Travel report: The Five Rivers Tour for sports enthusiasts from August 2021

1st cycling day from Nuremberg to Berching, approx. 70 km

At 9.15 am, we are ready and set off on our bike tour full of enthusiasm and joy. But it takes us a while to get out of Nuremberg. It's not that easy. Every now and then we spot the "5 Rivers Cycle Route" sign, but how it continues on the other side of the big crossroads is another matter. In any case, we cycle in circles for half an hour. Finally, we ask a construction worker, who bends over my map helpfully. Two colleagues join us and the three gentlemen eagerly discuss and point us in the right direction. "That should have been filmed," my husband says with a laugh. After 10 minutes, we have to ask again. A helpful cyclist explains the way ahead. After 1.5 hours, we finally reach the Main-Danube Canal. Yes, Nuremberg is bigger than I thought. A beautiful stretch along the water amazes us: water lilies and marsh marigolds, sometimes with lots of algae, adorn the canal. A lock every few meters. Everything seems quite narrow to me. How did ships fit through? We are particularly impressed by the lockkeepers' cottages that accompany our route. Most of them are lovingly restored, one more beautiful than the next. True gems: converted into homes with great gardens or beer gardens to linger in.

A stop at the Schwarzachklamm Gorge is a must. We hike into it for a while, but unfortunately, there's not enough time for more. Burgthann is not that easy to find. We first cycle too high up into the town and find ourselves on the other side of the castle. So back we go! A great castle complex is worth the detour. Apparently, there is a castle festival here in late summer. I would love to be here.

Back on the Main-Danube Canal, a cutter "Elfriede" is moored on the water near Berg. A photo is a must. A trip on the canal is a tourist attraction. A stop in Neumarkt is a must. We take a rest here. Now it's 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 out, it was just right for cycling.

2nd cycling day from Berching to Regensburg approx. 95 km

After a really good and hearty breakfast at the Hotel Dallmayr, we set off at 8.30 am. We have a long way to go. It's nice that the hotel is right on the cycle path. As the weather forecast for the whole day is bad, we want to set off early. It's still dry, but cloudy. We continue along the canal. Now we are accompanied by the APA (archaeological...). The reconstructed houses from the Iron Age are particularly interesting. Unfortunately, the audio displays don't work at every demonstration point. What a pity! We are happy to finally be driving on paved roads. This is a real relief compared to the gravel roads. You really get shaken up. What's more, the paths are full of puddles and mud. Our bikes and saddlebags are correspondingly dirty.

In Essing, we sit right by the Altmühl. Hotel-Gaststätte Schneider prepares a delicious lunch for us. And lo and behold, the sun even makes an appearance. "When angels travel..." We skip the stalactite cave to save time. It's still a long way to go and rain is threatening. Too bad. 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 also have to ride on roads that are fortunately not very busy. And still a mixture of sun and clouds. We arrive in Regensburg dry, sweaty and tired. We are allowed to hose down our bikes at the hotel. That's great! Now we can stand on the Stone Bridge in the sunshine and sit outside to eat. Great! Two dry cycling days already, even though the weather forecast was so bad.

3rd cycling 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 bikes are guided through the hotel entrance to a small courtyard and a bike garage. But it's really full. We can even hose down the bikes. The breakfast room is a surprise: a tastefully furnished, high-ceilinged room with a glass ceiling ornament framed with real gold leaf. A large counter, it looks almost old. It's a case of old meets modern! It's actually a great party room that invites you to dance.

Now we get away again in good time. Another threat of rain! But as we set off, the sun is shining, which makes us very happy. It's great that we can ride on paved roads. Yesterday we had been 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 cycle along the Naab - beautiful nature. Even the unpaved paths are easy to ride - 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 impressive. Especially the "house without a roof". It's a pity we have to push on, as the sky looks pretty black. Hopefully we won't get wet. I would like to go here again in peace and quiet.

Now we continue along the Vils. First we miss the bridge, so we head back. Another half an hour and it starts to rain quite suddenly. And it's really funny: we're at a spot where a thick elder tree with a dense crown towers over the sidewalk like a thick roof. We take shelter there. After 10 minutes, the shower is over. We can go on. We have stayed dry! We have lunch at a campsite in Rieden. The landlord praises his Thai cuisine. There is only one other guest apart from us. But we are hungry and sit down. The food is ok. The landlord raves about the swimming pool that is being rebuilt right next to his restaurant. It's 50 meters long and should be finished next year. He is looking forward to it in the hope that his business will pick up again after the coronavirus lockdown.

Onward we go. Then rain again in Wolfsbach! Another funny coincidence. Right at that moment, we find ourselves next to the fire station, which has a generously covered bench with a table. We make ourselves comfortable there and stay dry. This time it's pouring with rain. Lucky us! After 20 minutes the spook is over. We carry on. Today we reach our destination earlier: 3.15 p.m., so we still have plenty of time to see this great town of Amberg. It's really idyllic along the Vils. We take it easy with a refreshing drink. We enjoy the sun on the market square. A demonstration against the climate crisis is taking place there. In the evening, we head back to the hotel and are delighted that we have such a nice big room to stay in.

4th cycling day from Amberg to Nuremberg, approx. 80 km

A soberly furnished breakfast room with self-service awaits us. Gloves and masks for safety! A really appetizing, beautifully arranged breakfast buffet is laid out. Everything is delicious, except for the bread rolls, which are a bit soft and crusty. So I prefer the good bread. Back in the saddle early, we set off in the sunshine. It's not supposed to rain until around 16:00. Luckily it's asphalt, but along a busy road. I like that less. But we are rewarded in Salzbach-Rosenberg: a beautiful old town with a great castle. Now we can cycle further along paths or country roads with little traffic. We are surprised by the beautiful landscape and picturesque villages. The large fields of sunflowers are great. This really is one of the most beautiful parts of the entire route. We make another stop in Weigendorf. The beer garden with its large chestnut trees is right 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 that's not really what we wanted. By now we are in a hurry. It's supposed to start raining in Nuremberg at 2 pm. Now we step it up a gear. The route takes us alongside a busy road. We cycle as fast as we can. It starts to rain just as we reach the sign at the entrance to Nuremberg. That was well-timed. At a small shelter, we have to put on our rain gear for the first time on the whole tour. Now through the city. It's not quite so easy this time either: roadworks, getting lost, turning back......and then we end up in the middle of a DEMO! In the old town, we first drive in the wrong direction, as we should :) Exhausted, wet but satisfied, we finally arrive at our familiar hotel.
The tour was great, but sometimes exhausting. The organization was great, the hotels were well chosen. Next time I would choose shorter stages to have more time for sightseeing. Around 50 km a day is enough.