If you want to visit all 16 federal states by bike, you have to cover at least 1,700 kilometres in purely mathematical terms. However, road cyclists only get beautiful roads, little traffic and interesting spots if they go the extra mile. Our reporter cycled almost 2,500 kilometres in 24 stages, which can be divided into the following regions:
The north - wonderfully lonely, sometimes impassable
North-west of Berlin, people and small roads are few and far between. That's why you should plan your food and accommodation in advance until you reach the end of Mecklenburg. The rare spontaneous encounters are all the warmer because the people are open-minded and easy-going. After the hill intermezzo in the Holstein Switzerland detours to the former zonal border create just as much variety as the cultivated land along the Elbeall the way to the Weser. Bremen's BlocklandBremen, a district characterised by agriculture, is an insider tip for the rest of Germany - and can be extended with detours to Teufelsmoor. After Bremen, the tour leads through Lower Saxonythe second largest federal state. "Low" is to be taken literally there, the land is flat and wide. Only in the south of Lower Saxony does the Wiehen Mountains into the long overdue cradle kick.
The west - through the green mountains, away from the metropolises
On the edge of the Ruhr region you can get rid of your preconceptions about the most populous federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Rural landscapes and idyllic river valleys await you there - and plenty of challenges for your thighs. First, the route leads through the Sauerlandthen (in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse) by Westerwald and Taunus. After that, behind the former Roman Limes, you can look forward to a gentler landscape: Vines as far as the hills can reach. After all, the Romans were the first to cut down forests in the Rhineland, sowing the seeds for a good way of life. In the Palatinate, the forest density is increasing again and the Bliesgau biosphere reserve can be considered Saarland's little green cycling heaven. It would be a shame to miss the detour to the Northern Vosges to leave out.
The south - geographical highlights and small-town pilgrimages
In the Northern Black Forest those who want to climb properly on a tour of Germany will get their money's worth on the so-called Kaltenbronner Wand (ascent to the Schwarzmiss, 750 metres in altitude in one go). Which is not to say that the hills between the Black Forest and Swabian Alb less energy-sapping. In the urban sprawl of Stuttgart it is important not to let the crazy traffic flows spoil your driving pleasure by skilfully choosing your route. On the other side of the Neckar, where the route heads straight for Bavaria the colourful, dense mix of small towns and tiny hamlets is relaxing, but your legs will ache because of the countless, poisonous climbs. In Franconia (Bavaria), the relief becomes gentler, there are plenty of places to stop for refreshments and life is leisurely. Rugged valleys then await in the southernmost terrain of the former GDR: the Thuringian Slate Mountains is a fascinating, unrecognised beauty.
The East - partly rugged, but with its own charms
In Saxony small-scale relief mixes with mature culture. In the Vogtland for example, it's worth stopping off in rustic Plauen. Behind it, the low mountain ranges breathe their last, the area around Leipzig is flatter than the moraine-rich north of Germany, but has huge lakes - where giant excavators once dug coal. On the Elbe side, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Gartenreich Dessau-Wörlitz and the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site of Lutherstadt Wittenberg. North of the river, the route leads through areas where the hottest summer temperatures in Germany are measured: almost 40 degrees in the shade in 2019. Towards BerlinBrandenburg greener, but also busier. The journey into the German capital on the Wall Route from the south-east is quiet and comfortable. In the lively city centre, the only thing that counts after a country trip is the double package of pride and joy at having completed all 16 federal states.
