Jonas Brzenczek leans into the bend almost like a motorcyclist. He starts on the outside, brakes late, leans into the bend with a lot of feeling, defies the centrifugal forces and then accelerates again at the exit of the bend - until the next hairpin bend, which he takes just as quickly. After just two hairpin bends, he has made a small gap on his mate Phil and me and soon disappears from our field of vision. "This descent is my highlight," he beams at the bottom, where we catch up with him again. "Great hairpin bends - and what a view! When the sun is a little lower here, it's endlessly beautiful."
How he managed to find time to take a look at the Moselle valley at this speed remains his secret. But it's true: The hairpin bends of the district road 72 near Brodenbach are so beautiful that we drive up again to enjoy the view. From the Hubertushöhe, our gaze wanders over the narrow Moselle valley. A barge sails silently along the river, further back a colourful goods train meanders through the valley, which winds picturesquely into a loop between Löf and Brodenbach. On the opposite side, the bright green of the vineyards shines brightly. Shortly afterwards, the idyll of the postcard motif is broken by the loud roar of a motorbike being expertly manoeuvred into a bend by its rider. Unfortunately, you are rarely alone in such beautiful places...
Cycle tour Koblenz: Lots of cycling on the Moselle and Rhine
Unless, of course, the villages are somewhat hidden. If you leave the hustle and bustle of the Moselle valley in a south-westerly direction, it suddenly becomes quieter. The dreamy country roads of the Hunsrück are like an invitation to road cyclists: ride through my dense forests, climb over my sunlit plateaus and rush down into the green valley cuts! A nice mixture of climbing and relaxed cruising awaits us. The three of us cross small settlements called Beulich, Karbach and Rheinbay, which consist of half-timbered houses, stone churches and farms. Jonas shows me his new racing bike home together with his team and work colleague Phil Peitzmeier. As a North German with a penchant for mountains, he didn't have to think twice when he received a job offer from Koblenz.
Despite all the anticipation, the move from Schleswig-Holstein to the Moselle and Rhine was one thing above all for the Lübeck native: "It was a bit of a shock when I drove up the mountains here for the first time with my North German translation. It only took seven days, then I changed my cassette," says the 28-year-old with a grin. He has now settled in well and appreciates the advantages of the region.
"There are many more cyclists, clubs and races here in the area than in Lübeck. And you have many more opportunities to ride together and meet people," says Jonas, who develops racing bike frames as an engineer for the Koblenz-based bike manufacturer Canyon - and likes to subject them to extensive test rides in the Eifel and Hunsrück. "I can ride uphill for 15 to 20 minutes and train on the descents. I can use both, because I'm currently preparing for the Ötztal Cycle Marathon."
Long climbs
Of course, the climbs around Koblenz are not quite as long as the Tyrolean and South Tyrolean climbs in the Ötztal to Kühtai, Jaufenpass or Timmelsjoch, but they are also challenging. In Boppard, down by the Rhine, a seven kilometre long and on average five per cent steep path begins up to Pfaffenheck. We've already been winding our way up the mountain for 20 minutes, but the crest is still nowhere in sight. Sweat is dripping onto the handlebars and the bottles are as good as empty. "In summer, you have to plan exactly where to refuel beforehand," Phil admits next to me with a smile and adds: "On Sundays and public holidays, when the shops are closed, there are few opportunities to stop for a drink in the sparsely populated areas."
This applies all the more to the Eifel, which begins north-west of the Moselle and promises even more metres in altitude. We cycle to the Eifel the next day. Most Eifel tours that start in Koblenz begin or end with a detour through the vineyards, including our tour. Phil shows me his favourite path through the vines: the educational wine trail near Winningen. Flat, golden evening light falls on the vineyard at the end of our trip, giving it a Mediterranean feel. A narrow, mostly tarmac path leads up the hill between the vines, a couple cheerfully toasting us with glasses of wine.
The castle tour through the Eifel (Tour 3) that Phil has put together is similarly romantic. Firstly, there is the village of Monreal, where red and white half-timbered houses from the 15th century nestle close together, with the ruins of Löwenburg and Philippsburg castles towering high above. A picturesque, fairytale-like setting that has won the village several prizes in the "Our village has a future" competition. Later, high above the Moselle, we pass the Reichsburg Cochem, one of the most visited attractions in the region.
Highlights on the tours
However, Phil has saved the most beautiful castle in the region for the end of the tour: Eltz Castle. A place that could be described as "instagrammable" in social media parlance. This is because Eltz Castle, advertised as a "fairytale made of stone", is the perfect medieval photo motif with its eight residential towers up to 35 metres high, cobbled driveway and secluded location in the middle of the forest. However, you are not alone in this assessment...
