MOTORHOMING & CYCLING IN GERMANY, AUTUMN
2012
After over 3 months touring with the Sprinter van
and caravan in Britain, we were more than ready for motorhoming and cycling
further afield. The ferry was booked, the lockers stocked with essentials like
Oxo, custard powder and golden syrup, the fridge/freezer stacked with English
cheese, sausage and bacon. Time to go to Germany.
Among much else, we planned to cycle the rivers
Rhine, Moselle, Ahr, Neckar and Danube.
Continued from: A Great British Summer
2012
More comment on the contemporary German scene: Looking
Out in Germany
There are Galleries and Slide Shows at: Images
of Germany 2012
Mid-September 2012
From Cheltenham via Dover to Dunkirk, France 200 miles
Free night at Dunkirk Ferry Terminal Car Park
Away at 8.30 am on a bright sunny Thursday. Traffic was pouring into
Cheltenham from all directions as we escaped down M5 to exit 11a, then A417
(climbing to 1,000 ft/300 m in the Cotswolds) and A419 to the M4 at Swindon.
First break was at the quiet Reading Services at 70 miles.
At 96 miles we joined the busier M25 (Gatwick direction), stopping for lunch
at the brand new Cobham Services at 113 miles, which had actually opened today.
No free offers though! We made good time along M26 and M20, turning off at 185
miles into the 'Port Early Arrivals' Services, 15 miles before Dover. Even
here, parking is limited to 2 hours, unless you pay £20 to stay overnight.
When our time was up at 4 pm, we continued along A20 to Dover's Eastern Docks
to check in and wait for the 6 pm DFDS ferry to Dunkirk.
We sailed on time, ate in the cafeteria (Moroccan chicken for M, fish &
chips for B) and arrived 2 hours later (9 pm French time and already dark). It
had been a very smooth journey, the Flair and the ferry both running well. Once
through Customs, exit the port, go round the roundabout and re-enter for the
large free terminal car park. It's a good place for the night before or after
sailing, with toilets at the ticket office. Slept well.
To Site de l'Orient Campground, Tournai, Belgium 75 miles
Open all year. See www.tournai.be.
Municipal camping. Short stay 15 inc 16-amp electricity and showers. Longer
stay (3 nights or more) 12 + metered electricity at 0.20 per kWh. No WiFi. N
50.599829Ί E 3.413878Ί
From Dunkirk Port it was just 4 miles to the A16, then 6 miles east to join
A25 and head southeast for Lille. Both motorways are toll-free. At St Eloi
Services at 27 miles petrol was 1.70 a litre about the same as UK, though
French diesel is cheaper. The motorway skirted south of Lille, where we joined
A27 (still toll-free) at 57 miles.
At the Belgian border, 7 miles later, we stopped for lunch on a large lorry
parking area. It had no services and was probably the site of the old border
control buildings. The onward Belgian motorway (now numbered A8) was
immediately bumpier and rougher. We passed the exits for Tournai West and
North, then turned briefly down A16 to exit 32 for Tournai East. Turn right
onto N7 towards the town, past Lidl on the right, and turn left at the first
traffic lights, along a narrow road signed for the Aquapark (but not the
campsite!) At the fountain/roundabout just after the Aquapark, go left for the
campsite entrance.
It's a good site for smaller vans, though at 8 m long we had difficulty
manoeuvring onto the largest of the hedged grassy pitches. Each place has its
own tap, grey water drain, rubbish bin and hook-up/light. The friendly
French-speaking warden gave us a welcome gift - a small box of
Ganache Praline (chocolate and nut coated biscuits with a creamy
filling), which are a speciality of Tournai since 1947. Belgian Chocolate is
definitely the best!
We were also given a leaflet in English describing a
circular walk from the camp round the hamlet of Allain, but we had already done
this on our
last visit in April 2011. It's about 2 miles, past some interesting
industrial archaeology (evidence of the lime kilns, furnaces and tied cottages
that were in use into the 20th century) and a kind of Lourdes Grotto built for
the quarrymen in 1868.
Next day, very warm and sunny, we walked about 1.5 miles into the town, which
lies on the River Scheldt (or Escaut). We stood on the footbridge as enormously
long barges passed below, then sat at the edge of the Grande Place in
the Old Town, drinking coffee and watching the crowd at the Saturday morning
clothes market. Away from the centre, with its imposing churches and gilded
town hall, the town seemed very quiet and down at heel.
The modern Aquapark next to the camp is on the site of an old chalk quarry,
now flooded to form a lake, with pedal boats and a cafe in summer. Campers get
50% discount on the 3 ticket for outdoor and indoor pools, so Margaret had a
good swim (indoors, being heated).
Meanwhile, Barry refitted the passenger-side
external mirror, wrenched from its 4-bolt bracket by a passing hedge, and
sealed a leaking tyre valve extender (tyre down from 70 to 60 psi over 5
days). He also lubricated the swivelling roof-top cap on the grey water tank
vent, nudged two external bulbs back into life and repaired the tyre pressure
gauge. This is called 'bedding-in' at the start of a long journey. We are
beginning to think of Bulgaria via Austria and perhaps Serbia. We'll see.
To Domaine
l'Hirondelle Holiday Resort, Oteppe, Belgium 87 miles
Open 1 April-31 Oct. See
www.lhirondelle.be. ACSI off-season card 14, inc
6-amp electricity and shower tokens (otherwise 1 each). Free WiFi in Reception
or on a few pitches behind the Cafe. Free outdoor and heated indoor pools. N
50.582222 E 5.126111
Just 1.5 miles back along
N7 to the A16 motorway, pausing at Lidl on the way. They sold the usual range
(in French) and the generous car park serves a couple of other stores and a
health centre.
It was drizzly as we rejoined A16 (eastbound, direction
Mons and Liege), part of E42, the Autoroute de Wallonie. The Walloons
(French-speaking Belgians) should be ashamed, subjecting us to a succession of
potholes, bumps and road works. The motorway number changed to A7 at 21 miles
and A15 at 39 miles, though it made no difference to the surface. At least
Belgium is toll-free and there are regular rest areas and services.
We
parked for lunch at 54 miles and turned to the French dictionary to check:
Attention Ornieres seen on a wooded stretch of motorway. M thought
Ornieres might mean some kind of Bird (Greek Ornos, root of
'Ornithology') but the answer was 'Ruts'! They certainly didn't need a warning
sign; we had noticed!
Leaving E42/A15 at 79 miles at exit
10, we took N80 north for 5 miles to Burdinne, then turned right on N652. It
began as a cobbled lane through the village, improving as it wound its way
towards Oteppe. Don't take the left turn signed Hirondelle Fishing Ponds; the
campsite is left along the next lane, signed Hirondelle Holiday
Resort.
It's a huge complex of bungalows,
statics and camping in the wooded grounds of a castle (Chateau
Hirondelle), now a hotel. Out of season, as we are, the site cafe/shop is
closed, the hotel bar/restaurant only open at weekends, and the whole place is
very quiet and somewhat forlorn. Margaret had the indoor swimming pool to
herself, clear and warm though unsupervised. There is a small shop in Oteppe
village (left out of the main entrance).
The main area for tourers is at the top of the site but
we chose to pitch on a rather scruffy area behind the cafe/shop in order to get
a WiFi signal, which comes and goes. A lone cycle-tourist, John from
Nottingham, on his way back to Brussels for the Eurostar train after a 2-week
camping tour of Belgium, joined us later, so we had a good evening or two
together over pots of tea in the Flair.
A
local map for walking and cycling, obtained from Reception (2), showed the
route down to Huy on the River Meuse, which John then followed to Namur. The
weather remained too cold and damp to tempt our bicycles out, though we had a
good walk in the forest to the local fishing ponds and cafe. Also caught up
with emails and work on-line.
To Campingplatz
Goldene Meile, Remagen, Germany 123 miles
Open all year.
See www.camping-goldene-meile.de. 23.40 inc 6-amp
electricity (25 for 'Comfort Pitch' with 10-amps, tap and grey water drain).
