The Ahr cycle path accompanies the Ahr from Blankenheim in North Rhine-Westphalia through the "valley of red wine" to the mouth near the Barbarossa city Sinzig in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Route profile
- Length: 77 km (2 km for alternatives)
- Signposting: Green cyclist on a blue ribbon of the Ahr under a purple-colored "roof", together the river and roof form a triangle
- Slopes: up: 84 Hm, down: 502 Hm
- Path condition: mostly asphalt, again and again sudden sand and gravel stretches with blue cycle path signage (photo). The logic is that only asphalt is used if other road users (such as winegrowers) also use a section.
- Traffic load: shorter sections on country and local roads. In the lower Ahr valley there are sometimes a lot of pedestrians.
- Suitable bike: Touring bike with gear shift
- Family suitability: With the exception of the lively lower Ahr and the Fuchshofen - Schuld section, all children can ride the route without any problems.
- Inline suitability: only partial routes
background
The route leads along the Ahr valley, which initially appears as a rather narrow, winding valley. In the Hönningen area, the valley is bordered by steep rocks. Later it continues and the viticulture begins, at the end of the day the view widens towards the Rhine. The number and size of the places seem to increase steadily over time. There are some stone sculptures along the way, the meaning of which is explained.
The entire route has only a few steep sections, only at Blankenheim is there a little more pedaling. The Railway cycle paths on the former and dismantled Ahr valley railway line have only the slight gradient of a railway line, plus some bridges and tunnels as highlights. The total length of the railway line sections could be almost 30 km, of which 12.5 km in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Getting in and out of the route is easy to manage by train, the part along the Ahr Valley Railway (Ahrbrück-Remagen-Bonn) that is still in operation is also ideal for smaller stages and the return to a station on the rails.
preparation
Depending on how the tour is planned, please inform in advance about the following dates, possibilities, etc.:
- Travel times of the Ahr Valley Railway = Rhine-Ahr Railway (RB 30) also for intermediate transports, shortcuts, spontaneous journeys home. The route: Kreuzberg (Ahr) ↔ Altenahr ↔ Mayschoss ↔ Rech ↔ Dernau ↔ Walporzheim ↔ Ahrweiler Markt ↔ Ahrweiler ↔ Bad Neuenahr ↔ Heimersheim ↔ Bad Bodendorf ↔ Remagen ↔ Oberwinter ↔ Rolandseck ↔ Bonn-Mehlem ↔ Bonn-Bad Godesberg ↔ Bonn Hbf is at least served every hour.
- Arrival or departure by train, information e.g. about the VRS, VRM or local transport NRW
- Wine festivals along the wine-growing areas
- Big events like Tour de Ahr Valley (2016 on June 12th)
getting there
By train
If you start at the source, you can take the train to the train station "Blankenheim Forest" at. The Eifel trainsRE12, RE22 and RB24 drive every hour from Cologne and Bonn via Euskirchen (with a stop in Bl.Wald) to Jünkerath, Gerolstein and sometimes Trier and vice versa. From the train station it is then the 5 km to Blankenheim by bike (50m ascent to Blankenheimer Dorf, then again descent to Blankenhein) or by bus line 832 (bike is unclear?).
There are even more options when starting from the estuary. Sinzig is located on the left-hand Rhine route, which runs from Cologne via Bonn, Koblenz and Bingen to Mainz and is accordingly frequented as the main railway line. Arrivals from the Düsseldorf, Wuppertal and Ruhr area are also possible without having to change trains. Sinzig is served by both the VRS and the VRM.
By bicycle
see connections
In the street
The A1 from the Ruhr area via the Kölner Ring, Erftstadt and Euskirchen ends at Tondorf on the B 51. To the west (Dahlem) follow the federal road for a few kilometers and then leave the bypass of Blankenheim, the B258 leads right into the town.
