I loved this trail even before I rode it. The name says it all. And what could be better than an afternoon on the Rhine, with a glass of wine in hand?
The Suedliche Weinstrasse in the southern Pfalz is one of my favorite regions in Germany. It is a small area, bounded by the Rhine to the east, and the Haardt Mountains to the west, with little wine villages studding the countryside in between. Therefore, this trail covers it all for cycling families looking for the quintessential wine-themed bike ride in Germany.
The Kaiserstuhl (Emperor’s Seat or Chair), rises in dramatic isolation from the flatlands of the valley of the Rhine. This vine-covered promontory allegedly got its name from the actions there of an early Holy Roman Emperor. Its majestic appearance alone is reason enough for the name, in my opinion.
The Kaiserstuhl promontory overlooks former imperial holdings north, south, east and west. It contains two wine districts in the German wine region of Baden, the Tuniberg and the eponymous Kaiserstuhl, and it abuts two others. Additionally, in the distance, on the other side of the Rhine, lie the vineyards of Alsace, France. Wine is definitely king in this southwest corner of Germany!
Trail Name: Radwege durch Weinland Baden: Kaiserstuhl Alternative (Bike Trails through Baden Wine-land: Kaiserstuhl Alternative [Route])
Trail Type: Mid-distance trail; almost exclusively paved, (two short sections, less than a half mile total, were hard-pack surfaces), well maintained, but no consistently specific markings for the route itself.
Length: total: 49 kilometers/30 miles
Convenient to: Freiburg, Germany
Marking: No trail marking specific to this trail, and it is at times on other named trails (like the Rheintal Radweg (with a green sign and white lettering) from Malterdingen to Koenigschaffhausen)
Rather than referring to the cost of the wine here (although some quality producers offer great Rheinterrassen wine at very reasonable prices), today’s post title refers to the Song of the Nibelungen, that epic poem of feasts with wine, hosted by powerful kings with brave knights, and a fearless slayer of dragons guarding vast treasures.
The poem (later adapted and set to music in Wagner’s Ring Cycle), tells of the life and death of the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried, and his relationship with the Burgundians. Much of the action takes place in and around the city of Worms “on the Rhine”, which is home to the court of the Burgundian king Gunther and his wife and queen Brunhild. (It is also now home to several sculptures of dragons, commemorating this facet of the poem.)
FOUR wine districts, THREE wine regions, TWO rivers, and ONE valley – GO! It is all for the experiencing along Germany’s Taubertal on the wonderfully laid-out Wein Radreise Trail.
This long distance trail has six recommended stages (although I only biked stages 2, 3 and 4, from the famous Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Wertheim on the Main), and merges with other bike trails along the Tauber and Main Rivers, such as the Liebliches Taubertal, and the well-known Main Radweg. Combining these trails, you could easily spend a couple of weeks traversing much of the wine production areas of central Germany. Then, where the Main Bike Trail reaches the Rhine around Wiesbaden/Mainz, you could then follow part of the 800 mile-long Rhine Bike Trail either north or south… You get the picture: Germany can be a wine-loving cyclist’s paradise. Continue reading Three German Wine Regions By Bike→
Italy has a lot of wines, and a lot wine regions. In addition to still wines, Italy has several versions of sparkling wine. Prosecco and Asti Spumante are perhaps the best known. The region of Franciacorta, a relative newcomer to Italian sparkling wine production, seems to outshine them all though, not only in quality sparkling wine production, but also in wine tourism.
Franciacorta is an ideal location for a wine-themed biking vacation. The lake of Iseo, in addition to being a beautiful, scenic backdrop, helps to moderate temperature; the hills shelter you and the vines from excessive wind; wine production, an old tradition here, resulted in small, established wine villages, linked by country backroads. Best of all, it is quiet and laid-back: I encountered almost as many people cycling as driving on some of these backroads. With this in mind, the regional tourism board has created some well-thought out, marvelously scenic, wine-themed routes. Each of the numbered five routes was color-coded and cleverly named after one of Franciacorta’s famed sparkling wine products. (See the trail Nutshells: Green Trail and YellowTrail.)
As the Moselle flows through Germany, its geography changes. Three designated sections: the Upper Moselle which flows from the French border to fabulous Roman-era Trier; the Middle Moselle; and finally, the Lower, or Terraced Moselle which goes from Zell to the mouth of the river at Koblenz; are quite distinct.
The Moselle begins quite gently, and gradually roughens, sharpening its curves on the unyielding slate hills. By the Lower Moselle, slopes become steeper, rock predominates, and the river forms several of its most backbreaking oxbows between Briedel, Zell and Cochem. Here, to maximize vineyard space, vintners must build terraces.
