[{"content":"","date":"16 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Travelogues","type":"travelogue"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eurovelo-6/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eurovelo 6","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/france/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"France","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags","type":"tags"},{"content":" Travelogue # After a wonderful night, today was the last day of my tour this year.\nAlthough I only cycled 75 km today, I found it difficult. Maybe it was the strong headwind, maybe I was already mentally prepared for the finish. In addition, the route was less beautiful today, often without a view of the Loire.\nBlois, however, is really beautiful. I rode up to the cathedral (or rather, I pushed my bike) and had a great view of the city and the Loire. There is also a monument to Joan of Arc at the top.\nIn Chaumant-sur-Loire, I visited the beautiful castle. In addition to the castle rooms with their original furnishings, there are also numerous art exhibitions. The stables and the landscaped park can also be visited.\nI finished my tour in Tours and spent the night in a small Airbnb right in the city center. As I had built up a time buffer in the first few days, I had a rest day in the city. This allowed me to visit the cathedral and the beautiful old town at my leisure the next day.\nThe train journey back to Strasburg, where my wife picked me up, went smoothly and was much more relaxed than I am used to when traveling with Deutsche Bahn. I had booked the ticket with bicycle space many months in advance, which is the challenge.\nI am very tense every time I travel by train with a bike, because there is no plan B in case of incidents, as the long-distance trains cannot be used without a bike ticket. And bike tickets are actually never available at short-term due to the low number of bicycle spaces on the trains. How do you handle this?\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Val de Loire \u0026gt; Tours 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"15 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250709-d20/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Val de Loire \u003e Tours","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # Today the cycle path follows the Loire all day, and it has cooled down noticeably. What a relief! I feel strong today and not even the headwind bothers me.\nThere were several highlights today. The first was Orleans with its magnificent cathedral. I really enjoyed the atmosphere there.\nAs I had enough time, I was also able to visit the castle in Meung-sur-Loire. As there was a bicycle parking area that was clearly visible from the entrance, I was quite relaxed and took my time to look around the inside of the castle with its historic furnishings. Only the restaurant at the castle was a disaster, I had to wait 45 minutes for a terrible tasting baguette.\nAnd last but not least, the evening at the Val de Loire campsite was magical. The extensive grounds, the atmosphere there, the fantastic snack bar and the direct access to the Loire beach. I enjoyed the sunset on the beach and it was one of those moments when time seems to stand still.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Sully-sur-Loire \u0026gt; Val de Loire 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"14 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250709-d19/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Sully-sur-Loire \u003e Val de Loire","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # Another very hot day on the Eurovelo 6. Due to the temperature and the weather forecast for the next few days (constant headwind), I decided to abandon the idea of extending the tour to Nantes. I now had considerably more time and could take it easy.\nThe route followed the Loire all day long, offering great views of this wonderful and pristine river.\nA particular highlight was the canal bridge at Briare, which carries the Canal latéral à la Loire (and the cycle path) over the Loire in a spectacular construction.\nI stopped for lunch in Gien, but didn\u0026rsquo;t visit the old town because of the heat. The last 20km to the Le Jardin de Sully campsite were in the sun without any shade. Shortly before the campsite, I reached the first castle in the Loire Valley in Sully.\nI was happy to cool off in the pool at the campsite. Luckily I didn\u0026rsquo;t get caught, as access is only permitted with swimming trunks, but I only had my cycling shorts with me.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ La-Charite-sur-Loire \u0026gt; Sully-sur-Loire 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"13 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250709-d18/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"La-Charite-sur-Loire \u003e Sully-sur-Loire","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # It got very hot today, my Garmin showed 40 degrees C at midday. So the ride was quite strenuous because of the heat.\nIt went along various canals and rivers, but also through the (shadeless) hinterland. In Decize, I stopped for lunch at the first McDonnalds I\u0026rsquo;d passed on the tour so far. There is also a Lidl here to replenish my water supplies.\nFrom Nevers onwards, the route is completely exposed to the sun, so the last 40 kilometers of the day were like riding in an oven. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t drink as much as I sweated out.\nFortunately, I had booked an Airbnb in La-Charite-sur-Loire for the night, so I was able to recover from the heat. La-Charite-sur-Loire has a beautiful city center and I felt very comfortable here.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Digoin \u0026gt; La-Charite-sur-Loire 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"12 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250709-d17/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Digoin \u003e La-Charite-sur-Loire","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # It got very warm very quickly today. In the afternoon, the thermometer reached 36 degrees C, so any shade was welcome.\nfter a few kilometers, the route finally leaves the Doubs. At Chalon-sur-Saône, the route passes through a really ugly industrial area with a lot of truck traffic. Fortunately, this section is only short and the route then mostly follows the nice Canal du Centre. I had a strong headwind up to Chagny and had to fight a bit, but after that I could almost fly with the wind at my back.\nThe sections where the route leaves the canal were up and down through the hinterland, very scenic but often directly exposed to the sun.\nI finally pitched my tent in Digoin at the La Chevrette campsite with a view of the Loire.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Verdun-sur-le-Doubs \u0026gt; Digoin 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"11 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250709-d16/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Verdun-sur-le-Doubs \u003e Digoin","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # The night was cooler than expected, but I still slept wonderfully.