Special offer: 4 nights for price of 3. Shower tokens 0.70. WiFi (pitches near
Reception) 2.50 an hour, 6 a day, 20 per week. No credit cards. N 50.57595
E 7.25221
For motorhomes there is also a 'Wohnmobilhafen' or
'Stellplatz' next to the campsite. Parking here (Pay & Display) is 12 for
24 hrs, maximum stay 5 x 24 hrs, with a coin-op water/waste facility and a few
coin-op hook-ups.
A
lovely bright sunny day as we set out through Oteppe village, southeast on N652
following signs for E42- Liege. Joined the motorway E42/A15 at junction 7 after
6 miles, driving east past Liege (very busy Ring Road) and onto E40/A3 for
Aachen. At Lichtenbusch we crossed the border into Germany at 51 miles, high in
the Ardennes (max 950 ft/290 m), and on past Aachen on E40/A4 into
Nordrhein-Westfalen.
At
82 miles we turned south onto A61 towards Koblenz, then exit 30 at 113 miles
onto rd 573 for Remagen (with hindsight, exit 31 might have been quicker but we
trusted the TomTom). At 121 miles it was left at a roundabout, then follow
campsite signs (pausing to shop at Lidl a mile later). The campsite lies on the
west bank of the Rhine, next to Remagen Stadium and Open Air Pools (closed),
half a mile south of the town centre.
Settling in took
some time. It's a large site, the riverside places all taken by permanent
statics, the rest a closely packed mixture of Normal and Comfort pitches
(though some Normal pitches also have their own tap/drain and some have 10
amps, so we could make no sense of the dual pricing a difference of £1). The
Receptionist (after being prised from her tabloid magazine) had allocated us a
Comfort Pitch suitable, she said, for WiFi reception. It proved to be too
short for our 8-metre van (most pitches, Comfort or not, being 6 metres
long), nor was there any WiFi there! The hook-ups are reached by climbing a
metal ladder, which certainly wouldn't meet British Health & Safety
regulationss, but the other facilities are excellent, complete with a
restaurant and a snack bar. Exploring, we found a Normal pitch that was long
enough, with its own tap/drain and good WiFi reception. Margaret cut a long
argument with Reception short, we moved onto our chosen pitch and settled in,
having climbed the ladder to collect 6
amps.
The town centre is an easy 15
minute walk or short cycle ride from the camp, past a couple of supermarkets;
or you can walk/ride in along the Rhine Promenade by the river. Indeed, a
long-distance cycle path follows the Rhine north to Bonn (20 km) and Cologne,
or south to Koblenz (40 km) and beyond a route we knew well in earlier
cycle-touring days. Remagen originated as the Roman fortress Ricomagnus,
when the Rhine was the border of Lower Germania (1st-3rd C AD),
and there are some Roman remains and a 12th-century gate. The
small Roman Museum, inside a 16th C chapel, has limited opening times (3-5 pm,
Wednesday-Sunday, March-Oct only).
In World War II
Remagen's Luddendorf railway bridge figured in the Anglo-American advance into
Germany in March 1945, when the 9th Armoured Division of the US 1st Army found
this last remaining bridge across the Rhine damaged but still usable. A
crossing was promptly forced, establishing the first Allied bridgehead across
the Rhine, before the bridge finally collapsed.
It has never been rebuilt, its site marked by the massive pair of towers that
remain on either side of the river. A Peace Museum has been established in one
of the towers on this, the western bank (entry 3.50, no reductions for
Seniors).
Both casual
riding and cycle-touring are very popular along the Rhine. For
Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz see www.radwanderland.de and www.radroutenplaner.nrw.de.
Cycling
Ride
1 Remagen to Bonn and
return (44 km/28 miles). An easy ride north alongside the Rhine on a
dedicated foot/cycle path. We passed the Peace Museum, continued along the
Rhine Promenade and were soon at Caracciolaplatz in Remagen, where the various
Rhine cruisers have their jetties. A small ferry carries foot passengers or
cyclists (not cars) across the river to Erpel. Staying on the west bank, we
headed north along the wonderful bike path, past Oberwinter to Bad Godesberg,
where we had a break at a kiosk by the Mehlem car ferry. A good German lunch
of Bratwurst & chips with coffee was freshly cooked for us by a
friendly man from the Lebanon. We continued to the southern edge of Bonn
before turning to ride back (this time into the wind). The well surfaced path
rarely leaves the riverside and is used by cyclists of all types and ages,
long and short-distance, with plenty of places to rest at a picnic table or
cafe.
Ride
2 Koblenz to
Remagen (53 km/33 miles). Began with a short ride to Remagen railway
station for a train south to Koblenz. The regional Cologne-Koblenz train
(roughly every half hour) carries cycles free of charge in the front carriage.
From Remagen a single passenger ticket was 8.75 to Koblenz (or 10.40 to
Cologne). At the station we met several obstacles: the ticket office is closed
Sundays; the automatic ticket machine didn't accept our credit or debit card
and to pay cash, the exact fare must be inserted (no change given); the
Station Master had no idea whether we could pay on the train or at the other
end! Eventually we got change for the machine from the coffee bar and,
clutching our tickets (which we never had to show!), we got the bikes by lift
to platform 3 just in time for the 11.14. It stopped at Sinzig, Bad Breisig
and Andernach before arriving Koblenz Centre at 11.40 am. We had considered
taking a boat up the Rhine to Koblenz but found that took about 4
hours!
In Koblenz the streets were very
quiet, with Sunday closing observed by every type of store. Making our way to
the riverside, we had coffee by the Deutsches Eck (at the Rhine/Mosel
confluence), overlooked by the massive equestrian statue of the Prussian
Emperor Wilhelm der Grosse. Then we rode the bridge over the Mosel,
checked out the campsite opposite the Deutsches Eck (Campingplatz
Rhein-Mosel Freizeit) and found our way to the cycle path to follow the
Rhine northwards back to Remagen.
The path
was very variable, sometimes diverting from the riverside behind the port at
Andernach, after almost 30 km. We were ready for the first cafe we saw
McDonalds - before reaching the old town! Between Andernach and Bad Breisig
there was a narrow unsurfaced section, a length of cobbles, and poorly signed
diversions under and over the railway line. Bad Breisig was a popular place,
with a queue for the car ferry and several waterside restaurants. Riding on to
Remagen, the cycle path was better surfaced and uninterrupted, except by people
strolling, usually with a dog in tow. A good ride though, with a favourable
back wind the whole way.
Ride 3 Circular
ride from Remagen on both sides of Rhine (36 km/23 miles). Cycled
south from the campsite for 2 miles to Kripp, for the short car-ferry ride
across the Rhine to Linz (1.40 each). Looking round the colourful medieval
Old Town, we called at Tourist Info in the imposing Rathaus (built
1527) and collected a free map of the local cycle route. Ask for the
Drachenfelsblick Audio-Landschaftstour (Drachenfels-View Audio-Landscape Tour). The
route runs north from Linz as far as Konigswinter, across the Rhine on a
car ferry, then south through Remagen back to Kripp for Linz (total 33 km).
For a short ride, you can cross the river earlier, on the half-hourly
passenger ferry from Erpel to Remagen, or take the car-ferry from Honnef (5 km
south of Konigswinter) to Rolandseck. If you have a smart-phone with QR-Reader
(which we don't), there are even 11 Audio Points round the route to listen to.
The route
needs much better signposting on the east side, where it deviates on minor
roads behind Linz station and around the villages, with only half the ride
actually on a riverside cycle path. At Erpel the track climbed up to a pair of
railway towers, with a good view of their twins on the opposite bank at
Remagen. Behind them, where the Erpel tunnel enters a wall of basalt, a poster
advertised the Tunnel Theatre built inside. It's closed this year but due to
show a play about the Bridge at Remagen next summer (2013).
Riding
on through the village of Unkel, we eventually joined the river at Honnef, by
the car ferry to Rolandseck. The forecast rain was holding off, so we continued
to Konigswinter, riding (part road, part cycle path) below the
Siebengebirge (Seven Hills Range), with its ruined castle atop the
Drachenfels (Dragon Rock). Coffee and cakes at a bakery cafe were very
welcome before taking the boat from Konisgwinter across to Mehlem (1.50
each). The Rhine is wider and faster flowing here, the ferry arcing
across.