Not alone - this also applies to the start and end of our tours. They all begin and end at the Deutsches Eck, the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. You have to make your way there slowly and carefully, especially at weekends. Large groups of tourists, families and children playing line the square in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument, which was erected in 1897 in monumental style and is one of Germany's national monuments. A few metres away, a cable car takes visitors across the Rhine up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress - with spectacular views of Koblenz's old town and the two rivers. This ensemble has brought Koblenz a real tourism boom: the city of 115,000 inhabitants counted 900,000 overnight stays in 2023, an increase of 20 per cent compared to 2019.
Relaxed cycling with the Race Vélo Club
"The importance of tourism in Koblenz has increased significantly, not least since the Federal Horticultural Show in 2011," I learn from Johannes Bruchhof, spokesman for Koblenz Touristik. The boom has brought the city new jobs in the hospitality industry. Numerous festivals and wine festivals have brought additional guests to the city. I can also see this at the Deutsches Eck, where my tours with Jonas and Phil begin and where a growing group of racing cyclists meet every Wednesday evening between May and September. For example, the Race Vélo Club invites cyclists to take part in after-work rides - short, crisp rides of 40 to 60 kilometres that anyone can sign up for, including visitors. "Good time instead of best time" is the motto of the group, which recognisably wants to be one thing above all: relaxed.
No club bureaucracy, no snore-inducing annual general meetings - just fun cycling. "When I started cycling, I was looking for a club where I didn't have to make a big commitment. I didn't find what I was looking for. So I started something myself," explains club founder Dustin Streeck. Together with a few friends, the designer collected routes and created a website. They then started the after-work rounds during the coronavirus period. "We had a real boom right away. We grew quickly," recalls Streeck.
Cycle tour Koblenz: Excursion to the Taunus
Up to 60 people now take part in the trips, which start at the Deutsches Eck and also lead to the right bank of the Rhine: sometimes to the beautiful spa town of Bad Ems on the Lahn, sometimes north to the Westerwald and sometimes south to the Taunus. Taunus? That sounds more like Großer Feldberg and the Rhine-Main region. However, the low mountain range extends as far west as Koblenz. Dustin Streeck lives there, knows his way around and gave me a few route tips along the way.
His route takes me through fragrant meadows and flowering fields, across plateaus and repeatedly into small wooded areas. The area is as lonely as the Hunsrück, I hardly meet a car. The wind plays with the tall grasses beside the road, making them sway back and forth like the waves of the sea. On the horizon, the lush green blends with the yellow of the blossoming rape. A blue sky stretches above, dotted with a few white clouds. A landscape like an impressionist painting. I take this picture home with me.
Information about the cycle tour in Koblenz
Journey
Railway: Koblenz is well connected, less than an hour's journey from Cologne by EC or IC train; the bicycle parking spaces are quickly fully booked, especially at weekends. From Frankfurt it is an hour and a half by ICE to Koblenz, from Stuttgart around two and a half hours.
Best time to travel
May to October. The climate in the Rhine and Moselle valleys is generally mild, but it can still be cool in the neighbouring low mountain ranges in spring and autumn. Koblenz is well visited all year round, with particularly large numbers of visitors travelling through the city on long weekends and in midsummer. On sunny weekends, cyclists have to share some Eifel and Hunsrück routes with motorbike groups.
Accommodation
Koblenz Ghotel: Centrally located near the main railway station, good, extensive breakfast, clean and modern rooms. Plus a large underground car park. Double room from 134 euros, breakfast per person 18 euros. Telephone: 02 61/2 00 24 50
Food and drink
Vineyards surround the city, winegrowers and wineries line our cycle routes - in short: there's no getting round wine here. Whether in a restaurant in the evening, at a wine tasting or at one of the many wine festivals at the weekend - there are numerous opportunities to sample regional wine. On the Moselle, it is mainly Riesling, as well as Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc and Elbling. Wineries such as those run by Markus Molitor or Johann Josef Prüm are known far beyond the region.
The cuisine accompanying the wine is surprisingly hearty: for example, Döbbekoche, consisting of potatoes, eggs, onions and savoury bacon, which you can try at the Roter Ochsen in Rhens or at the Kaffeewirtschaft am Münzplatz in Koblenz. Or Eifeler Schrottele, a filling meal made from similar ingredients that used to tide people over the winter. Kowelenzer Gedämpte is also based on steamed potatoes with bacon and onions.
