The city of Würzburg lies along the Main River Bike Trail that follows the Main River. The entire trail is 600 kilometers long (about 373 miles), and bikers can choose to ride along the Franconian section where the vineyards and wineries lie.
The Franconian section begins in Gemünden, continues through Würzburg and on to Schweinfurt. Along the way, these major towns and smaller villages such as Kitzingen, Sommerach and Nordheim offer the cyclist plenty of chances to make stops at wineries and restaurants to sample the local wines produced in the region. A map of the Main River Bike Trail is available at the Würzburg Office of Congress, Tourism and Business or on their website.
In addition, the tourism office offers a guided, two-hour tour of the city and wine country near Würzburg for groups that is rated as easy. A group can book this tour by contacting the Würzburg tourism office. Cyclists pedal past Würzburg's famous cathedral, across the Main River and out to the vineyards on flat pathways. The route is 3.7 miles long.
The price of hiring the tour guide does not include bike rental. The tourism office can recommend bicycle rental companies as well. As an alternative, bikers can pick up a map of the trail from the tourism office and guide themselves along the same route.
Würzburg Office of Congress, Tourism and Business
Am Congress Centrum
97070 Würzburg, Germany
011 (+40) 931 37 2335
wuerzburg.de
Velociped operates, among its myriad selections, a cycling wine tour in the well-known Rhine River valley in which visitors take daily rides from their hotel in Neustadt. The bicycle tour company offers a choice of two hotels as well as a choice of degree of difficulty among the routes. Some route options are short and take place on relatively flat terrain, or possibly returning by train from the destination. A more athletic cyclist can choose a longer route with steeper grades.
Actual bike tour loops are self-guided. Velociped provides maps, a service telephone hot line and route markings. The routes are mostly on paved surfaces such as bike trails or country roads away from traffic. Breakfast buffet is included. Bike rental and dinner options are available for an extra charge. Tours are offered from May through mid-September.
Velociped GmbH & Co. KG
Alte Kasseler Str 43
35039 Marburg, Germany
011 (+49) 6421 88689 0
biketoursdirect.com
A unique approach to cycling tours is to spend each night on a boat instead of in a hotel. The EuroSail Travel company offers "bike and barge" tours in multiple countries, including one along the Mosel River in Germany.
Beginning in Koblenz and visiting cities upstream such as Cochem and Trier, the eight-day tour ends in Saarbrücken. Individual tour prices include breakfast on board, a packed lunch, bike rental and tour guide service. Travelers are responsible for drinks on board, entrance fees to any sites visited along the route, meals consumed off the boat, and any other transportation. Boats are available for charter as well.
Guests cycle along the Mosel by day, enjoying the guided tours and tasting the local wine. Each night is spent aboard the boat in a double cabin with private bathroom and central heating.
Eurosail Travel
Postbus 1688
NL-1000 BR Amsterdam, Netherlands
011 (+31) 65143 7444
eurosailtravel.com
