By road bike on the German Alpine Road - German Alpine Road: 4-day tour for road cyclists
Unbekannt
· 30.09.2015
The German Alpine Road is the epitome of concentrated tourist attractions. Every year, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the route between Lake Constance and Königssee: busloads of Japanese, weekenders, families, pensioners - all visiting Neuschwanstein Castle, the Wieskirche church and St Bartholomä. However, the tarmac road that connects some of the most beautiful spots in the Allgäu and Upper Bavaria is mainly reserved for motorised traffic - cyclists are directed to the Lake Constance-Königssee cycle path, which winds its way north of the Alpine road through the foothills of the Alps. But I didn't want to look at the mountains from a distance. My motto is: more metres in altitude, but as little car terror as possible.
The lower part of the Königssträßchen road is a tough climb and fulfils this requirement perfectly, as the narrow asphalt road bypasses the busier, well-developed, boring Oberjoch Pass. On the morning of the second day, however, I can't escape the pull of the Alpine road - or rather its sights. Neuschwanstein Castle is on the route plan. Despite my early start, I am swamped by a flood of Chinese people below the castle, five busloads wash up in front of King Ludwig's fairytale castle. The Asians are frantically waving their mobile phones and cameras around, trying to get the best shot. In front of the group, a yellow umbrella sticks up from the arm of a tour guide, which is supposed to keep the crowd under control - but it doesn't work. I stand in the stream of people, am surrounded and asked what I'm doing here on my bike? "Basically the same as you," I reply. The tourists are amazed and pull out their cameras again, following the motto: Neuschwanstein Castle in the haze is better than Neuschwanstein Castle in the haze with a cyclist. Flashes ...
You can download the entire travel report and the GPS data for these tours below:
- Day 1: Lindau - Füssen (101 kilometres, 1,650 metres in altitude, max. 18 % gradient)
- Day 2: Füssen - Rottach-Egern (137 kilometres, 1,560 metres in altitude, max. 19% gradient)
- Day 3: Rottach-Egern - Reit im Winkl (109 kilometres, 1,450 metres in altitude, max. 13 % gradient)
- Day 4: Reit im Winkl - Königssee (67 kilometres, 1,100 metres in altitude, max. 10 % gradient)