Back on the
west bank, riding south, we had the classic view of the Drachenfels,
inspiration of romantic artists, which turned Kongiswinter into a stage on
the Grand Tour, served by railway and steamers: The castled crag of
Drachenfels, Frowns o'er the wide and winding Rhine (Lord Byron 1816).
On, past Siebensgebirgblick campsite, alongside the mid-Rhine island
of Nonnenwerth, once home to a convent, then through Rolandseck and past
Oberwinter to Remagen. It had been an interesting and varied ride but for
smoother long-distance cycling, it's best to follow the west bank of the
Rhine!
Ride 4
Honningen to Remagen (52 km/33 miles) along the Ahr Valley
cycle way (Ahr Radweg). Again rode to Remagen railway station (3 km/less
than 2 miles from the campsite). The regional Bonn-Ahrbruck train (roughly
once an hour) took us up the Ahr Valley to the end of the line (7.25 each,
cycles free of charge). Thankfully, the ticket office was open and even
accepted credit cards. The 11.10 am train made its way slowly into the Eifel
hills, stopping every 4 minutes - at Bad Bodendorf,
Heimersheim, Bad Neuenahr, Ahrweiler, Ahrweiler Markt, Walporzheim,
Dernau, Rech, Mayschoss, Altenahr, Kreuzberg and finally Ahrbruck, arriving
11.56 am. We'd left Remagen (altitude 170 ft/50 m) in sunshine; now (at 650
ft/200 m) it was pouring down! A group of ramblers looked equally
dismayed.
Leaving the tiny end-of-line
station, we turned straight into an excellent cafe, the Station Imbiss,
to shelter over coffee, Schnitzel and the largest mound of chips we'd
ever seen, garnished with ketchup, mayo and onion. Germans take chips
(Pommes pronounced 'Pomm-ess') seriously! With no sign of the rain
easing, we donned our Gore-Tex kit and set off. Though wet, it was not
cold.
First
we rode south along the signed Ahr Radweg cycle path for 3.5 km/2 miles
to the next village, Honningen (to which the train once continued, now served
by bus), then we turned round to follow the cycle way back through Ahrbruck
and all the way down the Ahr Valley until this narrow tributary meets the
Rhine at Kripp, right by the car ferry across to Linz. The route is mainly on
dedicated foot/cycle paths, by the river or through vineyards, this being
prime Red Wine terrain, the steep south-facing slopes intensively planted with
neat rows of vines. Sometimes we were diverted on quiet roads through villages
and the busier town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler.
After
a break in Dernau for coffee and cake, the rain gradually stopped. The one
short tunnel at Mayschoss was well-lit and no problem. At Kripp we turned
north along the Rhine cycle path, past our campsite and into Remagen to visit
a large cycle shop seen across the tracks from the station.
Barry wanted to try a new saddle and the proprietor
rose to the challenge, asking 'Something for the older gentleman with or
without prostate trouble?'!! He was very thorough, had a large range of saddles
(saying our British Brooks were the best) and talked at great length. The firm
build specialised racing bikes and our man told us of an ex-racing friend, now
a trainer, who was with the German cycling team at the London Olympics. As we
paid for the chosen saddle with a card, he announced 'Your money is now safely
in Germany'. Margaret said 'Well, we need it more than Germany', to which he
retorted 'No, Frau Merkel keeps giving it away!' It's nice to know a language
well enough for some
repartee.
Before leaving Remagen
we took a short walk to the modern Schwarze Madonna Kapelle (Black
Madonna Chapel) in a field just south of our campsite. It stands on the site of
a PWTE (Prisoner of War Temporary Enclosure), one of several established by
the Allies along this section of the Rhine from Remagen to Sinzig, each with a
capacity of 50,000 men passing through between May and July 1945. The American
Field Hospital took over the local hospitals in Remagen and Linz, as well
setting up a clinic in a leather factory in Kripp. However, with a shortage of
food and medicine, 532 of the patients died from disease, wounds or exhaustion.
The Chapel was dedicated in 1987 to the memory of those who suffered or died
here. The 'Black Madonna' (a clay statue sculpted by one of the prisoners and
preserved in linseed oil that turned it black) is displayed behind glass: all
that remains of PWTE A-2 Remagen, apart from 2
photographs.
To
Campingplatz Rhein-Mosel Freizeit, Koblenz, Germany 25
miles Open
April-21 October. See www.camping-rhein-mosel.de. 27.50 inc 6-amp
electricity and showers (30.50 for 'Comfort Pitch' with tap
and grey water drain, or for riverside pitches). No WiFi. No credit cards. N
50Ί22.01 E 7Ί 36.368
For
motorhomes there is also a 'Stellplatz' next to the campsite. Parking here
strictly limited to one day arrive after 11 am & leave by 10 am for 15
(pay at Camping). Hook-ups 2.50 extra.
From Remagen less than 2 miles (past Lidl) to join rd
9, then south to Koblenz. The last exit before crossing the Mosel is signed for
the campsite, which occupies the northern corner of the confluence. It's only
a mile or so to the camp, with a Netto supermarket near the entrance, though
we were diverted by road works which made access complicated. Arriving before
Reception closed for lunch (a German custom), we found ourselves a good
standard pitch one row back from the river. A small passenger ferry crosses
the mouth of the Mosel from the campsite, convenient for visiting the
Deutsches Eck or the city
centre.
We are directly opposite the massive
equestrian statue of Kaiser Bill (Prussian Emperor Wilhelm I) on the
Eck ('corner') a tongue of land built at the Mosel-Rhine
confluence as the site for the monument, erected in 1888. The statue was
destroyed in 1945 (how did that happen?), its replacement being inaugurated in
September 1993. A cable car climbs from the Eck to the fortress of
Ehrenbreitstein, 390 ft/118 m above the Rhine. Occupied for 3,000
years, this strategic site has housed a Roman military post and a medieval
castle. The present fortified town, built by the Prussians 1817-1828, was then
the largest fort in Europe apart from Gibraltar. It became the home and
cultural centre of Prince Electors, the Baroque Salon receiving visitors such
as Beethoven and Goethe.
Watching the cable cars swinging across the Rhine and
the constant river traffic of working barges and pleasure cruisers appeared to
lull our many neighbours to sleep after lunch, while we did the laundry, packed
our cycle panniers and planned a two-day ride with a night away along the
Mosel.
Cycling
A
2-day ride along the Mosel from Koblenz, past Cochem to Ernst and back (total
77 miles/123 km).
Leaving the motorhome
safe on the Koblenz campsite, we followed the Mosel Radweg cycle route
through a succession of Wine Villages along the north side of the river. After
a cool misty start the sun broke through in Winningen (10 miles/15 km), where
we sat in a quiet square with a take-away coffee. It was Sunday morning:
everywhere closed. The cycle path mostly followed the meandering riverside,
occasionally diverting through a village or vineyard. The Romans first planted
vines along these valleys and they still thrive on the steep hillsides, now
hung with white grapes. A peaceful picnic lunch in the sunshine by the river
in Katzenport, then on through Cochem, a tourist town at 35 miles/55 km,
below the picturesque Reichsburg Castle. Here the riverside was thronged with
tourists, brought by bus, boat, car or bike, filling the cafes and listening
to a brass band.
We quickly rode on round a bend in the Mosel to the
next village, Ernst. The first guesthouse we tried (on the corner of
Weingartenstrasse) proved a good choice, our host, Bernhard Goebel, offering a
room with Mosel view and (more importantly) a safe garage for the bicycles. See
www.mosel-ferienquartier-goebel.de. Herr Goebel
recommended a meal at the nearby Trauben (Grapes) inn: another good
choice, with a generous set meal of hot soup, rolls, pork steaks in pepper
sauce, croquette potatoes and self-service salad bar, all for 11.50 each. It
went down well with a glass of the local Weisswein.
Fortified with a
good German breakfast, we rode back to Koblenz along the same route. We did
cross the Moselbrucke in Cochem to cycle on the other side but quickly
returned on the next bridge, as the east side was more hilly, colder (being in
the shade) and lacking a separate cycle path. We rode on through Klotten,
another typical wine village and site of a small ferry across the Mosel, with a
clear blue sky and light back wind. It doesn't get any better than this! A
coffee in Pommern, followed by lunch at a picnic table among the vines near
Winningen, which was even quieter than yesterday. By early afternoon we were
back in Koblenz.
