Slenaken, Netherlands Aschaffenburg, Germany
Bike and Hotel and Barge!
Chapter 1 of a Cycling Holiday Europe: A cyclists dream for 127 kilometres on a little-known route called the Fenway through the forest. We ride on perfectly paved bike paths in Holland, peddling south into Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. The landscape is dotted with ancient abbeys, tidy villages with their whitewashed brick and half-timbered homes. We hopscotch along borders visiting two Imperial Cities (Aachen and Trier). With its lush forests and clean rivers, this region oozes abundance. The route meanders through high moor and grassland terrain, famous the world over for its local cheeses, cured meats and grains that flavour rich Belgian ales. Trailside cafés serve warm waffles with sweet toppings. Of course, sampling local specialities is what we do best.
Every day we bike through history. The Romans were firmly entrenched here, evidenced by fort ruins, bridges, complex bathhouses, lead and copper mines, and a 130km aqua-duct supplying fresh water to troops on the Rhine River. Later, these woods were the favoured hunting grounds of 9th-century Carolingian emperors. A motherlode of iron and coal made the region a key player in steel manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. The many markers and memorials remind passers-by of both the destruction and liberation by Allied Forces during the Battle of the Bulge. This is a destination you won’t find on your own. It’s tucked away, straddling borders you’d never know were there…a place was mostly forgotten in the mists of time, a hidden gem in the heart of old Europe.
On Saturday we travel by train from Trier to Metz with the guides. Luggage will be transported for us.
Chapter 2: The Moselle Bikepath: The river with 3 names! Is it Mosel, Moselle or Musel?
That depends on where you are on the river as it forms a natural border with three countries we visit: Germany, France, and Luxembourg. It’s a bike and barge dream-come-true. Paved bike paths, well-marked signage and easy cycling along the Rhine’s largest tributary. Medieval market squares, half-timbered villages, gothic cathedrals and castle ruins. Wunderbar and Fantastique are the words to know!
We follow the breadcrumbs of history. The Romans “civilized” this “barbaric” region bringing their culture and the first grapevines. Little did they know at the time of Julius Cesar that this river valley would blossom into a Riesling drinkers’ paradise. On both sides of the river, the precisely-tended vineyards hug the steep slopes. We promise you the ride of a lifetime with lots of sampling along the way.
We meet up in Metz, one of the last Roman city’s to fall to Atilla the Hun and ancestral home of the Merovingian Dynasty. Metz has great architecture from the centuries and a Gothic cathedral that took 300 years to build.
We start biking through the Lorraine region, the birthplace of French military heroine Joan of Arc. Ooh-la-la the food out here! Those wonderful pieces of bread, Quiche Lorraine, delicate Madaleine cookies and golden Mirabelle plums you’ll find in jams, tarts and a sweet liqueur—the nectar of Gods.
Onto Luxembourg, the only Grand Duchy in Europe. Its strategic position between two superpowers made it a hotly contested area to control over the ages. If you know a little French and German, you’ll understand their mother tongue—a rich soup of both languages in one pot.
And then: Germany! The lead city on this trip is Trier. Ever heard of it? You’re not the only one. Its hey-day was around the 2nd century AD. Known as Roma Segunda at the time, Trier was an Imperial Roman city. Kind of a big deal when Constantine the Great ruled from here. You will see the remnants of this glorious past in Germany’s oldest cathedral, amphitheatre, the emperor’s throne hall and famous “black gate,” the blackened remains of the ancient city wall.
From Trier we transfer to Koblenz, another ancient town at the confluence of the Moselle and the Rhine. Loads of castles and wine await you while you sail on the most picturesque part of the Rhine, onto Aschaffenburg.
E-bikes Available
Even though this tour is considered easy, the 2% grade uphill for part of the ride does require some leg and lung effort. If you do not like the word “hill”, please look at our other easy bike tours OR: hire an E-bike!
E-bikes are a great way to do this tour without worrying about the effort it might take. E-bikes are trendy in Europe! They make biking as easy as you like it to be, still giving you the exercise and experience you are looking for. The type of e-bikes we use supports you a bit, or more, or a lot. You choose, and you’re still pedalling! It stops when you stop! Save and easy. If you only think of hiring one because of the hills, you might hire one just for the first part of this tour.