The B 258 also follows the Ahr to Müsch and then turns south. The Ahr valley is then opened up to Dümpelfeld by the L 73, then the B 257 to the junction of the A 573 at Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. Go under the A 61 (which takes up the two connecting highways) on the B 266, past the connection A 571, to the Rhine. South lies Sinzig, north Remagen, on the other side of the Rhine Linz on the Rhine.
Route description with sights
- Blankenheim · Km: 0 - the spring is hidden deep down in a half-timbered house. The young Ahr crosses the place in a channel and flows into the swan pond, which you can go around if you want. The cycle route goes to the side of the B 258. Soon it continues on the left side of the road until, after a steep climb, the route of the former Ahr Valley Railway is reached.
- Ahrhütte Km 9.6; Total altitude: 60m
- Ahrdorf · Km: 14.4; Sum of the Hm: 87m - connection on the Kalkeifel cycle path via Ahütte Gerolstein (Kylltal cycle path) and on the mineral springs route to Down (Maare-Moselle cycle path)
- Müsch · Km: 20.3
- → Antweiler - The bike path leads past the place.
- Fuchshofen · Km: 27.1 - this is the country road. At the weekend you can compete with the many motorcyclists who are looking for a challenge here.
- fault · Km: 33 - behind the village begins a railway cycle path with a short, unlit tunnel
- Insul Km 35.4
- → at Dump field starts the Eifel volcano bike routethat continued over Adenau until Nürburgring leads
- Hönningen · Km 40.2 - there is a bunker on the left in the mountain before the village, which can be explored with a torch.
- Brück district → turn off to Ahrbrück · Km: 43.3 - Ahrbrück train station with regional Ahrtalbahn trains.
- Kreuzberg · Km: 46.5
- Altenahr · Km: 48.7 - new railway cycle path with tunnel (beautiful three tunnel view at the entrance), ceiling mostly roughly split, but also wire mesh on bridges and asphalt where the route is not used. The active railway line uses the other track and another tunnel.
- Laach · Km: 50.8 - the asphalt path along the road leads through the village.
- Mayschoss · Km: 53.1 - cycle path further on the railway line, after the train station the illuminated Saffenburg tunnel with a length of 235 m follows. The castle ruins are the oldest in the Ahr valley.
- Right · Km: 54.7 - another wine-growing village with refreshment stops.
- Dernau Km: 57
- Ahrweiler · Km: 62.2 - the historic place with its half-timbered core is shaped by tourism and offers a more than plentiful gastronomic offer. At the entrance to the village, the mighty impresses Kalvarienberg Monastery, which was built on the holy mountain of the same name in 1630.
- Bad Neuenahr- you cycle past the Kurhaus, which also houses a casino.
- Heimersheim Km: 70
- Bad Bodendorf · Km: 72
- Sinzig · Km: 74.5 - here the route splits into two alternatives, one of which crosses the town.
- Remagener District Kripp · Km: 77 - Rhine ferry to Linz on the right bank of the Rhine
connections
- On the Rhine cycle route Further downstream (north) to the former federal capital Bonn. Another alternative: Take the same path upstream (south) direction Koblenz.
- Car ferry to Linz on the Rhine
- Urft cycle path - Direction Rurtal
- Eifel high route - 230 km round trip: Blankenheim ↔ Dahlem ↔ Hellenthal ↔ Monschau ↔ Heimbach ↔ Gemünd ↔ Kall ↔ Mechernich ↔ Nettersheim - radroutenplaner.nrw: Info
- Kalkeifel cycle path - from the Kyll to Ahrdorf
- Eifel volcano bike route - Connection from the Nürburgring
Car-free day of action
- On a section from Blankenheim to Dümpelfeld and with cross connections to the Kylltal to Hillesheim, the motto is once a year: car-free cycling (or inline skating or hiking). On the day of action Tour de Ahr Valley the routes are closed to motorized traffic. In addition to free travel, there are other events and offers on the route as well as shuttle buses for the return transport, primarily for families with small children.