A few statistics.
The Mosel (or Moselle) River rises at 2,426 ft/735 m at the Col de Bussang in
the French Vosges. It twists and turns for 325 miles/520 km to its confluence
with the Rhine at Koblenz, down at 195 ft/59 m. It is shared by France (174
miles/278 km), Luxembourg (22 miles/36 km) and Germany (129 miles/206 km).
Highly recommended, with numerous campsites along its banks.
October
2012
To 'Esso Autohof',
Gau-Bickelheim, Germany 74 miles (Height 500 ft/150
m)
Free night at Truck
Services off E31 south of Bingen, with fuel, toilets, restaurant, car park and
huge lorry parking area. N 49Ί50.126 E
7Ί59.997
To avoid the road works in
Koblenz, we drove 4 miles north on B9 to junction 10, then south on A46 for 3
miles, in order to join A61/E31 southbound (towards Ludwigshafen). At 11 miles
there was a rest area with a great view of the Mosel Valley far below, just
before crossing the high bridge over the river a bridge we'd cycled
underneath yesterday. By the next Services, 5 miles later, the motorway had
climbed to over 1,000 ft/300 m, reaching a maximum of 1,735 ft/520 m before we
took exit 44 for Oberwesel am Rhein at 31
miles.
The road eased its way down for 10
miles to Oberwesel, a Rhineside village on the B9. Knowing that tomorrow (3
October) is not only the local Wine Festival but a national holiday German
Unification Day we'd taken the precaution of phoning Camping Schonburgblick
in Oberwesel to book a place. The best laid plans ... First we met a low (3.5
m) railway bridge, handily placed between us and the riverside B9. Turning our
3.6 m high motorhome right, we edged through the village until we could cross
the tracks to join B9 and turn back along it, past Camping Schonburgblick. The
entrance looked very narrow and awkward. We turned round again on a hospital
car park and came back the entrance was indeed too narrow and awkward.
Giving up
on Oberwesel, we continued south on B9 along the river, hoping to find another
campsite or Stellplatz as we planned to cycle the 'Romantic Rhine'
between here and Koblenz. We soon passed Camping Sonnenstrand at Bacharach (an
impossibly sharp left turn down a narrow lane) and a Stellplatz we'd
once used that was absolutely full. The next known sites were at Rudesheim and
Geisenheim but on the other side of the Rhine, involving a car ferry across at
Bingen.
Deciding to
leave the busy Rhineland, we eventually found our way onto E31 southbound from
Bingen the motorway we'd left for Oberwesel! Now in need of fuel, we turned
off at exit 52 to the next services, the Autohof at
Gau-Bickelheim. Coincidentally, this Truck Stop was listed in our Bord Atlas
(a German Stellplatz guide) - admittedly a few years old
claiming 15 motorhome places free of charge, along with water/waste facility.
We filled our petrol tank and asked the assistant where to stay overnight. She
indicated the car park, or if we were too long (as we were), the much larger
lorry park. There were no special places for motorhomes and the water/waste
point was no longer in use but we could overnight free of charge.
As the
evening wore on, the empty lorry park filled with trucks coming in off the
roads from which they would be banned tomorrow (Sundays and Holidays). A
parking attendant materialised to demand 10 for a ticket (which did include 2
x 5 coupons to use towards meals in the restaurant). As we'd believed it to
be free, with no signs to the contrary, M went to practise her German with
the 'Chef'. He decided that trucks are charged 10 and cars are free, so we
were declared an honorary car.
A quiet
night apart from the noise of refrigerated lorries, which we drowned out by
putting the TV on loud. There were a couple of very interesting documentaries
about the history and demise of the DDR (the former East Germany) and the
differences still remaining for those living in the east or west of the
country, 22 years after the Reunification to be celebrated
tomorrow.
To Knaus
Campingpark, Bad Durkheim, Germany 41
miles
Open all year. See www.knauscamp.de. ACSI off-season card 16 +
3.70 local taxes, inc 16-amp electricity and showers. WiFi 3.50 for 24 hrs
(didn't work - we got a refund!) No credit cards. N 49Ί28'23 E
8Ί11'29
For motorhomes there is
also a 'Stellplatz' next to the campsite for 9.50 a night inc 16-amp
electricity (pay at Camping). Water fill 1.
After breakfast among the
lorries we phoned a campsite (one of a chain owned by Knaus, the German
motorhome and caravan builders) near the wine growing spa resort of Bad
Durkheim. Yes, they had a place if we came straight away as Reception (and the
barrier) would be closed from noon-3 pm and they were very busy, this being a
holiday!
It was an easy journey, south down
the quiet A61/E31(devoid of trucks) for 34 miles to exit 60. Drive west for 6
miles towards Bad Durkheim, then right at the second set of traffic lights and
right again, following signs for airfield and camping, in the thick of the
vineyards. As we checked in, others without bookings were turned away, both
campsite and Stellplatz now full. The site shop is selling this year's
new wine (red or white) for 2.50 a litre, so M has a bottle to try, though it
looks cloudy and is still fermenting! Also bought a day's WiFi, which proved to
be the slowest on record. It gave up completely after a couple of hours but we
did get a refund.
Bad
Durkheim, less than 2 miles away, was founded by the Romans, who knew a good
spa when they found one. They stayed to plant vines and had a stone quarry up
in the hills. Nowadays the town boasts the world's largest wine festival (the
Wurstmarkt) for 9 days in mid-September (the campsite ACSI Card rates
exclude this period!) You can also see the world's biggest wooden barrel, built
in 1934 to hold 1.7 million litres, though it was never used to hold wine and
now houses a
bar/restaurant.
Cycling
A
short circular ride (8 miles/13 km) to the Weilberg Roman Villa and
around Bad Durkheim on cycle paths and minor roads. First we rode north to the
nearby wine village of Ungstein and up to the site of a Roman villa and
vineyard (2nd-4th C AD). Some original stone foundations and a few sarcophagi
remain, while the villa has been reconstructed as it would have been c 350 AD.
Entry was free, a table laid with wine glasses and refreshments, a man playing
a guitar. Did they know we were coming? Then a German group travelling by
llama (!) appeared, tied the animals to graze on the trees and took over the
site. Glasses of wine waited for them inside the
villa!
We made a
hasty exit and rode down through vineyards into the centre of Bad Durkheim.
It's a pleasant spa town, much rebuilt after 1945. The sound of organ music
lured us to look inside the beautifully simple Protestant Evangelische
Schlosskirche. Then we sat in the Romerplatz square enjoying coffee
and Nussplunder pastries from the baker's (much more reasonably priced
than the many smart cafes) before riding past the thermal park, back to the
campsite and round its bathing
lake.
To Camping Schuettehof, Horb am
Neckar, Germany 126 miles (Height 1,795 ft/545
m)
Open all year.
See www.camping-schuettehof.de. ACSI off-season card
16 inc 16-amp electricity and shower tokens (otherwise 0.50 each). WiFi 1
per hour; 4 for 24 hrs; 20 per week. N 48Ί26'43 E
8Ί40'25
This
was a long hot day's drive south on the motorways of Germany. It should have
been easy but several long stretches of road works and counter-flow traffic
caused miles of stationary jams on the busy highways.
We
headed east on B37 for 7 miles to join A61/E31. After a traffic jam to cross
the Rhine at 24 miles, we turned south at Hockenheim, near the Grand Prix
circuit, onto A6/E50, then A5/E35. Lunch at the crowded Service Station
(Burger King) at 39 miles, then on for 14 miles past Karlsruhe to exit 46
onto A8/E52 and into the second long Stau (queue) of the day. The
cars all turned off down a narrow lane, which also became jammed, while we
crawled along the motorway, climbing away from the flat Rhine valley into the
Black Forest. After 8 slow miles of road works, we reached a clear section of
3-lane motorway which climbed on (max 1,570 ft/475 m) towards Stuttgart,
where we took exit 51 at 91 miles onto
A81/E41.
