It’s as handy as a slice of toast, but 284 pages thick: A new bike tour book describes 19 smart, mostly leisurely routes. We present five good spring hikes.
The routes are between 16 and 62 kilometers long and are also very suitable for the 50+ generation – especially when an electric drive supports cycling.
Off to the Elz Valley:
This tour is easy and slowly brings those calves still tired from the winter up to operating temperature. It goes steadily uphill from Gundelfingen to Elzach – but always in such a way that children and the elderly are never overwhelmed. We start at the train station in Gundelfingen, pass through Denzlingen and Buchholz, are welcome to make a stopover in the old town of Waldkirch, continue to Gutach im Breisgau and finally reach Elzach. The tour is 26.1 kilometers long, first leads along the railway tracks and then along the Elz and overcomes just 145 meters in altitude.
The tour guide introduces all the small towns and lists so many sights that even people who were born in southern Baden and have always enjoyed cycling through the region will discover something new. How about the Elztal Museum in Waldkirch? Or a visit to the Black Forest Zoo in Waldkirch? In Gutach the treasure in the railway wagon and in Elzach the hammer mill attracts visitors. You can go back by train – or by bike again (Tour 10 in the book).
The volcano tour:
This circular route in the Kaiserstuhl is a bit more challenging. It begins in Eichstetten, a wine and vegetable paradise that would be even nicer if some drivers weren’t rushing through town so unrestrainedly. On the 32.9-kilometer tour we dodge the traffic as best we can, but be careful on the roads.
First of all it’s a leisurely ride along the Mühlbach through Bötzingen. Then we cycle steeply uphill to the Vogelsang Pass. If you want, you can make a detour to the Eichelspitzturm. The view of the Rhine plain makes up for everything. We continue to Oberrotweil via Altvogtsburg and Oberbergen. From there we head north to Bischoffingen, Kiechlinsbergen and Königschaffhausen. On the level section north of the Kaiserstuhl to Endingen, we gather strength for the climb south over the Silberbrunnen back to Eichstetten. That’s a total of 385 vertical meters – a small challenge (Tour 8).
Around the Tuniberg:
It is the place of longing par excellence for the first days of spring. It’s always a bit warmer on the Tuniberg than anywhere else. We circle the little brother of the Kaiserstuhl and return on the fabulously beautiful Tuniberg Höhenweg.
The 35.7 kilometer tour begins at the northern tip of the mountain in Gottenheim. Via Bötzingen and Wasenweiler, cycle paths are easy and flat to Ihringen. From there we cycle on to Merdingen, but turn right shortly before the village in a southerly direction and take the cycle path to Niederrimsingen and Oberrimsingen. Now we circle the southern tip of the Tuniberg and cycle up the small steep section in Munzingen to the Erentrudis chapel. And that’s where it begins, the now excellently signposted high-altitude trail back north. With the wind (mostly) at our backs, we surf steadily uphill and downhill along the vines back to Gottenheim. The long-distance view of the Vosges and the Black Forest makes even hard-boiled people dream (Tour 14).
Through the Markgräflerland:
Another tour for a leisurely start to the cycling season. We drive 23.9 kilometers from Freiburg to Staufen, the 90 meters in altitude are negligible.
From the main station, the bike rolls almost by itself exclusively on cycle paths via St. Georgen to Schallstadt, Ebringen, Pfaffenweiler and Ehrenkirchen. The spa town of Bad Krozingen is worth a stopover in the traffic-calmed center. Along the little river Neumagen we finally reach Staufen. The whole thing is not a sporting challenge, but where could spring be more beautiful than in Markgräflerland? And where does the cake taste even better than at Café Decker in Staufen? If you want to sin extensively and without regrets, you can cycle back the same way and include the steep section up the Batzenberg in the tour. That at least burns a bit of the Black Forest cake… ((Tour 15).
High in the Black Forest:
When it gets really hot again in the Rhine valley, there is nothing nicer than cycling up the mountains in the shade of the trees. The southern Black Forest cycle path leads steeply along the southern edge of the Höllental – i.e. where the sun hardly ever reaches. The tour suggested here is 43.1 kilometers long, starts in Freiburg and ends in Titisee-Neustadt. 815 meters of altitude difference await sporty cyclists – with an e-bike unfolding its full added value here.
From the main train station in Freiburg you go via Ebnet and Kirchzarten through the Dreisamtal to Himmelreich and Falkensteig. Watch out there! Quite a few people have already cycled comfortably along the cycle path on the north side of the B 31 in the direction of Hirschsprung instead of crossing the road just before the end of the town and turning south towards Hinterwaldkopf. Shortly after the traffic light, turn right, there is also a sign. The ascent is wild and beautiful – especially when the tree cutters’ machines have not spoiled the path again in winter. We reach our destination via Hinterzarten and Titisee. Time for a culinary reward in the forest town (Tour 2).
Info: Bikeline bike tour book “Bike region around Freiburg”. Verlag Esterbauer Rodingersdorf (Austria), 284 pages, 8.90 euros.
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