In the hills of Limburg, in a old village close to the Belgium and German borders, we will welcome you in a little hotel. This will be your home for the first 3 nights and from here we will go biking and discovering. But not today, let’s settle down first, have a nice drink on the terrasse and enjoy the scenery and the local hospitality. We will meet up and have a great dinner here.
Spanish and Roman ruins, elegant French and Belgian touches in the food, architecture and manners. This is the exotic Dutch south. Our bike ride weaves through rolling countryside dotted with castles and breweries… Never fear! After visiting the impressive Holland/American WWII cemetery in Margraten, we follow an easy route to the region’s capital city Maastricht, an ancient and important bridge crossing for getting food and grains from France to the Roman garrisons on the Rhine, the eastern frontier of the empire. Today, Maastricht is lively, international and buzzing with university students. The Maastricht Treaty made the city known in our times as the birthplace of the European Union, European citizenship, and the Euro currency. Take time to explore the beautiful square surrounded by grand cafés, shops, museums and a pair of magnificent churches. The cozy streets and alleys form a medieval labyrinth atop which Sint Pieter fortress crowns the city’s medieval defense system, linked via an underground network of tunnels. The best place to try spicy Indonesian food (outside of Sri Lanka) is in Holland thanks to their seafaring and spice trading routes in the East Indies. “Rijsttafel” (a selection of spicy dishes served with rice) is a must try before leaving.
After a hearty Dutch breakfast, we saddle up and follow the emperor’s road to Aachen, Germany’s westernmost city and former Imperial Residence of the Carolingian Dynasty. It was the heart and soul of the medieval European world, the home of Charlemagne and his court in the 9th century. Both French and German cultures trace their beginnings back to him. For 600 years after, 30 German Kings and 12 Queens were coronated in the cathedral Charlemagne built in 796, now a UNESCO world heritage site. His royal remains are interred here and it has been an important pilgrimage destination on the Road to Santiago de Compostela. Aachen is also a famous German spa town. Roman legionnaires soaked their battle-weary bones in the 30 hot springs that bubble up—heated by volcanic activity not far beneath the earth’s crust; medieval monks and kings all took the waters here. The modern-day spa is a topnotch bathing facility and highly recommended. The gothic Rathouse (town hall) is also worth a visit with its 50 life-size rulers guarding the facade. If you stop for a coffee at Café zum Mohren, you’ll have historic views of centuries in one glance…the medieval cathedral and ancient Roman ruins, not to mention the best homemade ice cream cakes in all of Germany. Not to be missed!
Today we start the 127km Fen-Railway bike path. This 1882 industrial line was built to transport iron ore and coal to the steel works in Aachen. A hundred years later, it was converted to a rails-to-trails. Crossing viaducts and tunnels, we cycle alongside various rail signal installations and huge water pumps that once filled thirsty steam locomotives. What a thrill for historic train enthusiasts. We climb at a 2% grade through a forest you can imagine Hansel and Gretel would have played—and gotten lost. The air is piney fresh along the German-Belgian border through towns like Roentgen—first to be liberated by American troops at the end of WWII. We descend into a narrow forested valley to Monschau, arriving at our historic hotel, a half-timbered beauty brimming with flower boxes. Thanks to the river that flows through the center, mills generated cloth fabric in the 1700s and the town grew rich. This pretty German village looks too “Disney” to be real, but it is. Imagine meandering cobblestone streets, craggy cliffs, a 12th century castle and outdoor terraces overlooking the river. It’s like finding a treasure when you least expect it.
Today we ride through the high fen (moor) straddling the Belgian-German border heading south. It is a mystical landscape, a place for poets, daydreamers, and cyclists… Due to a unique variety of grasses, heathers and birdlife, this watery world of springs is not only a National Park but also a massive watershed for two major rivers including the Maas and the Rhine. We pedal through the peaceful Belgian countryside into sleepy villages with steaming waffles tempting you to stop. Smell the roses, they’re blooming! The views sweep across rolling green pastures as far as the eye can see with horse farms and grazing cattle. This is farm country at its best. If you happen to catch a whiff of bacon, it’s because the finest smoked meats are cured in the former railway station in Montenau along our route. St. Vith is our home for the night. After centuries as a market town and then important railway junction, you’ll notice the town appears new, and it is. On Christmas 1944, St Vith was obliterated, the fate of so many border towns throughout the ages. It’s the tiny part of eastern Belgium that speaks German. Find a café and order steamed mussels and a local Belgian ale. You earned it!