Restaurant tips
Old brewery Koblenz
Meat-heavy: snacks such as the Brauhaus kettle soup with hearty goulash or the spicy gherkin start things off, after which you can try a Brauhaus ring with sauerkraut and mash, Krüstchen or even the large meat platter, provided you are hungry and have a calorie deficit. Telephone: 02 61/1 33 03 77
Gerhards Genussgesellschaft
Warm frittata primavera with tartar sauce and wild boar ham, fillet of hake with parmesan foam, asparagus risotto and confit cherry tomatoes - sounds good? Gerhards Genussgesellschaft serves upscale, creative cuisine in a restaurant with a vaulted ceiling and terrace. Booking required. Telephone: 02 61/91 49 91 33
Don't miss it!
Stolzenfels Castle
The castle is enthroned like a fairytale on a rock opposite the mouth of the Lahn on the left bank of the Rhine above the district of the same name. Some see the light-coloured, neo-Gothic building as the epitome of Rhine Romanticism. The complex dates back to a customs castle, which was later destroyed and only converted into a palace at the beginning of the 19th century by the Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm. Today, the castle grounds, including the landscaped park, where you can experience 19th century residential culture, can be reached on foot via a winding path from the Stolzenfels district.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
If you want, you can cycle up to the fortress, but the cable car is a more relaxed and spectacular option. From the Deutsches Eck, you float over the Rhine up to the castle, which was built in the 16th century. Formerly the residence of the Electors of Trier, it was blown up by French revolutionary troops and then rebuilt by the Prussians until 1828. Today, the fortress houses the Koblenz State Museum, the Koblenz Youth Hostel and various administrative offices. A landscaped park and the viewing platform invite you to take a stroll and enjoy the view over the Rhine and Moselle.
Tip: In summer, Café Hahn organises all kinds of cultural events up in the fortress and down in the town in the café. Make sure you book early as some events sell out quickly.
Cycling events
VulkanBike Eifel Marathon
Gravel race over 139 kilometres and 3400 metres in altitude with start and finish in Daun, half an hour's drive from Koblenz. The race on 7 September 2024 is embedded in an MTB event and, as in the previous year, will be held as the German Gravel Championships.
RVC Across Valleys
RTF from Koblenz into the Westerwald and Taunus. Routes: 92 or 122 kilometres with plenty of elevation gain. No race, no route closures, but refreshment stations along the way and at the finish. Next event: Spring 2025.
Bike service
- Canyon Factory Service. Phone: 02 61/94 90 30 00
- BICYCLE XXL FRANCE. Phone: 02 61/91 50 50
Literature and maps
- Travel guide: Reise Know-how "CityTrip Koblenz", travel guide with city map and free web app, Reise Know-how 2024; 15.95 euros.
- Map: ADFC regional map "Middle Rhine Valley - Koblenz, Bonn, Mainz", 1:75,000, with GPS track download, BVA BikeMedia 2021; 9.95 euros.
More info
- Koblenz-Touristik. Phone: 02 61/1 29-16 10
- Information about cycling: koblenz.de/environment-and-planning/mobility/cycling-in-koblenz
Tour character
All our tours start at the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz. Sometimes flat and fast through the Moselle valley, then climbing through the Eifel and Hunsrück, sometimes relaxed through the foothills of the Taunus and Westerwald or marvelling from castle to castle - the region around Koblenz offers much of what road cyclists could wish for. The landscape is sometimes picturesque and dreamy, such as in the sparsely populated area south of the Lahn, and sometimes spectacular and literally breathtaking, as in the steep ups and downs along the Moselle.
Our tours also offer great views of old villages and fortresses along the Rhine and Moselle and lead away from the rather busy river valleys, up into quiet forests and onto sunlit plateaus. Most of the paths and roads are in good condition, although some places in the Hunsrück and Eifel are bumpy. Wider tyres, which allow less air pressure, provide more comfort and traction there. In the lonely rural regions, you should plan breaks in good time to top up your bottles.
Orientation
Koblenz, which can look back on 2000 years of history, is located at the northern end of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, which was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO in 2002. Four low mountain ranges frame the region: the Eifel in the west, the Hunsrück in the south, the Westerwald in the north-east and the Taunus in the south-east. With 115,000 inhabitants, Koblenz is not exactly one of the largest cities in western Germany, but is becoming increasingly popular with visitors: The city counts well over half a million overnight stays every year. The Deutsches Eck, the city's landmark where the Moselle flows into the Rhine, can get correspondingly crowded. The two rivers also characterise the landscape of the region - sometimes as wide valleys, sometimes as deep gorges. There are also picturesque vineyards on the banks of the river, which often offer spectacular views.
