, Schweigen-Rechtenbach
• Madenburg Castle, Eschbach
• Former residence of the artist Max Slevogt, Leinsweiler
• St. Anna's Chapel, Burrweiler
• Stove museum, Burrweiler
• Villa Ludwigshöhe, Edenkoben
• Ecumenical Church of St. George, Wachenheim
• Medieval town wall, Wachenheim
• Jewish cemetery, Wachenheim
• Steinheusser courtyard, Wachenheim
• Weighing scale museum, Wachenheim
• Historical smithy, Friedelsheim
• Open-air museum, Gönnheim
• Winegrowers' fountain, Bobenheim
• Former synagogue, Weisenheim am Berg
• Castle ruins with delightful ward, Neuleiningen
• Theresienstrasse, Rhodt

Rest your tired legs and get a good night's rest in the region's hotels and guesthouses or in holiday accommodation.

Hotel/guesthouse directory

Search for and book a hotel/guesthouse

Directory of holiday accommodation

Search for and book holiday accommodation

Deutsche Weinstrasse e.V. - Mittelhaardt-
Martin-Luther-Str. 69
67433 Neustadt an der Weinstraße
Tel.: +49 (0)6321 391 692 1
Fax: +49 (0)6321 391 619
E-Mail:   info@deutsche-weinstrasse.de
Internet: www.deutsche-weinstrasse.de

Südliche Weinstrasse e.V.
Zentrale für Tourismus
An der Kreuzmühle 2
76829 Landau
Tel.:+49 (0)6341 940 407
Fax:+49 (0)6341 940 502
E-Mail:  info@suedlicheweinstrasse.de
Internet: www.suedlicheweinstrasse.de

Büro für Tourismus Bad Bergzabern
Kurtalstr. 27
76887 Bad Bergzabern
Tel. +49 (0) 63 43 / 98 96 60
Fax +49 (0) 63 43 / 98 96 66 6
E-Mail: info@bad-bergzaberner-land.de
Internet: www.bad-bergzaberner-land.de

Tourist Information Bad Dürkheim
Kurbrunnenstraße 14
67098 Bad Dürkheim
Tel. +49 (0) 63 22 / 9 56 62 50
Fax +49 (0) 63 22 / 9 56 62 59
E-Mail: verkehrsamt@bad-duerkheim.de
Internet: www.bad-duerkheim.de

Tourist Service GmbH Deidesheim
Bahnhofstraße 5
67146 Deidesheim
Tel. +49 (0) 63 26 / 96 77 0
Fax +49 (0) 63 26 / 96 77 18
E-Mail: touristinfo@deidesheim.de
Internet: www.deidesheim.de

Büro für Tourismus Edenkoben
Poststraße 23
67480 Edenkoben
Tel. +49 (0) 63 23 / 95 92 22
Fax +49 (0) 63 23 / 95 92 88
E-Mail: tourisinfo@vg-edenkoben.de
Internet: www.edenkoben.de

Urlaubsregion Freinsheim
Deutsche Weinstraße
i-Punkt Kallstadt Weinstr. 111
67169 Kallstadt
Tel. +49 (0) 63 22 / 66 78 38
Fax +49 (0) 63 22 / 66 78 40
E-Mail: touristik@freinsheim.de
Internet: www.freinsheim.de

Tourist Information Stadtverwaltung Grünstadt
Weinstraßencenter
Turnstraße 7
67269 Grünstadt
Tel. +49 (0) 63 59 / 93 73 20
Fax +49 (0) 63 59 / 93 73 25
E-Mail: tourist-information.gruenstadt@t-online.de
Internet: www.gruenstadt.de

Tourist Information VG Grünstadt-Land
Haus der Deutschen Weinstraße
67278 Bockenheim
Tel. +49 (0) 63 59 / 8 00 18 20
Fax +49 (0) 63 59 / 8 00 18 12
E-Mail: touristik@gruenstadt-land.de
Internet: www.gruenstadt-land.de

