Name: Wein Radreise (Wine Bike Trip)
Trail type: Long distance trail; mostly hard-packed gravel or paved, well maintained and mostly marked.
Length: about 194 kilometers/120 miles
Convenient to: Heilbronn, or Wuerzburg, Germany
Marking: White stylized bicyclist with a wine glass on green background
Trail Description: This is a long distance trail over hill and through dale, meadows and woods, passing through or near several sites and municipalities along Germany’s Romantic Road (Romantische Strasse), the famous car self-guided itinerary, as well as many lesser-known wine villages. It passes through three different German wine regions. It often follows the Tauber River downstream to the Main River, on one of the more popular long-distance bike trails in Germany.
Trailhead(s):
Niederstetten, Hauptstrasse, in old town center
Rothenburg/Tauber: Bahnhof (Train Station) (My start point)
Weikersheim: Hauptstrasse x Marktplatz
Markelsheim: on the Tauber Bridge at Obere Wasen
Bad Mergentheim: In front of the Deutschordens Museum, on Burgstrasse
Lauda: Bahnhofstr x Pfarrstrasse
Wertheim: Obere Eichelstrasse (My end point)
Kreuzwertheim: Mainpromenade
Miltenberg: Ziegelgasse
Parking Possibilities:
Niederstetten: Limited options on weekdays (a 2 hour maximum), long-term parking possible after 1300, on Saturdays, and all day Sunday at a circa 20-car lot near the intersection of Rathausgasse and Hauptstrasse
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Ten or so spots used by hikers at Vorbachstrasse and Taubertalweg; right on the trail
Weikersheim: Tauberwiesen Parking Lot, a large lot off the traffic circle on August Laukhuff Strasse, slightly off the trail
Creglingen: Large lot close to central bus station, at Schlosserbuck x Kieselweg
Markelsheim: Large lot off Engelsbergstrasse, by the Feuerwehr (firestation), only a few yards from the trail
Bad Mergentheim: Large lot off Schwimmbadstrasse, slightly off the trail, but could be problematic during the summer pool-season
Lauda: Underground parking at the Rathaus – but it may have time limits, although I didn’t see any posted.
Wertheim: Large lot at Untere Leberklinge, near the pedestrian bridge over the Tauber, but time limits (3 hours) Monday-Friday.
Kreuzwertheim: About 20 spots at Junkergasse x Fahrgasse
Buergstadt: Many designated parking spots along Josef-Ulrich Strasse
Restrooms:
Rothenburg/Tauber: Schrannenplatz
Creglingen: Schlosserbuck x Kieselweg
Weikersheim: Marktplatz, in the back of the Rathaus (small fee)
Bad Mergentheim: Kurpark; Marktplatz (underground); Schlossgarten – at the large entrance gate
Lauda: Rathausstrasse, by the Rathaus, underground, and closed after 7 p.m.
Wertheim: Bus Stands next to Train Station on Bahnhofstrasse; by the parking garage on Rathausgasse
Public Transportation Options:
Bus: Regional busline is VehrkehrsGesellschaft Main-Tauber (VGMT). See http://www.vgmt.de/
Rail: A convenient regional train, the Taubertalbahn, connects Wertheim, Bad Mergentheim, Markelsheim and Weikersheim, among others, about every hour. Check the Deutsche Bahn site.
Suggested Stages:
- Niederstetten – Rothenburg o.d.T. circa 28 km/17.5 miles
- Rothenburg o.d.T. – Markelsheim circa 46 km/28.5 miles
- Markelsheim – Lauda circa 33 km/20.5 miles
- Lauda – Wertheim circa 40 km/25 miles
- Wertheim – Kreuzwertheim circa 36 km/22 miles
- Kreuzwertheim – Miltenberg circa 33 km/20.5 miles
Reference Points on Trail/Itinerary:
Cities: Niederstetten; Heimberg; Heiligenbronn; Rothenburg; Creglingen; Bieberehren; Roettingen; Weikersheim; Tauberettersheim; Markelsheim; Igersheim, Bad Mergentheim; Koenigshofen; Unterschuepf; Oberschuepf; Beckstein; Lauda; Tauberbischofsheim (outskirts); Koenigheim; Kuelsheim; Bronnbach; Reicholzheim; Wertheim; Urphar; Lindelbach; Dietenhan; Kembach; Dertingen; Homburg; (Edge of Triefenstein); Trennfeld; Kreuzwertheim; Hasloch; Faulbach; Dorfprozelten, Collenberg; Freundenberg; Buergstadt; Miltenberg
Representative Trail Photos:
Attractions (along the trail):
Many wineries right along the trail inform and delight wine enthusiasts, but additionally:
Rothenburg: a jewel of a late medieval setting within wonderfully preserved town wall
Creglingen: a large altar by famous 15c wood sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider
Weikersheim: Castle and beautiful gardens on the grounds
Bad Mergentheim: Home to the Order of the Teutonic Knights, the castle-church-dormitory complex, now a museum, is well-preserved and offers insight to the history of the order.
Beckstein: The cooperative cellar has a good exhibition on the wines of the area.
Wertheim: Medieval castle with dramatic views of the Main and Tauber rivers
Miltenberg: Picturesque, historic town center on the Main River
Tasting along the Trail: Plenty of wine bars in towns, and wineries (especially by Markelsheim, Beckstein, and Buergstadt)
Alternative options:
Walking: Much of the trail along the river offers easy, flat walking on pavement.
Running: This entire trail was suitable for running.
Biking: For a flatter alternative along the river, follow the award-winning Liebliches Taubertal Radweg the entire way from Rothenburg. (This avoids some of the hills around Lauda Koenigshafen, and the hilly segment east of Tauberbischofsheim on the way to Wertheim.)
Car: Romantische Strasse, from Bad Mergentheim to Rothenburg
Additional information:
Regional: www.liebliches-taubertal.de ; http://www.weinland-taubertal.de/
Trail (segment) specific: http://www.liebliches-taubertal.de/showpage.php?RADFAHREN/Wein_Radreise&SiteID=505
Comments:
There is a wealth of detail on the trail in the link above – unfortunately, it is not all in English. But translation software should get you to an 80% solution. Otherwise, download the GPX tracks, and find a good guidebook in English to help with the sightseeing.
Note too, multiple signs along the way, as trails conjoin at different intervals: You might not always see the Wein Radreise sign right away.