Bike and Barge Heidelberg to Cochem, Neckar, Rhine and Moselle River

Heidelberg, arrival

You are welcome to check in at around 1.30 pm, your cabins will be ready, and we will start with an introduction talk. We will do the bike fitting and we will take you on a city walk.

Heidelberg is certainly worthwhile to be visited for a bit longer, so please consider arriving earlier and booking a hotel so you can explore the city and its castles before the trip starts!

Heidelberg to Worms: cycling 45 k/28 ml

We cycle along the Neckar to one of the oldest cities of Northern Europe, the capital of the Kingdom of the Burgundians in the early fifth century! The Worms Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Romanesque Architecture. Not only Catholic, Worms is also known for its Jewish life in Europe during the Middle Ages, described on the UNESCO world heritage site, along with those in Speyer and Mainz.

Worms to Mainz

Today you follow the course of the Rhine River to Mainz, where the Rhine River and the Main River join. Founded by the Romans in the 1st century as a military fortress, Mainz became an important trading hub in the Holy Roman Empire. During the reign of Charlemagne (768-814), it held a central position in the vast Frankish Empire and played a significant role in the development of Christianity. Mainz is also renowned as the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the movable type printing press and produced the first books, including the Gutenberg Bible, in the city. Despite extensive damage during World War II, many of Mainz’s historic buildings have been reconstructed.

Mainz to Ruedesheim

Today bike paths pass by vineyards 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 produce 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.

Ruedesheim - St. Goar - Boppard - Koblenz

Our morning starts with a great sail downstream the Rhine, through the narrowest part, where the current is high!  Lights show us if ships are
coming down while our ship sails downstream. Lorelei, the siren of Germanic mythology, a beautiful creature, lured the sailors with her tempting songs, so they lost control of their vessel and put it aground. It is, in fact, a steep slate rock on the right bank of the Rhine in the Rhine Gorge. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The IRIS will drop us off at St. Goar; the bike ride first takes you to the ancient city of 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 north of the Alps. Our tour ends in Koblenz, at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. Here we can stroll through the historical centre and have a beer at Deutsches Eck, where an enormous statue overlooks Rhine and Moselle.

Koblenz - Moselle - Burg Eltz - Cochem Walking 2 x 2 km/1,2 ml Cycling 40 km/25 ml.

The IRIS will enter the Moselle, through a lock and drop us off for our ride will 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 beats any other castle. It remained unscathed by wars. It has been owned and cared for by the same family since it was built. Its architecture has no comparison, and many of the original furnishings of the past eight centuries still remain in place. The Treasury and Armoury boast world-class artworks in gold and silver. It towers high on a large rock but is still in a hidden valley. So you understand: we have to go there on foot! After this great visit, we will bike on
afterwards and find our barge docked in Cochem.

Cochem is a very popular wine village that thrives on tourism. Its bars, restaurants and terraces will tempt you to have some nice Moselle wine. In the past famous for its sweet Riesling, you will now find many dry white wines and some red. Some you probably know already, like the Pinot Gris, in German “Grauburgunder”. Prost!

Cochem visit of Burg Cochem and/or Roundtrip to Beilstein/Senheim, 20 k/12ml or 40 k/25 ml

The ship stays in Cochem the whole day, so it is up to you to choose what to do!

After a morning visit to the Burg of Cochem, you can join the guides on a trip to Beilstein, the most picturesque village along the Moselle River. Take the ferry to the other side (9 km/6 ml from Cochem) or continue to Senheim to cross the bridge and cycle back into the heart of the village of Cochem.

In Beilstein, walking up to the convent church of the Carmelites is beautiful to see the black Madonna brought here in the 15th century by Catholic Spaniards during the bloody 30 years of the War of Religion. The peaceful takeover of Beilstein was looked upon as a miracle, so the Virgin was called Queen of Peace. Pilgrims began streaming in, and when the Spanish troops were pushed out, they left the black Madonna behind as a token of the good local relations they had established.

Many stories later, the Madonna is still there, with a group of volunteer women who serve great cakes. Let’s hope they are open for business!

Cochem, time to depart

After breakfast, before 9. am,  it is time to say goodbye!

You can leave the luggage behind, to collect at 11.30 am at the latest.