Four tours around Koblenz
Tour 1: Vineyards and Hunsrück heights
- 125 kilometres
- 1760 metres altitude
- maximum gradient of 13
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After 20 relaxed kilometres of rolling along the Moselle, a short detour towards Münstermaifeld follows before we cross the Moselle and turn into the northern Hunsrück in Brodenbach - the short detour to Hubertushöhe is optional, but worth it for the great view over the Moselle valley. The route continues westwards over constantly changing, mostly open terrain and we continue to gain metres in altitude. We reach the Rhine Valley in Boppard - and leave it again straight away for another climb into the Hunsrück. A great end to the tour: uphill along the educational wine trail near Winningen, which gives us a beautiful view over the Moselle valley in return for a few beads of sweat.
Rest tip
Café Jung in Emmelshausen (54.9 km): Well-stocked café with sandwiches, delicious cakes, vegan pastries and even ice cream. Telephone: 0 67 47/9 53 90 10
Tour 2: Lahntal and Taunus
- 79 kilometres
- 1400 metres altitude
- maximum 19 % gradient
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From Koblenz to the Westerwald and Taunus - all in one tour. We cross the Pfaffendorf Bridge and ride below Ehrenbreitstein Fortress to Arenberg Monastery, from where the route climbs steadily uphill to Eitelborn. The detour through the forests and fields of the Westerwald remains a short one, because at Bad Ems we shoot back down into the Lahn Valley, which separates the Westerwald and Taunus. The spa town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and invites you to take a break.
The subsequent short ride through the Lahn Valley leads along the busy main road due to the lack of a continuous tarmac cycle path. In Nassau, there is an optional detour and endurance test up to the castle of the same name (600 metres with an average gradient of 15 percent), before the long climb up to Oberwies follows. The most beautiful part of the tour through the dreamy villages of the northern Taunus begins at the top. After the speedy descent down to Braubach, another climb demands the last of your energy as you bypass Lahnstein, where bridge construction work leads to long and annoying traffic jams.
Rest tip
Gasthof zum Goldenen Fass in Nassau (km 33.1): From spit roast and steak to pasta and salads, this cosy inn offers a wide selection. Closed between 2 and 5.30 pm. Telephone: 01 62/6 80 14 66
Tour 3: Castle tour in the Eifel
- 150 kilometres
- 1860 metres altitude
- Maximum gradient of 12 %
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An equally long and beautiful tour into the Eifel. After 20 flat kilometres along the Moselle, the route climbs gently for 16 kilometres from Dreckenach. After a few more ups and downs, it is worth taking a look up to the ruins of the Löwensburg and Philippsburg castles in the picturesque half-timbered village of Monreal. The route continues through the Elzbachtal valley before the road leads to the highest point of the tour in Laubach (549 metres). Passing the Büchel airbase, we then rush down into the Moselle valley with a fantastic view of Cochem and its picturesque Reichsburg castle, one of the region's most popular destinations.
After a short but strenuous detour south of the Moselle, we cross the river again at Treis-Karden and cycle to Münstermaifeld. An imposing collegiate church awaits us there and - if we are still in shape - an optional detour to Eltz Castle, which is the epitome of a medieval knight's castle with its residential towers, oriels, roofs, half-timbering and spires. It is a ten kilometre round trip from Münstermaifeld to the castle, but the path is steep.
Rest tip
Sabrina's kitchen in Cochem (at kilometre 80.3 on the right): Family-run bistro with cakes, fresh waffles, sandwiches or a tasty soup at fair prices. Telephone: 0 26 71/82 01
Tour 4: Short Moselle tour
- 73 kilometres
- 650 metres altitude
- maximum 9 % gradient
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The tour is based on after-work laps organised by the Koblenz Race Vélo Club. It is short and enjoyable, were it not for the two longer climbs. First up the Rhine to Rhens, from there 260 metres in altitude up into the northern Hunsrück to Waldesch. After Mariaroth, near the 61 motorway, the route turns left at kilometre 22 onto an inconspicuous but continuously asphalted country lane, which opens up the vineyards of Niederfell - including a great view of the Moselle. We follow the Moselle southwards before turning into the Schrumpftal valley in Hatzenport. A gentle ascent leads through the greenery, accompanied by 15 mills along the way. Via Münstermaifeld and the Moselle valley, the route leads back flat to the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz.
Rest tip
Brachtendorf winery in Alken (km 30.9): Regional cuisine such as Moselle sausage salad, winegrower's soup, tarte flambée or Riesling cheese with music is served in the winegrower's parlour and on the wine terrace with a view of the Moselle. And in addition to wines, Secco or sparkling wine, there are of course also non-alcoholic drinks. Telephone: 0 26 05/28 05