\nToday I cycled all day along the Doubs and Saône, passing lots of little lock houses and small villages. At Besancon, the cycle path runs in a tunnel along the river under the citadel. I then took a late lunch break in Dole, a pretty little town with lots of cafés and restaurants.\nI camped at the municipal campsite in Verdun-sur-le-Doubs. The site is laid out like a park and I had a nice spot on the grass under shady trees.\nThe day was great, and thanks to the tailwind and the very well-maintained cycle paths, I made rapid progress.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Fourbanne \u0026gt; Verdun-sur-le-Doubs 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"10 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250709-d15/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Fourbanne \u003e Verdun-sur-le-Doubs","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # I took the train from Karlsruhe to Müllheim, where I had finished my last tour. My aim was to reach Tours by 16.07.2025, as I had booked a return train journey from there. Alternatively, if I made good progress, I wanted to cycle on to Nantes and take a train to Tours from there.\nI started in Müllheim at around 10 a.m. and quickly reached the French border. In France, I first cycled along the Rhine-Rhone Canal. The cycle path is well maintained, but the route is rather monotonous. Mulhouse is the first major town to be crossed. From Montbéliard, the route then follows the Doubs and is much more beautiful and varied.\nI spent the night at the Maison Imparfaite in Fourbanne, where a lovely lady offers her magnificent garden as a campsite.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Müllheim \u0026gt; Fourbanne 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"9 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250709-d14/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Müllheim \u003e Fourbanne","type":"posts"},{"content":" How to Eat an Elephant? \u0026#x1f418; # A few years ago I came across reports about the European Divide Trail. I was immediately fascinated by the idea of crossing Europe by bike.\nAt that time, after riding a mountain bike for more than 20 years, I switched to a gravel bike. Suddenly, riding long distances became feasible for me. I started thinking about whether I could ride the European Divide Trail myself. But family, work, and other commitments are not really compatible with such a long route. I quickly realized that the European Divide Trail isn\u0026rsquo;t ideal for my tight schedule due to the nature of the trail.\nSo, I planned my own route based on the Eurovelo routes. This should enable me to make faster progress. My goal is to cycle this route in sections compatible with my schedule. Or in other words: Eating the elephant one bite at a time. Of course, the logistical effort increases the farther the sections are from home, but unfortunately, that can\u0026rsquo;t be avoided.\nKeeping this in mind, I began the first section through Germany in 2024. Long story short, it was fantastic!\n","date":"1 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/","section":"About","summary":"","title":"About","type":"page"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eurovelo-15/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eurovelo 15","type":"tags"},{"content":" Travelogue # After a good night\u0026rsquo;s sleep and a nice breakfast with my Warmshowers hosts, I started the day.\nIt had rained a little during the night and in the morning, but apart from a few small showers I stayed dry during the day.\nFor many kilometers I followed the Rhine-Rhone Canal which runs through a lonely but beautiful landscape.\nThe headwind was constantly increasing and when I left the cycle path along the canal I had to fight to get to the train station in Müllheim in time. I think I prefer hills to headwinds.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Sand-Müllheim 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"3 May 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250503-d13-sand-muellheim/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Sand \u003e Müllheim","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/germany/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Germany","type":"tags"},{"content":" Travelogue # My first tour of the year took me to Sand in Alsace. I had planned to close the gap from Karlsruhe to Müllheim in two days. I wanted to start my tour on the Eurovelo 6 from there in the summer.\nThe weather was fantastic and the tour led along the German side of Eurovelo 15 on the Rhine embankment directly alongside the Rhine. Many kilometers on gravel with a constant headwind, but with great views.\nAt Strasbourg I switched to the French side of the route and took a short break in a park. The cycle paths in Strasbourg are well developed and there is a lot of activity.\nI cycled the rest of the route along the Rhine-Rhone Canal. The first few kilometers of the route were less beautiful, as it went along the road and through industrial areas. But after that the route became very quiet and beautiful!\nTo get to Sand, I had to leave the canal and ride 5 kilometers on the road. In return, I had a quiet overnight stay in my tent with a wonderful Warmshowers host.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Karlsruhe-Sand 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"2 May 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20250502-d12-karlsruhe-sand/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Karlsruhe \u003e Sand","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"25 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eurovelo-3/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eurovelo 3","type":"tags"},{"content":" Travelogue # Best day so far! In Rendsburg there is a tunnel to cross under the river. Shortly after the town there is a very old part of the historic Ochsenweg. As it consists of very deep sand, it is hardly rideable. So I decided to take the road, which was a good idea.\nSchleswig ist marvelous, I had a nice lunch break at the small harbour. On the way to Flensburg, there were only a few nice and easy trails to ride.\nI was thrilled when I arrived in Flensburg and smelled the Baltic Sea. I had made it. The city itself also surprised me, I never expected Flensburg to be so cool.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Nortorf-Flensburg 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"25 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240725-d11-nortorf-flensburg/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Nortorf \u003e Flensburg","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # Another day on Eurovelo 3, unfortunately I can´t remember the details.