The Aller-Radweg cycle route is an insider tip between the Weser and Elbe rivers. The route takes you 328 kilometres through idyllic landscapes along the Aller from its mouth in the Weser near Verden to its source in Eggenstedt near Magdeburg. Along the way, you can find peace and quiet amidst meadows, pastures and pine forests. Small villages, old farms, half-timbered houses and mills line the route.
Between Travemünde and the island of Usedom, the Baltic Sea Cycle Route runs along the coast for 670 kilometres. The crashing waves and the wide horizon accompany cyclists through proud Hanseatic towns and sophisticated seaside resorts, cosy fishing villages and extensive forests. On the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula, you cycle a particularly beautiful section along the Bodden coast. From Althagen to Wieck with the endless view over the Bodden, where the traditional Zeesboote boats sail or the cranes make their rounds in autumn and spring.
Get out of the metropolis and into nature. If city dwellers have a craving for lakes, they can hop on the saddle and cycle along well-developed cycle paths past forests, lakes and fields not only to the Baltic Sea, but even beyond to Copenhagen. The route leads through the beautiful landscapes of the Mecklenburg Lake District across Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the Baltic Sea. The ferry takes you from Rostock to Gedser in southern Denmark and from there on to Copenhagen.
Between Lauenburg and Stormarn, the north is excitingly different. Here you don’t go by cutter, but rather by canoe. Here you don’t walk through the mudflats but through the forest. Here the wind doesn’t blow across the sea, but over wild and romantic lakes. The trail leads through enchanted nature, past nature parks, protected areas, rustic farm cafés and lookout towers. Historic towns invite you to travel back in time and meet Till Eulenspiegel in the Duchy of Lauenburg. Among the most famous places in Stormarn is the town of Ahrensburg with its castle.
One of the most beautiful hiking trails in Germany runs where the Heidschnucken graze. Along the 223-kilometre-long Heidschnuckenweg from Hamburg-Fischbek to Celle, the heathlands of Lüneburg Heath are strung together like a string of pearls. Each one more beautiful than the next, each unique in its own way with its own cultural history. Mountains with steep heather slopes, overgrown valleys and clear heath streams await you here. Isolated pine trees with sweeping branches and extensive juniper forests with spiky bushes in the most peculiar shapes provide you with idyllic shady spots along the way.
The Rügen chalk coast is certainly a highlight among the sights for many island holidaymakers. In addition to a visit to the Königsstuhl, the most famous chalk cliff, a hike along the high shore from Sassnitz to Lohme with picturesque views of the chalk coast and the Baltic Sea is a unique active experience. The play of colours between the blue Baltic Sea, white chalk and green beech forests is particularly magnificent in spring. The World Heritage Forum halfway along the route and the Königsstuhl National Park Centre provide lots of background information on the formation of the chalk coast and the history of the UNESCO-protected ancient beech forests in interactive exhibitions. The tour is around 12 kilometres long and can easily be done as a day trip.
The Path through Müritz National Park is the longest hiking trail through a national park in Germany. Over half of the route winds across unpaved terrain, some of it along naturally sustained forests and country paths. Experience the landscape’s untouched, pristine nature that reveals its wilder side in many unspoilt forests and mysterious moors. The 175-kilometre route should ideally be completed in 9 days so that you can enjoy the varied and beautiful landscape. The route leads from Waren an der Müritz through the national park to Neustrelitz. From here, the route continues into the Serrahn part of the national park and then back to Müritz via Wesenberg. The route passes numerous lakes, which are particularly inviting for a swim in summer.
The Weser metropolis of Bremen is known as the city of short distances, but few visitors realise that it is also one of the German cities with the most cycle paths. However, these are not the only reasons why cycling in Bremen is a real pleasure. The two-town state is a wonderful place to explore by bike. The city centre circuit in Bremen and the Bremerhaven circuit lead to the most important sights and the Weser Cycle Way also leads through the region, which could hardly be more diverse.
A great and, above all, relaxed way to get to know Hamburg’s nature is a bike tour! The Vier- und Marschlande are rural districts in the south-east of Hamburg. What makes them special: The huge area is characterised by meadows, flowers and old half-timbered houses – a cosy idyll just a fifteen-minute drive from the city centre. Several nature reserves, including rare plant and animal species, can be found here, as well as true bathing paradises, for example in the form of the Boberger See, the Allermöher See or the Dove-Elbe. With the old villages and the former centre of Bergedorf, you will come across a unique cultural landscape that is best explored by bike.
In the 19th century, the Ochsenweg (‘Ox Road’) was an important route between Denmark and northern Germany. It served merchants, farmers with livestock, soldiers and pilgrims as a direct route to the south. Today, the Ochsenweg is a well-developed 245 km cycle route. Along the tour, which passes through marshland and other areas, you will discover the history of Denmark and Germany. You cycle through attractive cities such as Neumünster and Rendsburg and get to know numerous villages and parishes along the way.
The Viking-Frisian Route takes you from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. Once across the country. Two routes take you along picturesque river landscapes and small towns, such as Friedrichstadt. Discover the trading centres of the Vikings and Frisians, be enchanted by river meadows and fjord regions and enjoy the cultural legacy of our ancestors.
The NOK Route has a total length of 325 kilometres along the Kiel Canal and runs from the state capital Kiel to Brunsbüttel on the North Sea. The route leads through meadow and forest landscapes along the Kiel Canal, the world’s busiest shipping route. Along the way, you will also pass estates and manor houses that are well worth discovering.