It was another 27 miles to
exit 30 for Horb, a medieval town on the River Neckar on the eastern side of
the Black Forest. We took rd 32 down into Horb, turned right to cross the
railway and the Neckar, then followed the camping signs (direction
Freudenstadt), which led us up and round to a campsite set high above the
river: about a mile west of the town as the crow (but not the motorhome)
flies. It's a large site, mostly statics, with a restaurant/bar (open),
outdoor pool (closed) and a field of Highland Cattle (order your beef for
next month at
Reception!)
Next morning was rainy, a good
chance to catch up on-line. After lunch it cleared and we walked down through
the woods to Horb (footpath with many steps, unsuitable for cycling). The
picturesque centre of the old walled town still has half-timbered houses,
largely restored after a fire in the 18th C. Everything was closed on this
Sunday afternoon except a welcome cafe in the market place, where we sampled
genuine Black Forest Gateau with our coffee before climbing the steep path
back. It was worth the
walk.
Cycling
Though the
weather remained wet and misty, we did cycle down into Horb and rode for 10 km
upstream (north) along the Neckar Cycle Path. We followed the route between the
narrow river and the railway, turning back beyond the next village of
Dettingen. Reaching Horb again, we stopped off at Aldi by the railway station.
It was an easy ride, apart from the stiff climb back from Horb to the
campsite: 26 km/16 miles total. Had the weather been
better, we might also have cycled to Tubingen, about 20 miles downstream from
Horb.
To Naturcamping,
Sunthauser See, Bad Duerrheim, Germany 63 miles (Height 2,350 ft/712
m)
Open all year.
See www.campingplatz-bad-duerrheim.de. ACSI
off-season card 16 + 3.20 local taxes per night; plus one-off charge of 2.50
for electricity connection, even for a single night's stay (the latter
disputed and finally waived!) Fees include 4 kWh of 16-amp elec per day
(excess charged at 0.50 per kWh) and a 5-minute shower per person per day
(excess charged at 0.10 per min). Fill of fresh water 1(!) WiFi free
(around Reception and the closed restaurant only). Unfriendliest Receptionist
ever encountered (which is saying something!) N 48Ί0'15 E
8Ί34'59
Leaving Horb on a
very wet day, we had phoned Riedsee Camping, a couple of miles southeast
of Donaueschingen a town near the source of the Danube. The
Campingplatzfuhrer assured us he had plenty of space for an 8-metre
motorhome. It seemed an ideal base for cycling some of the Danube Cycle Path,
whose German section runs for 380 miles/609 km from Donaueschingen to Passau,
near the Austrian border.
Circling down into Horb
(4 miles) we dropped from 1,800 ft/545 m to 1,275 ft/385 m at the Neckar
bridge, then climbed for 3 miles up B32 to join the A81/E41 motorway at 1,700
ft/515 m. As we headed south we reached a max height of 2,500 ft/757 m in the
damp Black Forest before taking exit 37 at 42 miles, onto A864 towards
Freudenstadt.
Turning off for Donaueschingen, we followed the SatNav
and campsite signs to Riedsee at 52 miles in the village of Pfohren. Now
Herr Campingplatzfuhrer indicated pitches on a waterlogged field, for
which the charge would be 17.60 + metered electricity (0.60/kWh). The only
hard-standing would be to park on the roadway by Reception, where we couldn't
put the awning out and would risk being run over if we stepped outside! When we
declined, he suggested a 'much bigger and better' site, 7 miles north near Bad
Duerrheim. Having already noticed this in the ACSI Card book, we took his
advice (and his free map of
Donaueschingen).
Returning north for 11 miles to this campsite on the
lake at Sunthauser (5 miles SE of Bad Duerrheim) we found a highly regulated
hi-tech camp with a young and uncaring Receptionist (let's call her 'Blonde
Fingernails' or 'BF'). Another employee directed us onto a good level pitch
with lake view. BF eventually deigned to come and plug us into the locked
electricity box, which required our long extension lead, without showing
us the meter reading or mentioning the connection fee. The only water filling
point cost 1: the first time we've seen a charge for campers already paying
over 20 a night to stay, as opposed to a cheap/free Aire/Stellplatz!
Margaret (who speaks fluent German) had to return to
Reception twice to unscramble where the showers were hidden and how the
electronic tag (needed to enter any of the facilities, including the gate to
the lakeside path, or to pay for showers or laundry) actually worked. The
Receptionist obviously resented any distraction from important telephone calls.
As it was getting late we decided to stay one night, improving our mood by
watching a DVD of 'Amadeus', the wonderful film about Salieri and Mozart, full
of poetic licence and superb music.
To Stellplatz at Sportzentrum,
Donaueschingen, Germany 7 miles (Height 2,200 ft/666
m)
Open all year.
Free dedicated parking for 10 motorhomes. Max stay 48 hrs. See
www.donaueschingen.de. Coin-op 16-amp hook-ups
0.50 per kWh. Fresh water (1) and free dump available at sewage works 1 mile
away, all well signed. No WiFi. N 47Ί56.842 E
8Ί30.731
Escape from the
prison camp at Sunthauser See was not easy. Given notice that we wished to
leave, the Receptionist (Miss BF again) quietly nipped across unseen to unhook
us, read the meter, lock the box and disappear while we were busy inside the
motorhome. Margaret went to pay. The bill listed the expected 19.20 (16 +
taxes), plus a charge for using more than 4 kWh (despite being careful and for
which we had to take Miss BF's word), plus a 'connection fee' of 2.50 which
had certainly never been mentioned on arrival. Total 23.35 for a site listed
as 16 in the ACSI discount book. Refusing to pay the 'connection fee', M
asked to speak to the Manager. Miss BF said there was no-one else there (a
blatant
lie).
Our next move was to drive to the barrier blocking the
entrance. By now 3 members of staff had gathered in Reception to argue and
shout at Margaret in rapid-delivery German. They were no match for M, who went
to school in the Black Forest! Miss BF insisted she had told us about the
connection fee if she had, we wouldn't have taken a hook-up for a one-night
stand. The male of the trio told us we'd been given a 'Comfort Pitch' because
of our size, which normally cost extra a Comfort Pitch with no drain and no
water (1 extra at a nearby tap)? M pointed out that the 2 smaller vans which
also arrived yesterday had been sited alongside us on similar pitches. The
2.50 connection fee was finally waived when M showed the wording in the
Camping Card ACSI book under 'Electricity': a connection is included.
Apparently, no-one has ever complained about this charge before!?
With hindsight, our advice about Naturcamping,
Sunthauser See, Bad Duerrheim, would be: (a) if you take a hook-up, ask to
check the meter reading at the start and end of your stay, and be aware that
you will be charged an extra 2.50 connection fee; (b) consider not taking a
hook-up, especially for just one night; or better (c) don't go at all we
later learnt there is a paying motorhome Stellplatz in the centre of
Bad Duerrheim by the Solemar Spa, which can only be better!
On leaving, we recalled staying on a
Stellplatz in Donaueschingen many years ago (Oct 1998 to be exact). It
was only 7 miles back to the town, where the Stellplatz on
Prinz-Fritzi-Allee near the Sports Stadium is well signed. It's a popular
place, being a short walk along the traffic-free Allee into the town centre.
Since our last visit, coin-op electric hook-up points had been installed and
they worked well, showing exactly how much remained on each socket. Parked
under a chestnut tree, we soon realised why no-one else had taken this nice
level spot, as conkers showered down on the roof! We took the only other spare
place and settled down at last to
lunch.
We had a pleasant
afternoon stroll into the old town centre (very Belle Epoque), called at
the Tourist Info and shopped at Lidl. This branch, like others in Germany, had
an in-house bakery with fresh rolls and croissants, as well as an adjoining
cafe that fortified us with coffee and Plunder (buns) before walking
back. The names of the buns reflect the German ability to incorporate English
words into the language. Barry had a Puddingberliner (iced donut, or
Berliner, with custard filling), while M chose a Herbstmuffin
(Herbst = autumn), filled with apple and cinnamon. Delicious.
