Cycling in the Palatinate

At almost 100 km in length, this route explores Germany’s largest wine-growing region and showcases the most scenic features of the sun-kissed Palatinate. The cycle route runs the entire length of the western edge of the Rhine Plain and crosses a multitude of stream valleys emanating from the Palatinate Forest. This results in constant undulation, with some short and steep peaks. The region’s countless wine-growing estates give cyclists a warm welcome.

The Barbarossa Cycleway runs the whole way across the Palatinate, starting on the Rhine in the imperial city of Worms and passing through the Barbarossa city of Kaiserslautern to reach the river Glan at Glan-Münchweiler in the Kuseler Musikantenland region. The cycle route runs the gamut of Palatinate scenery. Coming from Worms, the Rhine Plain is characterised by agricultural use and viticulture. Starting from Ramsen, cyclists pass through the northern Palatinate Forest Nature Park featuring the Eiswoog, an idyllic forest reservoir and popular recreational spot, until the hilly landscape of the Westrich Plateau rises up to the north west of Kaiserslautern.

The Rhine Cycle Route passes through three of Rhineland-Palatinate’s tourism regions. From the border with France in the south, it traverses the Palatinate, Rhenish Hesse and the Rhine Valley until it reaches the North Rhine-Westphalia border at Rolandseck. It utilises stretches of tow path, often under high poplar trees directly on the river banks, but also loops around sections of the Altrhein river and some built-up areas. 

From France through the eastern Saarland and the North Palatinate to the Naheland, the cycle route runs along the Blies and Glan, two of the most important tributaries of the Saar and Nahe rivers. With no long climbs, just a few short ascents on designated paths, this cycle route is straightforward and safe for everyone.

This cycle tour leads through the hilly hinterland of Bad Bergzabern, where wooded river valleys, old villages and imposing aristocratic estates await us. Smaller climbs characterise the generally pleasant tour, which in one section also runs on French soil.

Starting from Dahn, the Biosphere Tour is a circular route around the southern part of the Palatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve between the Wieslauter river in the east, the Sauer river in the south, and the small Fischbach and Moosbach brooks in the west and north respectively. The Biosphere Tour follows a leisurely route along these four stream valleys, but also features two climbs over their watersheds along quiet forest and woodland tracks without any traffic. The entire circuit is characterised by alternating dense forests and villages nestled in open valley meadows.

The Kraut und Rüben Cycle Route is particularly suited to recreational cyclists, as there are numerous delicacies to be sampled along the way.

From the source of the Queich river near Hauenstein, this cycle route takes us past a variety of interesting museums to Germersheim.

Starting in the Barbarossa city of Kaiserslautern, the Palatinate Forest Tour takes cyclists on a 61 km journey along the western edge of the Palatinate Forest through the river valleys of Moosalbe, Queidersbach, Schwarzbach, Rodalb and Merzalbe, and into a central area of the Palatinate Forest Nature Park and along the Wieslauter to Hinterweidenthal.