The morning ride promises a good chance of wild animal sightings…herons, field rabbits, falcons, red stags and wild boar. Before you know it after a few more clicks in Belgium, we’re already in Luxembourg, the world’s only Grand Duchy. A country half the size of Rhode Island. The language is a mélange of her two powerful neighbors French and Germany, resulting in a unique language called Luxembourgish. After a nice lunch in Troisvierges, there’s a side trip to visit the Battle of the Bulge War Museum in Bastogne, Belgium. To prepare for this trip, we recommend Monuments Men and the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers.
A private bus takes us to Ettelbrück in Luxembourg, where we enjoy easy cycling along the Sauer River, our final leg, before reaching the vineyard-clad slopes of the lovely Moselle River. First, we pass Diekirch, home of the famous Luxemburg Beer. The Luxembourgers love their riverside campgrounds! We arrive for lunch in the precious town of Echternach, and you can feel a certain presence the minute you step foot inside the oldest town in Luxembourg. The town developed around the Benedictine monastery which Willibrord, the Patron Saint of Luxembourg built in 698 AD. He is the only saint to be buried in this country, and his remains lie here. Another important pilgrimage stop for Catholics. The monastery was renowned for its Scriptorium, which produced priceless decorative manuscripts. Remnants of the largest Roman villa ruins north of the Alps are on display for us to investigate. Enjoy a leisurely lunch at the town square. By midday we arrive at the German Mosel River, famous for Riesling wines, dramatic scenery and Imperial Trier, the ancient Roman city where Constantine the Great ruled during the late Classical period.
Today we will go to Koblenz, a train or bus ride along the Moselle partly!
We will join the IRIS now!
You will be more than welcome at our comfortable little floating hotel, the IRIS, where we will meet the crew and maybe additional guests. The IRIS has room for 25 guests. On this combinational tour, we can only accept a maximum of 14 for the first leg where we stay at hotels.
Today is a day of options:
Cycling: Our first option is to ride along the river on the Moselle bike path. We will visit Burg Eltz today!. Part of it is walking, as it is well hidden in the hills. This Castle is different from any other castle. It remained unscathed by wars. It has been owned and cared for by the same family from when it was built until today. Its architecture has no comparison and many of the original furnishings of the past eight centuries still remain in place. A Treasury and Armoury is boasting world-class artworks in gold and silver. It towers high on a large rock, but is still in a valley. So you understand: we have to go there! After this great visit we will bike back to the barge, which will offer us an afternoon cruise to Koblenz were we will dock for the night.
Second option is to have a restful day on board, enjoy cruising with the ship, and only do a short bikeride and the walk up to the castle.
Third option: leave the ship in the morning and spend the day in Koblenz, visit the Burg Ehrenbreitstein in Koblenz and enjoy the local hospitality and shops.
Koblenz has a beautiful “Altstadt” (old city) in the triangle between the Mosel and the Rhine River.
After breakfast, the bike ride first takes you to the ancient city Boppard. Here the Rhine takes an amazing turn, nearly 180 degrees. Boppard has always been a visitors magnet with her precipitous vineyards, one of the nicest bank promenades on the Middle Rhine, and the oldest preserved Roman fort walls to the north of the Alps. You can get up the hill with a chairlift ride!
Your destination is St. Goar, opposite the famous Loreley. A ferry and a bus bring you up to the Loreley. A hiking path leads up to this lovely spot and offers a beautiful sight of the narrowest part of the romantic Rhine Valley.
The first traces of human settlement have been apparent from when the Loreley Plateau was level with the Rhine (600.000 years ago). During the Middle Ages, the Loreley, along with the Binger Loch, was well known as the most dangerous section of the Rhine. Many mariners in their wooden dinghies came to tragedy here. In St. Goar, directly opposite the Loreley, Saint Goar settled to save shipwrecked mariners and nurse them back to health.
Our morning can start with a great sail along the Lorelei. Lights show us if ships are coming down while our boat sails upstream.
We join the bike path again, pass by pompous castles, and reach Ruedesheim. The Romans already planted their vines here! Stroll through the “Drosselgasse”, famous for its entertaining music and taste some of the wines of this wine village. This tiny old “gasse” is only 144 meters long and has 37.508 paving stones. Visit the Asbach centre, home of Germans Brandy produced locally since 1892. Are you not into brandy? They make some great chocolate as well.
The old town, dating from the Middle Ages, and parts of the city’s fortifications like the Adlerturm (eagle tower) are maintained. Here you will find cosy traditional wine taverns in historic half-timbered houses.