When the Roman General (later Emperor) Tiberius visited
the area in 15 BC, he declared the source of the River Danube, the
Donauquelle, to be a spring that now lies in the
grounds of the princely Furstenberg Palace in Donaueschingen. On our last visit
we saw local boys collecting the coins thrown into the fountain, but now all
access to it is closed until 2014 for thorough cleaning and sanitisation! In
fact, two small streams the Breg and the Brigach meet just downstream of
our Stellplatz and the river resulting from this confluence is now the
official start of the Donau, marked by a statue of the infant Danube in
its mother's
arms!
Next day we set out to
find the Neckarquelle (source of the River Neckar) by bicycle.
Cycling
A
circular ride (50 km/31 miles) mainly on signposted cycle paths from
Donaueschingen to the Neckarquelle at Schwenningen, returning via
Villingen. On a showery morning we began by riding north from the Danube
Confluence, on a cycle route along the arrow-straight Romerstrasse
(Roman Road). At Zollhaus we turned east on a track through the Moos
the damp mossy forest where the Neckar rises to its official source, a
fountain in the park on the edge of Schwenningen. This has been nicely
renovated, with plaque and statue, much more impressive than the Danube
source. The Neckar is the fourth largest tributary of the Rhine, which it
joins at
Mannheim.
Having ridden 10 wet
miles, we continued into Schwenningen for a bite, though found little in this
non-tourist town. Settling for take-away coffee we turned west into a head wind
and another shower, to Villingen, the neighbouring town which has almost
merged. This had a fine cobbled pedestrian centre, inside the old town walls,
where a Friday market was in full swing. Plenty of food stalls competed for
our trade and good German sausages with fried onions set us up for the ride
back!
We returned south on a different route (partly signed),
more or less following the River Brigach through Brigachtal village, then
alongside the railway into Donaueschingen. Back at the Stellplatz our
reward was beanz on toast, followed by a DVD. We've just started watching a
boxed set of the old TV serial of Robert Graves' book 'I
CLAVDIVS' in 12 episodes.
To Camping
Sigmaringen, Sigmaringen, Germany 45 miles (Height 1,900 ft/575
m)
Open all year.
See www.erlebnis-camp.de.
ACSI off-season card 16 inc 6-amp electricity and shower tokens (otherwise
0.50 each). Good WiFi 2 per day; 5 for 3 days; 10 per week. N 48Ί5'1 E
9Ί12'29
Leaving Donaueschingen
eastwards, we passed the soggy campsite at Pfohren after 3 miles, then turned
left 2 miles later onto B31/33. In Geisingen we joined the 311, then paused in
Immendingen at 13 miles by Lidl (again with its own bakery/cafe) to shop and
eat lunch ham & cheese croissants and a slice of warm
Zwiebelkuchen (onion tart a Black Forest
speciality).
From
Tuttlingen the 311 for Ulm takes a new route through a tunnel (shown in our new
ADAC atlas but not the older SatNav), joins rd 14 southeast for 5 miles, then
turns northeast to Messkirch at 36 miles. Here we turned north on 313 to
Sigmaringen, where there is a small campsite on the south bank of the Danube
right by the Donauradweg (Danube Cyclepath). Entering town, follow the
campsite signs which lead improbably through a large car park at Kaufland
supermarket, past the motorhome Stellplatz (5 pay & display per
night, dump but no hook-ups), to the campsite
entrance.
We
had found the perfect base for a week's stay. The camp WiFi was reliable, the
Kaufland shopping centre less than 5 minutes' walk away and the town an
easy stroll along the riverside cycle/footpath. Walking into the fine old town
centre after lunch, we gathered information from the Tourist Office and railway
station: train timetables, a cycling booklet describing 7 circular day-rides
from Sigmaringen (www.radregion-sigmaringen.de) and another
booklet + map Radfahren im Suden, with all the long distance cycle
routes in Baden-Wurttemberg these were free, though only in
German.
The
weather turned cold, a chance to catch up on-line as well as doing tasks
like laundry and cleaning. Kaufland provided not only food but some
replacement cycle accessories (rear light, bell, speedometer) and even new
spectacles! Then a few days of autumn sunshine were perfect for riding.
Cycling 1. Circular ride via Bingen (25 km/16 miles). We started
eastwards along the Danube Cyclepath to Sigmaringendorf, then crossed the river
to ride north on quiet roads and cycle paths through the villages of
Lauchertal and Hitzkofen to Bingen. From there, circular ride no 5 'Fitness
Tour' (total 43 km/27 miles) continues climbing north, then circles back to
Sigmaringen via Veringenstadt and down the Laucher Valley Cyclepath. Instead we
took a short cut from Bingen on a dedicated cycle path that parallels road
L277, dropping neatly into the centre of
Sigmaringen.
2. Circular ride no 2, 'Family Tour'
(32 km/20 miles). An afternoon's ride, starting eastwards along the Danube
Cyclepath through Sigmaringendorf, Scheer and Ennetach. Turn off at 15 km,
before Mengen, to follow quiet lanes and cyclepaths west to Zielfingen, round
the bathing beach of a lake at Krauchenwies, then return to Sigmaringen with a
gentle climb through the Josefslust forest park and a descent into the town
centre. This was an easy varied route, though the bike signs were sometimes
ambiguous or hard to spot. It did encourage us to explore the
Donauradweg, resulting in the following
ride:
3. A 3-day tour (215 km/134 miles).
Cycle the Danube Cyclepath from Sigmaringen to Ulm (train from Ulm to
Donaueschingen), then cycle from Donaueschingen back to
Sigmaringen.
Day 1, Sigmaringen to Ehingen (77
km/48 miles). We left the motorhome on the campsite in Sigmaringen and cycled
the Donauradweg via Sigmaringendorf and Scheer to Mengen (and a coffee
break in the Lidl cafe). On to Riedlingen for a packed lunch, coffee and
pastries, before the final leg via Munderkingen to Ehingen. Here we turned off
the cycle path into the centre of this beer-brewing town in search of a room.
With hindsight, it might have been better to stay on the route, as we rode
through the teatime rush hour past Best Western type
hotels!
Turning down towards the railway station, we spotted
the Hotel Ehinger Rose with the Bett und Bike sign (www.ehingerrose.de). A restored 16thC inn, it
wasn't exactly budget accommodation but we treated ourselves to an excellent
evening meal there, as well as bed & breakfast. It had been a good day's
ride, the cycle path mostly on asphalt and well signed, though not always
alongside the Danube. The 'Bed and Bike' sign guarantees that the accommodation
offers secure indoor storage of cycles, though not (as we found) that the
proprietors know anything about cycle routes! The satellite TV in our room
showed BBC World and CNN, which sent us to
sleep.
Day
2 (61 km/38 miles) dawned much colder with a thick morning mist over
the fields and river, giving way to autumn sunshine in the afternoon. From
Ehingen there are 2 possible cycle routes to Ulm: the main path roughly
following the Danube or a variant via Blaubeuren and the Blau Valley. We set
out to take the Blautal route but, misguided by our host and a lack of
signs, a signposted cycle route led up to an agricultural landscape that was
eerily deserted and mistily reminiscent of the Yorkshire Wolds. Eventually,
with the help of a compass, we regained the river and took the route more or
less along the Danube: perhaps less scenic but flatter and better signed. In
Erbach we had a break for coffee and buns at the baker's, then rode into Ulm.
The last sign, Hauptbahnhof 1.5 km, should have led us directly to the
main station but the cycle path was blocked by a building site, with no
diversion indicated. Eventually we found our way into the city, got a brief
glimpse of the world's tallest cathedral spire and made it across several
lanes of traffic to the station. We had ridden 40 km (25 miles), arriving
Friday lunchtime when half the population of Ulm seemed to be taking a train!
The train to Donaueschingen (approx every 2 hrs) cost 13.50 per person, plus
5 per bicycle (tickets from the enquiry office, or the machines). Luckily we
were 30 minutes early for the 2.15 pm and able to board straight away and sit
with the bikes. By the time it left, several passengers were standing. German
trains (DB Deutsche Bahn) run smoothly to time and apparently
without staff, as once again our tickets remained unchecked.
