Elbe Radweg

[st599_uk]

Just starting to think about a tour next year. There's a high probability that I'll be working in Leipzig so I'm contemplating taking the train to Prague, then riding towards Cuxhaven.

Other than meeting friends en route and possibly trying to get tickets to the Millerntor to see St Pauli play (it's over 25 years since I last entered that den of madness as a 16 year old backpacker).

Does anyone have any must see places en route? Must stay hotels, hostels, campsites? Must try local delicacies?

[MrsHJ]

I haven’t done it but cicerone have a Mike wells book on the cycle route. Starting from Prague might be nice. I was able to figure out the route outline on cycle.travel. I have it somewhere I think. No guarantees for accuracy. I think I used the Elbe Germany route and added on the Czech section. My idea of fun planning in the winter! https://cycle.travel/map/journey/295653

[bohrsatom]

I rode it in 2014, from Usti Nad Labem (a short train ride from Prague) to Hamburg

As the route is so long it's quite varied. The prettiest section is the gorge just at the border of Czech and Germany, elsewhere you're often riding on dykes in wide river valleys. Not that this isn't enjoyable, it just can get a bit monotonous day after day.

However the towns on the way are interesting: Dresden (of course), Meissen (famous for porcelain but also wine too), Lutherstadt Wittenberg (Martin Luther), Worlitz (an amazing garden complete with artificial volcano), Dessau (home to Bauhaus and I remember a great ice cream shop), Magdeburg (worth a detour for the Hundertwasser building, also one in Wittenberg).... you also cross the border between East and West near Torgau. If you are interested there is some WW2 heritage along the way.

Even ignoring the bigger places there are smaller towns with shopping/camping/etc at regular intervals so you won't struggle to find somewhere to stay. And unlike canal routes you often go through the towns rather than skirt around them.

In a couple of places the route runs on both sides of the river so I'd recommend using the guidebook to help you decide which path to take.

This is a slightly vague and roundabout answer but happy to help further if you have specific Qs, and I'm sure the CUK Germany experts will be along soon!

[Galactic]

Everything that Bohrsatom said, but I'd also add that it's definitely worth adding a day or two into your itinerary to cycle around the sandstone hills a bit before and after the Czech-German border. They're quite spectacular, and the area is beautiful. The Czech side had a lot less tourists last time I was there.

Further along the river, as Bohrsatom says, it can get a bit monotonous, so it's worth taking off across country from time to time to see something different.

Also be aware this is a very popular route with pensioners, who often travel in packs. Last time I was there ebikes weren't a thing, and they cycled slowly and took over the whole path - there was no way to overtake them and if I came across a bunch of 'em the only thing to do was to have a break and give them a bit of a headstart, or to try and overtake them on parallel roads. Nowadays they're likely to be zooming along at 25km/h, so they're more likely to come up behind you than be clogging up the cycle route in front of you.

[Jedmaddock]

My wife and I rode the Elbe Cycle Path this past summer. Here is a link to my daily log with comments and photos about our experience.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/My2 ... nCycleTour

[plancashire]

I haven't ridden this one but I know some of the places.

• Stop at Kurort Rathen and visit the Bastei in the Sächsischer Schweiz near the Czech border. The swinging ferry is fun too.

• Attend a morning memorial service at the Frauenkirche in Dresden and look at the gift from the people of Coventry. Walk around the roof of the Zwinger.

• In Lutherstadt Wittenberg look at the church door where Martin Luther nailed his 96 theses and started the Reformation.

• All along the way look out for traces of the 30 Years War (1608-1648) which devastated Germany as the Reformation convulsed Europe.

• Much further on in Lauenburg have a look at the cobbled streets of the Altstadt and the self-driving buses there.

• In Hamburg visit the warehouses and canals in Speicherstadt. Look at the Elbharmonie concert hall.

• Take a ride on a tram.

• Everywhere notice how good the cycling facilities are and how many town centres are not dominated by traffic and parked cars. Sit in cafes and watch the world go by. The world is different there.

If you don't look European or look like a hippie be a little cautious in Sachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt, where right-wing thugs make trouble sometimes.

[bohrsatom]

• In Hamburg visit the warehouses and canals in Speicherstadt. Look at the Elbharmonie concert hall.

A trip to Hamburg isn't complete without a visit to Miniature Wunderland: https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com

[foxyrider]

• In Hamburg visit the warehouses and canals in Speicherstadt. Look at the Elbharmonie concert hall.

A trip to Hamburg isn't complete without a visit to Miniature Wunderland: https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com

+1!

I've been a few times, always something new but you do need several hours for a visit. There are quite a few good museums in the same area, from the Maritime Museum to the Prototyp Museum, Hamburg is worth a few days on its own.

There are lots of side trips from the Elbe, maybe the windmill museum at Gifhorn for example and if you get as far as Cuxhaven, a boat trip out to the seal sands or even Helgoland is nice.

[staffs cyclist]

Quote from OP: Other than meeting friends en route and possibly trying to get tickets to the Millerntor to see St Pauli play (it's over 25 years since I last entered that den of madness as a 16 year old backpacker).
i have wondered about getting tickets to see St Pauli, how do you plan to go about it?

[st599_uk]

i have wondered about getting tickets to see St Pauli, how do you plan to go about it?

You can buy them from the club or the Fanladen which is owned by the supporters.

The Fanladen get an allocation for overseas fans. (Which are easier to get as the DFB announce match dates and times in blocks, so you only get a few weeks notice)

[LucyEliz]

Reading this thread with great interest as I'd love to do this route too - so many good suggestions here! I'd be departing from the UK though, and don't know how easy it would be to get the bike to Prague...

[Jdsk]

... how about the sleeper?
viewtopic.php?t=153006

Jonathan

[LucyEliz]

My wife and I rode the Elbe Cycle Path this past summer. Here is a link to my daily log with comments and photos about our experience.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/My2 ... nCycleTour

I am REALLY looking forward to reading this - thanks for posting!

[LucyEliz]

... how about the sleeper?
viewtopic.php?t=153006

Jonathan

Good thinking! Thanks for that link. Would need to take ferry over because of bloody Eurostar still (as far as I know) not allowing non-folding bikes. Time to write to them again, perhaps...

[Jdsk]

... how about the sleeper?
viewtopic.php?t=153006

Good thinking! Thanks for that link. Would need to take ferry over because of bloody Eurostar still (as far as I know) not allowing non-folding bikes. Time to write to them again, perhaps...

They are, but only on certain trains:
viewtopic.php?p=1779766#p1779766

Jonathan