The beautiful stage leads through rolling vineyards and well-known wine villages. The Rhine flows unhurriedly, forming little islands and broadening its bed up to 800 m width! Our destination is Mainz, where the Main River meets the Rhine.
In the afternoon, there will be time to explore this exciting city. Mainz’s inner city is its pride and joy, filled with spacious plazas, lovingly restored -timbered houses and magnificent Baroque-style churches. The ‘Old Town’ has a very charming and warm atmosphere.
We now cycle on the cyclepaths along the Main River to Frankfurt, one of Germany’s largest cities and home to the Frankfurter Messe (Fair), home to fairs since 1240! A Trade-City, home to Banks and Stockmarkets. The city skyline is very contemperary due to these developments and also because of the destruction in the second World War.
Now Frankfurt is home to a many museums located at a special area at the riverside and famous for its annual Buchmesse (Book Fair)
Today’s bike tour leads first to the small and romantic city of Seligenstadt with its windings alleys, wood framed houses, and basilica. After that we cross the Main on a small ferry and we continue through Hanau the town where the famous Grimm Brothers were born. You will find the barge again in Aschaffenburg, with the Johannisburg Palace, located on the banks of the Main River. This castle will be the first thing you see as you enter Aschaffenburg as it is the grandest of all Renaissance palace complexes
t’s time to say goodbye. Your guided tour ends after breakfast. You can leave your luggage on board until lunchtime and visit Aschaffenburg a bit more.
The ship will continue to sail to Miltenberg later this day. If you want to book a longer tour, consider the one from Aschaffenburg to Bamberg—it’s epic!
Stay for at least 3 nights at our luxurious family-run hotel in the little village of Slenaken! It offers more ways to relax and enjoy your holiday. Indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi, outdoor tenniscourt, fitness room, strolling through the village or just enjoying the quiet terraces…..it’s there to enjoy. Rooms are very pleasant, and the chef will serve a nice dinner every night we stay here.
This hotel is a little historic gem, so we have to accept some stairs to get to our rooms. It’s on the nicest spot of the village, and if you like you can enjoy your breakfast on the terrace next to the river that runs through Monschau.
This little town has a lot of shops and in the centre we will find our cosy, well renovated and just right for us town-hotel. We will have a nice diner here.
As an exception to our preferences, this night we will stay in a grand hotel. Luxury and Wellness await us. We’ll have an early check in here, so you can enjoy the facilities of the hotel.
After lunch it’s yours and diner is on your own this night.
Last but not least we will stay in the Trier (area) and enjoy a farewell diner.
One of the best: our comfort plus barge IRIS, sailing since 2005. Fully air-conditioned, lovely front sundeck, lounge and dining-area and self-service Bar. Delicious 3 course dinners and packed lunches. Lots of options at Breakfast.
If you do not feel like cycling you are welcome to stay on board and have a private cruise
Your air-conditioned cabin has two comfortable beds, joint together, and lots of storage (for such a small cabin!). Ensuite your private bathroom
The most spacious way to use the cabin is with beds on both sides, so you have space between the beds.
refurbished in 2020
refurbished in 2020
Perfect to enjoy a cold beer or glass of Pinot Gris from our self-service Bar
Services in detail:
Your tour is prepared for you in the finest of details.
Our most important feature is the presence of 2 guides/tour managers on your tour. During the first half of the tour, one of the guides is driving the van. On the second part of the tour, both guides are biking with you.
Our rates are based on one person, double occupancy of rooms. Please inquire about the single surcharge.
Extra night(s)* in the Netherlands can be arranged on demand
*on availability
Considering hiring an E-bike?
Even though this tour is considered easy, the 2% grade uphill for part of the ride does require some leg and lung effort. If you do not like the word “hill”, please look at our other easy bike tours OR hire an E-bike! You might consider doing this only on the first part of our tour, in the undulating hilly part of the trip.
E-bikes are a great way to do this tour without worrying about the effort it might take. E-bikes are trendy in Europe! They make biking as easy as you like, giving you the exercise and experience you seek. Our e-bike supports you a bit, or more, or a lot. You choose, and you’re still pedalling! It stops when you stop! Save and easy.
The only significant limitation is that an e-bike is heavy, and you must cycle and keep your balance. So, for inexperienced novice cyclists, please practice at home, rent an e-bike, and see if this will work for you!
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