Arriving in
Donaueschingen, near the source of the Danube, at 4.37 pm we cycled straight to
the Tourist Office, which closes at 5 pm. The staff, extremely busy with a
weekend Music Festival, advised that every bed in town was booked so we needed
to ride a few miles along the Donauradweg before dark. An assistant
kindly phoned a couple of hotels on our route and booked a room at
Gasthof Mond (the Moon Guesthouse) www.gasthof-mond.de. We understood that it was
about 16 km/10 miles away in Geisingen but, on asking in that village, we were
directed to the next settlement of Kirchen-Hausen, about a mile off our route.
It proved worth the detour, as we found a very welcoming little
hotel/restaurant. The sons of the owners have a haulage business, with plenty
of parking space, and the only other guests were a pair of friendly Polish
truck drivers for whom Margaret interpreted their English into the hostess's
German. Our bicycles were locked in the garage and we were soon revived by hot
goulash soup. Again, the TV in our room carried CNN so we caught up with their
version of the
news.
Day
3, return to Sigmaringen (77 km/48 miles). Another good German
breakfast (orange juice, coffee, cheese, cold cuts, freshly boiled eggs, rolls,
honey and jam) saw us on our way back to the Danube Cyclepath, which we would
follow all the way to the gate of our campsite at Sigmaringen. Chilled by an
early start, we stopped after 5 miles in Immendingen for coffee (and picnic
supplies for lunch) at the Lidl cafe. Riding on via Mohringen toTuttlingen,
sometimes by the narrow infant Danube, the sun broke through and we soon shed
gloves and top coats. It became more scenic as the river twists and turns
through limestone gorges and woodland, with the cycle route (not always
surfaced) well signed through Muhlheim, Fridingen and Beuron. There were a
couple of short climbs towards the end and it was absurd to be overtaken
by electric-bike-riders as we pedalled uphill, only to leave them behind on
the descent or on the flat. At the top of one hill, a couple of clumsy
e-bikers who had pushed past were now getting their breath back over a
cigarette break. We didn't see them
again.
For much of the
time over the 3 days, we had the cycle path to ourselves and were surprised how
little we saw by way of accommodation, camping or refreshment stops, though
perhaps more opens in the summer months. The popular stretches on the final day
brought hazards like dogs, toddlers and walkers, with most people apparently
deaf to bicycle bells as they stroll along the Donauradweg. This runs
for 609 km/380 miles across Germany before continuing through Austria and
Eastern Europe to the Danube Delta in Romania. It forms part of Europe's
premier long distance cycle route (Eurovelo 6)
from the French Atlantic to the Black Sea a total of 2,485 miles,or
almost 4000 km. Now that is something to aim for we'll begin to collect
information, make a 'to-do' list and do simple sums, eg 50 miles a day =
50 days + time off = 2
months.
To Camping Mueller-See, Riegel am Kaiserstuhl,
Germany 94 miles (Height 590 ft/180
m)
Open 1 Apr-4 Nov. See www.muellersee.de. ACSI off-season card 16 inc
16-amp electricity and shower tokens. Free WiFi .N 48Ί9'48 E
7Ί44'28
Leaving the campsite at
Sigmaringen, we called in the adjacent Stellplatz (opposite Kaufland
supermarket) to use the free ground-level dump. Staying there costs 5 per
night, with hook-ups at 2 an hour and a fill of water for 1). If you need
electricity, the campsite seems a better deal (16 per night, inc electricity
and
water).
After an awkward exit through
Kaufland's car park, we crossed the Danube bridge, then turned left at
the roundabout onto rd 313, southwest to Messkirch. A beautiful bright sunny
morning, though snow was forecast for the coming weekend! At 10 miles it was
right onto rd 311, which joins rd 14 for a short stretch before a tunnel into
Tuttlingen at 26 miles. Continuing left on 311, we stopped for a lunch break
and shopping at Lidl in Immendingen at 33 miles.
On past Geisingen and Donaueschingen
on rd 33/31, with occasional glimpses of the Danube and the cycle path we had
ridden. Road 31, the Schwarzwalder Strasse, took us on a lovely route
across the Black Forest to Freiburg. It climbed gradually to 3,114 ft/945 m
before the Titisee lake, then hair-pinned steeply down towards the Rhine
valley. We drove on through the busy centre of Freiburg at
78 miles, following signs to J62 of the A5 motorway 10 miles later.
Heading north up A5 for another 10 miles,
we turned off at J59 for Riegel. Cross the motorway and follow signs to an
excellent campsite by the small lake Mueller See (a flooded gravel pit now
popular for bathing and wind-surfing), about 2 miles from the village of Riegel
am Kaiserstuhl. A new Lidl-style supermarket/bakery called
Treff 3000, half way between the campsite and Riegel centre, is very
handy. We last stayed here 4 years ago and still have the local
cycling map bought from a bookshop in Teningen,
showing the many well-signed routes: Radwandern im Sudschwarzwald
series, Landkreis Emmendingen, 1:50000. Look out for little
green cycling signposts on the minor
roads.
Cycling
Ride
1 (30 km/19 miles) - a circular ride on a fine dry afternoon
round local villages on quiet lanes and marked cycle paths. Into Riegel, south
to Bahlingen, alongside the railway towards Nimburg, into Eichstetten and on to
Botzingen, then SE towards Neuershausen, returning north along a high river
bank to Eichstetten, then back on a different route from Bahlingen to Riegel.
Friday is market day in Riegel, with a few stalls in the centre, including one
selling hot roast chickens: a great end to the day!
This ride lay to the east of
the Kaiserstuhl (= Emperor's Chair), a conical hill of volcanic origin
(summit 1,838 ft/557 m above sea level) which rises 1,000 ft above the Rhine
Valley. The slopes are planted with vineyards and the area is known for its
Mediterranean flora and fauna (eg orchids and bee-eaters) within the sunny
micro-climate.
Ride 2 (33 km/21 miles) - a circular
ride on a cold bright afternoon, following 2 days of sheltering from rain and
sleet carried on the north wind. Cycled west via Whyl to meet the Rhine, then
south along the German bank on a gravel cycle path, the Rheinradweg,
passing beneath a bridge across to France. Turned off the river into the
village of Sasbach, where we sat on a bench at the railway station for a
chocolate break. The next train through was bound for Riegel but we resisted
the temptation! The single carriage Kaiserstuhl Bahn train circles the
dominant hill, serving all the villages, and we were impressed to see high
school children, who had left their bikes safely at the station, getting off to
ride home. Our route back to Riegel more or less followed the railway line
east via Endingen on quiet roads and farm lanes, the only traffic being
tractors harvesting the last of the corn. We got back shortly before dusk,
which fell an hour earlier since the clocks had just gone back.
Ride 3 (35 km/22 miles) a circular
ride on a warmer but more windy afternoon, again on signed cycle paths and back
roads. We began by crossing the A5 motorway and riding east to Hecklingen and
Malterdingen. Pockets of snow now lie on the surrounding hills. After 15 km in
Teningen, a larger village, we had coffee and buns in the bakery/cafe before
riding on along the bank of the Elz, disturbing a lone Grey Heron. After
passing Emmendingen (a large busy town on the other side of the river), we
turned west to Reute, crossed the A5 again to Nimburg, then returned north via
Bahlingen to Riegel. Although this week is the school half-term holiday, we
are sharing the campsite (and the beautiful heated facilities) with just one
other occupied caravan!
Ride 4 (40
km/25 miles) another circular ride in bright cold sunshine. Riding directly
via Endingen and Sasbach to the Rhine, we followed the Rheinradweg
briefly north, as far as the bridge. Here we crossed the river on a pair of
bridges into France, greeted by an EDF (Electricite de France)
hydro-electric works. The onward road to Marckolsheim was busy with trucks and,
this being France, had no edge or path for cycles, a marked contrast with the
peaceful lanes on the German side. We circled the next roundabout and returned
over the bridges and back to Sasbach. The bakery/cafe here (oddly, closed from
noon till 3 pm!) was now open and we fortified ourselves with coffee and
Linzertorte before riding back via Forchheim, as an alternative to
Endingen.
