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Travel report: The Five Rivers Tour for Sporty August 2021
From our guests Almut and Karl-Heinz
Hangman's Bridge Nuremberg
1st bike day from Nuremberg to Berching, approx. 70 km
At 9:15 a.m. sharp, we are ready and start our bike tour full of verve and joy. But it takes a while before we find our way out of Nuremberg. It is not so easy. Every now and then we spot the "5 Rivers Cycle Path" sign, but how it continues on the other side of the road from the big intersection is another story. In any case, we first cycle in circles for half an hour. Finally we ask a construction worker who bends helpfully over my map. Two colleagues join us and the three gentlemen eagerly confer and show us the right way. "That should have been filmed" my husband says laughing. After 10 minutes we have to ask again. A helpful cyclist explains us the further way. After 1.5 hours we finally reach the Main-Danube Canal. Yes, Nuremberg is bigger than I thought. A beautiful stretch along the water makes us marvel: water lilies and marsh marigolds, sometimes lots of algae, decorate the canal. Every few meters a lock. Everything seems quite narrow to me. How did ships fit through there? We are particularly impressed by the lockkeepers' cottages that accompany our way. Most of them are lovingly decorated, one more beautiful than the other. They are true gems: they have been converted into homes with beautiful gardens or into beer gardens where you can linger a while.
A stop at the Schwarzachklamm is a must. We walk a bit into it, but unfortunately there is not enough time for more. Burgthann is not so easy to find. First we cycle too high into the village and find ourselves on the other side of the castle. So back! A great castle complex is worth the detour. Apparently a castle festival takes place here in late summer. I would like to be here.
Back on the Main-Danube Canal, a cutter "Elfriede" lies on the water near Berg. A photo must be taken. A tourist attraction is a trip on the canal. A stop in Neumarkt is mandatory. Here we rest. Now it is only 20 kilometers to Berching. Tired, we finally reach our hotel at 6:30 pm. A nice, winding hotel, we immediately feel at home. The weather held, for cycling it was just right.
2nd bike day from Berching to Regensburg approx. 95 km
After the really good and rich breakfast at the "Hotel Dallmayr" we leave at 8:30 am. After all, there is a long way ahead. How nice that the hotel is located directly on the bike path. Since bad weather is forecast for the whole day, we want to start early. It is still dry, but cloudy. We continue along the canal. Now the APA (archaeological guide) accompanies us. The reconstructed houses from the Iron Age are particularly interesting. Unfortunately, the audio displays do not work at every demonstration site. Too bad! But we are happy to finally drive over tarred roads. This is a real relaxation compared to the gravel roads. There you get quite a jolt. In addition, the roads are full of puddles and mud. Accordingly, our bikes and saddlebags are dirty.
In Essing we sit directly on the Altmühl. Hotel-Gaststätte Schneider prepares us a super delicious lunch. And lo and behold, the sun even makes an appearance. "When angels travel..." We skip the stalactite cave due to time constraints. It is still far and rain threatens. What a pity. The Prunn Castle is impressive. It stands majestically on top of the rock and towers over the Altmühl. Really great. Unfortunately, gravel roads again - too many of them.
In the direction of Regensburg we have to drive partly also roads, which are fortunately not densely traveled. And still a sun-cloud mixture. We arrive also today dry, sweaty and tired in Regensburg. At the hotel we are allowed to hose down the bikes. That is great! Now we can still stand in the sunshine on the Stone Bridge, sit outside to eat. Great! Already two dry bike days, although the weather was announced so bad.
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Prunn castle
3rd bike day from Regensburg to Amberg, approx. 70 km
Our hotel - in the middle of Regensburg in a small alley - looks small from the outside. But you'd be surprised: the bicycles are guided through the hotel entrance to a small courtyard and a bicycle garage. But it is really full. We can even hose down the bikes. The breakfast room is a surprise: a tastefully furnished high room with a ceiling ornament of glass, edged with real gold leaf. A large counter, it seems almost old. After all, the motto here is: old meets modern! Actually a great festive room that invites you to dance.
We want to start early the next day. Again rain threatens us! But as we leave, the sun shines, which pleases us very much. Great that we can ride tarred roads. Yesterday we were rattled enough. We quickly find our way out of Regensburg. It's a great city, we want to go there again, with more time of course.
Mariaort is a great chapel - a gem. Now we drive along the Naab River - beautiful nature. Even the dirt roads are easy to drive - not as bumpy as through the Altmühltal. Then in Kallmünz I am fascinated by the castle high above. The houses clinging directly to the rock are imposing. Especially the "house without a roof". Too bad, we have to go on, as the sky looks pretty black. Hopefully we won't get wet. Here I would also like to go again in peace.
Now we continue along the Vils. First we miss the bridge, so back again. Another half hour and it starts to rain quite suddenly. And it's really funny: We are just at a place where a thick elder tree with a dense crown overhangs the sidewalk, like a dense roof. There we shelter. After 10 minutes the shower is over. We can go on. We stayed dry! In Rieden we have lunch at a camping site. The landlord praises us his Thai cuisine. There is only one guest besides us. But we are hungry and sit down. The food is ok. The host is still raving about the swimming pool that is being rebuilt right next to his restaurant. It is 50 meters long and should be finished next year. He is looking forward to that in the hope that his business will be boosted again after the Corona lockdown. Moving on. Then in Wolfsbach rain again! Another funny coincidence. Exactly at that moment we are next to the fire station, which has a generously covered bench with table. There we make ourselves comfortable and stay dry. This time it pouring out of buckets. Lucky us! After 20 minutes the spook is over. Let´s go on. Today we reach our destination earlier: 3:15 p.m., so we still have plenty of time to take a look at this great town of Amberg. It is really idyllic at the Vils. We enjoy a refreshing drink. At the market place we enjoy the sun. A demonstration against the climate crisis is taking place there. In the evening we go back to the hotel and are happy to have such a nice big room.
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Regensburg
4th bike day from Amberg to Nuremberg, approx. 80 km
A soberly furnished breakfast room with self-service awaits us. Gloves and mask for safety! A really appetizing, beautifully arranged breakfast buffet is arranged. Everything very tasty, except for the rolls, which are a bit soft and crusty. So I prefer the good bread. Again early in the saddle it goes off with sunshine. It should rain only against 16.00 o'clock. Fortunately asphalt, but along the busy road. I like that less. But we are rewarded in Salzbach-Rosenberg: a beautiful old town with a great castle. Now further we can cycle paths or little traveled country roads. Beautiful landscape and picturesque villages surprise us. Great are the large sunflower fields. This is really one of the most beautiful parts of the whole route. In Weigendorf we make another stop. The beer garden with large chestnut trees is located directly on the road and invites us to linger. We fortify ourselves before continuing. Often along the Danube, soon along the Pegnitz. A very beautiful valley. In Lauf we are guided through the town. It's quite nice, but we didn't really want that. Meanwhile we are in a hurry. From 14.00 o'clock it is supposed to rain in Nuremberg. Now we step up a gear. The path leads us next to a busy road. We cycle as fast as we can. Exactly at the city limit sign of Nuremberg it begins to rain. That was timed. At a small shelter we have to put on our rain gear for the first time on the whole tour. Now still through the city. Also this time it is not so easy: construction sites, get lost, turn around......and then we end up in the middle of a DEMO! In the old town we go first of all in the wrong direction, as it should be ;-) Exhausted, wet, but satisfied, we finally arrive at the familiar hotel.
The tour was beautiful, sometimes exhausting. The organization was great, the hotels were well chosen. Next time I would choose shorter stages to have more time for sightseeing. About 50 km per day is enough.
