Highlights from Strasbourg to Bonn by Bike on Eurovelo 15

Day 1: Strasbourg to Karlsruhe, 66.6 miles

Today’s ride is our longest yet. It wasn’t supposed to be but after several detours away from the Rhine, some missing signs, and backtracking on our part, we end the day with a devilish number. We even get a short ferry ride over the Rhine. The long day is all worth it once we get there; a comfortable room and some delicious German Dunkel and Schnitzel. We still have no rain so we feel very lucky. Total miles to-date 296.9.

Bike path — Germany’s bike paths, most of which are paved, at least so far, are some of the best we’ve ever been on.

Day 2: Karlsruhe to Mannheim, 52 miles

We have fewer detours today than any other section of the EV 6 or EV 15 we’ve ridden so far. We originally plan this trip thinking we’ll have tailwinds, but so far we have pretty steady breezes against us from the north. We have a couple of ferry rides, as our route crosses back and forth over the Rhine. Total MTD 348.9.

Karlsruhe Palace, built in 1715, was a seat of power for two centuries.

Ferry ride — Eurovelo 15, as you travel north-south, has a number of ferry crossings across the Rhine.

Day 3: Mannheim to Mainz, 52.8 miles

Theme of the day is wine and Rhine (wein und Rhin). We ride through acre after acre (well hectare after hectare) of vineyards, and we follow the Rhine River pretty closely most of the day. Our day ends at a biergarten overlooking the river in Mainz. We have scheduled a rest day so we can take advantage of the Mainz farmers market, which is said to be pretty special. Total MTD 401.7.

German vineyard — Rhineland vineyards are a common sight on this part of our route.

Riverside beer garden — After a long ride, the riverside biergarten in Mainz is a welcome place to have a beer and some authentic German snacks.

Mainz room — We take a rest day in Mainz. When we unpack for the day, or in this case for 2 days, it’s like the stuff in our packs just explodes all over—clothes spread out on the extra bed, electronics and helmets lay out to be charged, and toiletries litter the bathroom.

Mainz riverfront — Especially on summer weekends, Mainz expands out to its riverfront for fun and relaxation.

Mainz Cathedral — The local cathedral in Mainz has several stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall.

Day 4: Mainz to Trechtingshausen, 28.5 miles

Today is pretty much the perfect day. It is flat, there is little wind, the sun is out and we have wine at a couple of riverside wine gardens. We plan for a short day today because we are staying in Burg Reichenstein, a UNESCO World Heritage site originally built in the 1100s. Total MTD 430.2.

Burg Reichenstein — Part of the castle has been converted to hotel rooms. It’s pretty amazing with its views over the Rhine.

We’re amazed at how much of an active, working river the Rhine still is.

Day 5: Trechtinshausen to Koblenz, 36.9 miles

Here are the sorts of things we say in the first 15 minutes of riding every morning: “I forgot to check the air in my front tire.” “My left knee is twinging a bit.” “How do we get up to that bridge?” “Why isn’t my phone charging?” Eventually we get back in the swing of things and somehow manage to get to our destination. We leave behind “our” castle this morning and ride to Koblenz, where the Mosel River meets, and empties into, the Rhine. Total MTD 467.1.

Picturesque ride — The ride to Koblenz winds through numerous riverside towns.

Koblenz fountain — Although it’s hard to see the detail from here, this fountain outlines the history of Koblenz.

Day 6: Koblenz to Bonn, 42 miles

With our ride today we pass the 500 mile mark. Bonn, of course, used to be the capital of West Germany until reunification in 1990. Its most famous citizen, Beethoven, was born here. Like nearly every city we’ve been through Bonn is extremely bike friendly. Total MTD 509.1

Mozart statue — Bonn is the birth place of Beethoven and there are lots of reminders of that throughout the city.

Bonn hotel room — Bonn was the capital of West Germany until reunification in 1990. Our hotel pays homage to some of that past.

Krause Travels