November
2012
The first
of November - All Saints Day - is a public holiday in Germany, with all the
shops closed (as they are on Sundays). In medieval England, the festival was
known as All Hallows, and its eve is still known as Halloween. It is
followed by All Souls Day on 2 November and cemeteries in Roman Catholic
countries are lavishly decorated with red candles, flowers and wreaths as the
faithful remember their
dead.
Here at Riegel, November
was heralded with a rising wind, a sharp fall in pressure and grey skies. We
made full use of the excellent facilities (heated modern shower block, well
equipped laundry and free WiFi), staying until Herr Mueller closed his
campsite. We did some planning and booked the Dunkirk-Dover ferry for a brief
return to England, as well issuing a 'Greek Warning' on our website, which
resulted in a flurry of
emails.
To Camping Officiel, Arlon, Belgium 200
miles (Height 1,260 ft/380
m)
Open all year.
See www.campingofficielarlon.be. ACSI off-season card
17.60 inc local tax, 6-amp electricity and showers. Free WiFi. N 49Ί42'8 E
5Ί48'24
A long day's journey through
4 countries, leaving Germany on a mild autumn morning, driving France's
toll-motorways in a drizzle of mist, crossing Luxembourg in heavy rain, then
buffeted by winds as we entered Belgium. We seem to be going in the wrong
direction!
From Riegel it was
1.5 miles back to the A5 motorway, northbound. Being Sunday, we had the bonus
of no HGVs on the roads, though that meant rest areas and service stations
were overflowing with parked trucks. We turned off at the next exit (58:
Herbolzheim) for fuel at the Autohof, then continued up A5 to exit 55
(Offenbach) at 26
miles.
Turning west along the narrow L98
for 7 miles, we crossed the Rhine into France and onto a dual
carriageway. Signs for Strasbourg led us along E25/N83 and onto the A35 at 39
miles. The busy 6-lane motorway is toll-free through the city, with no
congestion on this Sunday morning, though we have met long traffic jams in the
past.
At 50 miles
we joined the A4 toll-motorway, which was much quieter. By mid-morning it was
raining and misty as we climbed through the Vosges in Alsace, taking a break at
75 miles in the Aire de Quatre-Vents rest area up at 1,170 ft/355 m.
After reaching a max height of 1,220 ft/370 m, the motorway descended through
the hills of Lorraine, with a toll of 12.70 to pay at 108 miles. A second and
final toll (6.90) was charged 11 miles later, near St Avold. Lunch among the
lorries on the Longeville Services at 121 miles, in steady rain. Staying on A4,
now dubbed l'Autoroute de l'Est, we turned north near Metz at 140
miles, crossed the Moselle (its water level very high, as was the Rhine), then
took A31 for Thionville.
We crossed
into Luxembourg at 168 miles, a tiny country known to travellers for its
cheap fuel and duty-free goods. Too well known, as both the service stations
we passed before the Belgian border were packed full with buses, trucks and
cars. It was impossible to join the queue at the pumps in either Berchem, at
177 miles on A31, or in Capellen, 11 miles later on A6, and parking was out of
the question!
The rain hammered down onto the
poorly drained highway as we continued into Belgium at 191 miles, where
strong gusts of wind made conditions worse. With some relief, we turned off 6
miles later at exit 31, Arlon, taking N82 towards Bastogne. Turn left at the
junction with N4 and the Dutch-run campsite is just along on the right, with
very easy access. It had plenty of hard-standing space, good hot showers and
free WiFi, which worked well inside the
motorhome.
We liked
the English version of the owner's welcoming leaflet: 'During the winter season
the reception is undemand ...' and 'Drinkable water is available in the toilet
... Please bring your own paper'. You could even watch a Robbie Williams
concert on large-screen TV in the toilet block (bring your own tissues)!
There is
also a free motorhome Aire in Arlon at the Fire Station, for the first
four vehicles to find
it.
To Camping Le Pommier Rustique,
Durnal, Belgium 72 miles (Height 780 ft/235
m)
Open all year.
See www.camping-durnal.net. 22 inc 16-amp
electricity and showers, or 16 (weekdays only) with a coupon printed off the
camp's website. WiFi 3/day, 15/week, 25/fortnight. N 50Ί20'8 E
4Ί59'46.2
A damp still morning, as we
returned 3 miles to the A4/E25 motorway, pausing on the way at what looked like
a giant shopping mall. Apart from a disappointingly small Carrefour,
all the stores sold clothes or furniture and we didn't find the Belgian
chocolates we'd hoped to buy as
gifts.
Back on the
motorway, it was an easy (if wet) drive north, rolling high in the Ardennes to
a max height of 1,620 ft/490 m. We had lunch in a rest area after 46 miles,
sampling the take-away Frites for which Belgium is rightly famous. A
sharp descent followed, to cross the river Lesse 4 miles later, down at 650
ft/200 m.
From exit
19 at 70 miles, we turned sharp left for Spontin, then right onto N944 and
followed signs along the narrow twisting lane to a campsite near Durnal. This
proved to be a small sloping grassy site, with only 2 of the muddy hedged
pitches large enough to take us and one was already occupied. We managed to
manoeuvre onto the other, regretting the detour. Had it not been pouring down
and almost dusk, we would have returned to the motorway.
The manager came round after dark to
collect the fee and argued about the discount coupon we had printed, claiming
it was only valid for a 2-night stay. He didn't win and we paid 16 still
too much for the very basic facilities. Asking how to exit the site (given
that a barrier was padlocked), our host suggested we reverse or turn round by
the farm, both of which were impossible for anything larger than a car. Then
he left, obviously not interested in repeat
business.
To DFDS Car Ferry Port, Dunkirk,
France 177 miles (Sea level we
hope!)
Open all year.
See www.dfdsseaways.co.uk.
Free parking and toilets, maximum stay 14 days! N
51Ί01.261 E
2Ί11.868
In order to leave we had to
wait until a caravan vacated the opposite pitch at 10.30 am, enabling us to
reverse. There were no staff on hand to help or to unlock the barrier that
prevented an easy exit. This campsite at Durnal was a disgrace and ACSI will
be hearing from
us!
After an awkward 2 miles back to
motorway A4/E411, we headed north on a misty still morning, cold until a
glorious sun broke through at midday. At 15 miles we took A15/E42 westbound for
Charleroi, A7 past Mons, then onto A16/E42 for Tournai. From exit 32 (Tournai
East) at 90 miles, we drove a mile along N7 towards the town centre to find the
Lidl store with huge car park, remembered from our earlier stay at the Site de
l'Orient Campground (see the beginning of this article). Here we made lunch
and shopped, then it was back to the motorway, continuing west on
A27/E42.
We entered France at 105
miles, turned onto A25/E42 after 7 miles, passed Lille and headed northwest for
Dunkirk/Calais all on toll-free motorways. On meeting A16, we drove west to
exit 53 (Loon-Plage), then followed 'Car Ferry' signs for the final 7 miles to
the port.
As we settled down to dine and sleep
on the vast, almost empty car park, ready for the 0800 hrs sailing to Dover
tomorrow, there was a knock on the door. It was an English motorist, whose
Spanish-registered car had a flat battery. 'Got any jump leads, mate?'
Certainly and their loan was kindly rewarded with a bottle of Spanish
wine!
To Briarfields Touring Park,
Cheltenham, England 199
miles
Open all year.
See www.briarfields.net
. ACSI off-season card 16 (£14) inc 16-amp electricity and showers. Free WiFi.
N 51Ί5342' W
2Ί8'3
The DFDS ferry 'S/S Delft'
sailed promptly at 8 am and we were at the head of the self-service breakfast
queue for a great choice of good hot food. The crossing was calm and sunny, the
white cliffs gleaming into view well before we disembarked in Dover at 10.30
am or 9.30 British
time.
An easy exit onto A20 for M20, M26
and M25 westbound. Keep Left on these extremely busy motorways! We had a lunch
break at the new Cobham Services after 84 miles, exited onto M4 westbound 20
miles later, then another break at Reading Services at 128 miles. And so to the
Swindon exit, for the familiar route 'home' to Cheltenham, arriving
mid-afternoon. We were already missing
Germany.
(to
be continued with the next journey)
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