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Heist-Nortorf 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"24 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240724-d10-heist-nortorf/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Heist \u003e Nortorf","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # What a day. I was constantly trying to stay ahead of the rain clouds. I hadn\u0026rsquo;t expected the climbs before Hamburg at all, but the Harburg hills are aptly named. Cycling through Hamburg was really cool. I only lost the battle against the rain a few kilometers before the finish.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Zeven-Heist 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"23 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240723-d09-zeven-heist/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Zeven \u003e Heist","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # The landscape changes now that I\u0026rsquo;ve reached northern Germany. The route is great and so is Bremen.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Goldenstedt-Zeven 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"22 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240722-d08-goldenstedt-zeven/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Goldenstedt \u003e Zeven","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # The night was great, I slept like a rock. Contrary to the forecast, the entire morning was cloudless and the temperature quickly climbed to over 30 degrees. Heavy thunderstorms were forecast for this afternoon, so I tried to cover the distance quickly.\nShortly after the start, I crossed the border into Lower Saxony, so NRW was ticked off. On the first 5 km in Lower Saxony, I found more signposts to EV3 and D7 than on the entire tour before.\nThe route led through many rural areas and was consistently nice to ride. The thunderstorm caught me near Vechta, but luckily I was able to take shelter. I took advantage of a break in the rain to get to Golderstedt, 20 km away, where I had booked accommodation.\nI stayed dry, but the bike looked like hell as a trail through the forest was completely flooded by the storm. But it finally cooled down, a real relief!\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Urberg-Goldenstedt 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"21 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240721-d07-urberg-goldenstedt/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Urberg \u003e Goldenstedt","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # Disastrous night. There was a party going on in the neighboring tent until 2 a.m., with various drunken guests. At some point I shouted at the gang so much that they actually ended the party.\nFour hours of sleep and a hot day are not good conditions for a relaxed tour. I\u0026rsquo;ll probably change my plans and look for accommodation for the next few stages if possible.\nAnd I really struggled today, the heat and lack of sleep took their toll.\nThe route led through Münsterland and was really fantastic. The area is beautiful. Whenever I passed a petrol station, I stopped to pour myself a cold drink. After Lienen, the route climbs steeply into the Teutoburg Forest, but after about half an hour I reached my accommodation.\nTranslated with DeepL.com (free version)\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Lüdinghausen-Urberg 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"20 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240720-d06-luedinghausen-urberg/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Lüdinghausen \u003e Urberg","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # It was really hot today, which made it a bit difficult for me. I also had a headwind all day. Nevertheless, it was a great day.\nAt Wesel, the route leaves the Rhine, which I have been following for so long. And finally away from the Rhine-Ruhr moloch. Until Haltern am See, however, the route remains moderately beautiful. The cycle path constantly runs alongside busy roads.\nFrom Haltern onwards, however, this finally changes and the route leads through beautiful countryside and cultural landscapes. It is also nice to cycle along the Wesel-Datteln Canal.\nToday I camp at Peters Gasthaus, directly on the Dortmund-Ems Canal.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Orsoy-Lüdinghausen 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"19 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240719-d05-orsoy-luedinghausen/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Orsoy \u003e Lüdinghausen","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # Right through the middle of Cologne, Leverkusen, Düsseldorf and Duisburg. There are nicer areas\u0026hellip;\nNevertheless, the day was great! The weather was great (almost too hot) and I really felt like cycling.\nThe journey by train was once again a special experience. In the already completely overcrowded train, an entire wagon was blocked, of course I had my reservation right there\u0026hellip; I was allowed to carry my bike through the blocked wagon as the doors in the bike compartment were broken. The sprint across the platform, as the train had arrived the wrong way round unannounced, was only a side note.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Köln-Orsoy 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"18 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240718-d04-koeln-orsoy/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Köln \u003e Orsoy","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # This tour took me on the left side of the Rhine from Boppard to Cologne. Form Cologne I took a train back to Karlsruhe.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Boppard-Köln 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"11 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240511-d03-boppard-koeln/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Boppard \u003e Köln","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # This tour took me on the left side of thr Rhine from Gernsheim to Boppard.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Gernsheim-Boppard 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"10 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240510-d02-gernsheim-boppard/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Gernsheim \u003e Boppard","type":"posts"},{"content":" Travelogue # This tour took me on gravel roads from Karlsruhe to Gernsheim. I did not follow any special cycling route.\nPictures # Map # 🚴‍♂️ Karlsruhe-Gernsheim 📏 Distance Loading... ⛰️ Elevation Loading... ⏱️ Duration Loading... 📅 Date 🌤️ Weather Conditions Loading historical weather data... ","date":"9 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/travelogue/20240509-d01-karlsruhe-gernsheim/","section":"Travelogues","summary":"","title":"Karlsruhe \u003e Gernsheim","type":"posts"},{"content":"I am currently not on tour\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/livetrack/","section":"About","summary":"","title":"Livetrack","type":"page"},{"content":" Completed Planned Loading tour statistics... ▼ ✅ Completed Routes 📍 Planned Routes ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/map/","section":"About","summary":"","title":"Map","type":"page"}]