Büro für Tourismus Landau-Land (Leinsweiler)
Im Haus des Gastes
Hauptstr. 4
76829 Leinsweiler
Tel. +49 (0) 63 45 / 35 31
Fax +49 (0) 63 45 / 24 57
E-Mail: ferienregion.landau-land@t-online.de
Internet: www.landau-land.de

Büro für Tourismus Maikammer
Johannes-Damm-Straße 11
67487 Maikammer
Tel. +49 (0) 63 21 / 95 27 68
Fax +49 (0) 63 21 / 58 99 16
E-Mail: vamt-maikammer@t-online.de
Internet: www.maikammer.de

Touristinformation Neustadt/Weinstraße
Hetzelplatz 1
67433 Neustadt an der Weinstraße
Tel. +49 (0) 63 21 / 92 68 92
Fax +49 (0) 63 21 / 92 68 91
E-Mail: touristinfo@neustadt.pfalz.com
Internet: www.neustadt.pfalz.com

Büro für Tourismus Schweigen-Rechtenbach
Im Weintor
76889 Schweigen-Rechtenbach
Tel. +49 (0) 63 42 / 63 21
Fax +49 (0) 63 42 / 91 95 87
E-Mail: verkehrsverein@schweigen-rechtenbach.de
Internet: www.schweigen-rechtenbach.de

Büro für Tourismus St. Martin
In der Alten Kellerei
67487 St. Martin
Tel. +49 (0) 63 23 / 53 00
Fax +49 (0) 63 23 / 98 13 28
E-Mail: vamt-stmartin@t-online.de
Internet: www.maikammer.de

Tourist Information Wachenheim
Weinstraße 15
67157 Wachenheim
Tel. +49 (0) 63 22 / 95 80 32
Fax +49 (0) 63 22 / 95 80 11
E-Mail: touristinfo@vg-wachenheim.de
Internet: www.wachenheim.de

Office de Tourisme de Wissembourg
9, place de la République - B.P. 80120
F - 67163 Wissembourg Cedex
Tel. (33) 03 88 94 10 11
Fax (33) 03 88 94 18 82
E-Mail: tourisme.wissembourg@wanadoo.fr
Internet: www.ot-wissembourg.fr (franz.)

Pfalz.Touristik e.V.
Martin-Luther-Straße 69
67433 Neustadt an der Weinstraße
Tel: +49 (0) 6321- 3916-0
Fax: +49 (0) 6321- 3916-19
E-Mail: info@pfalz-touristik.de
Internet: www.pfalz-touristik.de

By train
Public transport is an ideal way to get to your cycling tour along the German Wine Route.
Stations along the German Wine Route are served by trains from Worms, Frankenthal, Ludwigshafen/Mannheim (also on the Rhine-Haardt railway) Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens, Karlsruhe and Strasbourg (France).

Regional services operated by the Rhine-Neckar (VRN) and Karlsruhe (KVV) transport providers stop at Bockenheim, Bad Dürkheim, Neustadt, Landau, Bad Bergzabern and numerous other stations.

Within the Rhine-Neckar and Karlsruhe public transport networks, bikes can be taken free of charge on Deutsche Bahn (DB) services from Monday to Friday after 9am, and all day on weekends and public holidays. (Monday to Friday before 9am, you have to pay the equivalent child's fare).

More detailed information on timetables and fares is available from:
VRN hotline: +49 (0)1805 876 4636
KVV hotline: +49 (0)721 6107 5885
or online at:

• www.der-takt.de
• www.vrn.de
• www.kvv.de
• www.bahn.de 

Train stations
Bockenheim, Grünstadt, Freinsheim, Bad Dürkheim, Wachenheim, Deidesheim, Neustadt, Maikammer, Kirrweiler, Edenkoben, Landau, Siebeldingen-Birkweiler, Bad Bergzabern and Wissembourg (France).

By road
A61 (Cologne-Speyer): take the "Worms" exit towards Monsheim; A6 (Saarbrücken-Nuremberg): "Grünstadt" exit; A650 (Bad Dürkheim-Ludwigshafen): "Bad Dürkheim" exit; A65 (Ludwigshafen-Karlsruhe): "Neustadt", "Edenkoben" or "Landau" exits.

Falk route planner
WEB.DE route planner

Information on the cycling fun day