The Bergisches Panorama cycle path leads from Hattingen above Wuppertal and Solingen to OlpeThe newly joined line is now the longest German rail route (approx. 87 km on the former Railway lines).
Route profile
- Length: 132 km
- Signposting: Standard-compliant with its own logo, but also provisional intermediate signposts from the printer. There are some loopholes.
- Slopes: few, after Solingen it goes into the deep valley of the Wupper and then up again
- Path condition: good, over 80% paved.
- Traffic load: many places will be driven through on local roads. Behind Marienheide approx. 20 km country road. A total of approx. 40 km of country roads, a smaller part of which has a cycle path alongside the road.
- Suitable bike: Touring bike with gear shift and working lighting system (tunnel!).
- Family suitability: partially.
- Inline suitability: partially.
background
The route starts at Dysentery and partly accompanies the river Wupper / Wipper. Then we follow the Agger and cycle around a reservoir that bears her name. In the end, the route meets the big one Biggesee, also a reservoir. Who made the trip on the Ruhr-Sieg cycle path, with further sections of the railway line, comes back to the Ruhr and there is a large circuit. The landscape becomes the Bergisches Land and the Sauerland assigned.
A total of 7 former railway lines ("Trassen") are used in this order:
1. Coal line
2. Nordbahntrasse
3. Corkscrew route
4. Mountain railway line
5. Balkan terrace
6. Wippertrasse
7. Aggertal railway line
The "Nordbahntrasse" and the "Balkantrasse" were created as citizens' projects.
The route suffers from the not so good transitions between the railway lines and the topography of the Bergisches Land (many small hills). The first 50 km of the route are the best, as they run almost exclusively on railway lines and also meet the panoramic requirements.
The route has no given direction.
preparation
getting there
Public transportation
- the S-Bahn station Hattingen middle could be the starting point of the route.
- the Vohwinkel train stations of the Wuppertal suspension railway and the normal regional railway are on the route.
By bicycle
- German soccer route
In the street
- The exit on the BAB 46 is recommended Vohwinkelto meet the panorama bike path in Vohwinkel. There is a large Park & Ride car park at Vohwinkel train station.
Route description with sights
Hattingen – Solingen: approx. 50 km
The first stage uses the railway lines almost continuously.
- Hattingen - The start on the Ruhr is 60 m above sea level. NN. also the lowest point of the route. From now on it's slowly going uphill. After crossing the street, the Coal line and almost at the beginning there is a 195 m long tunnel (Schulenberg tunnel). There are two plausible starting points: the first is the last Hattinger junction from the Ruhrtal cycle path. The other is the old town of Hattingen. At the latter start, it is best to follow the German Football Route until you are on the route. In contrast to the panorama cycle path, this route is signposted here. After the tunnel, the route has a water-bound cover.
- Sprockhövel - the place is passed through on the route without interruption.
- Quellenburg
- → Connection to the From-Ruhr-to-Ruhr cycle path to Weather
- Schee station - The station building dates from 1886, is now privately owned and is a protected monument. Due to its original condition, a ZDF television film was shot here. (Partly wikipedia) After the train station comes the tunnel of the same name, which is quite striking with its two tubes. The cycle path does not always follow the route. A supermarket and two discount stores invite you to shop. But there are still many gastronomic offers to follow, so that you can leave your wallet tucked away.
- Wichlinghausen - Here the route of the coal railway ended, with the result that we are now properly on the Nordbahntrasse drive. The quality of the route is high, with a width of 6 meters in places. One tunnel follows the next, a total of 5 of the dark, only LED-lit tubes are passed over a distance of approximately 11 km. The Dorp tunnel is the last and longest at 488 m.
- The Balkan Express used to run from here. The branching off new railway cycle path on the Balkantrasse (also called Schwarzbachtrasse) is only 1.7 km long, but offers another tunnel and a viaduct. There is no connection to the southern section of the Balkan Terrace.
- Mercy - the eastern, formerly independent part of Wuppertal is located south of the route, whereby the place is also briefly passed.
- Elberfeld
- Vohwinkel - this is where the Nordbahntrasse ends in a Park & Ride car park, which is suitable for free parking along the route. We pass the suburb's suspension railway station and follow the signs through a rather ugly area. Soon, however, the Corkscrew route which is not asphalted at the beginning. We are now in
- Solingen - 221 m above sea level NN - the city is passed on a high route, numerous viaducts and two tunnels provide variety before we have to turn left. Now it goes through a few local streets, but also the short ones Mountain railway line is used. It gets hilly and we reach
- Solingen-Meigen - the place is quite lonely in a green landscape
Solingen-Meigen – Marienheide: approx. 45 km
At the beginning of the stage we say goodbye to the railway lines and follow the Wupper to the southeast. In Wermelskichen we meet the Balkan Terrace, the route going east. The rail route portion of the stage is approx. 27 km.
- Meigen - there follows a small nature reserve with correspondingly poor paths.
- Müngsten Bridge Park - follow the bridge path and later the Wupper on the right bank to a cable ferry. Here you have to bob vigorously to move the basket (capacity 10 people, fare 1 € from 16 years) across the river. There is a basket guide who lends a hand. Delays can occur on summer weekends.
- Castle - we experience the Bergisches Land with its typical hills. The castle castle on one of the hills is a landmark of the region and is passed after a steep country road. The route crosses the
(Autobahn entrance) and reached - Wermelskirchen - Unfortunately the place has to be driven through over a long distance.
- Bergisch Born - the high route allows a view of the first dam (Wuppervorperre). After the lake we pass the 220 long Höhsieper tunnel, which is divided by a vertical partition. Bats are said to live behind the partition wall, and they eke out their intended shadowy existence here.
- Hückeswagen - We are now in the reservoir area of the water quintet, which consists of 5 dams, some of which we will get to know better. The Wupper changes its name to Wipper.
- Wipperfürth - 280 m above sea level NN - in the old Hanseatic city we have to drive around a cyclist roundabout before we can hear the rustling of the rockers again. Later, shortly before Marienheide, we drive through the only 90 m long Krummenohler tunnel.
- Marienheide
Marienheide – Olpe approx. 38 km
A partially unpleasant section with about 20 km of country road use. The rail route portion of the stage is approx. 12 km. This section is partly still under construction [2016], whereby the construction sites can be bypassed.
- Marienheide - a local street (one-way street), which essentially serves a campsite, passes the Brucher Dam (wikipedia).
- Müllenbach - In the village it goes deep down into the valley and then up again without a sight being recognizable. After the village, continue on Landesstraße 337, which is mostly narrow and poorly developed. Motorists drive slowly here, motorcyclists tend not to.
- Dannenberg - at approx. 450 m above sea level NN the highest point on the route. We stay true to the state road.
- Aggertalsperre - After passing the dam, turn left onto a gravel path. After crossing the reservoir, there is a good but not very long asphalt road. The main road follows again.
- Pernze - the bike path on the Aggertalbahn route that we meet is not yet ready. The river in the valley is the Dörspe, which flows into the Agger at Derschlag. The source is just before Wegeringhausen on the left at the Dümpel (hill).
- Wegeringhausen - 409 m above sea level NN - the Wegeringhausen tunnel is the longest on the route at 724 m and passes under the village, which is also a high point in relation to the valley. The tunnel is closed in winter to protect wild bats from cyclists.
- Hützemert - the former, now newly refurbished train station has been further developed into a garden restaurant (see photo)
- Drolshagen - 353 m above sea level NN - the old city has to be cycled through. There are shops right on the way. After the place there is soon a bay of the Bigge lake, which we cross.
- Olpe - 307 m above sea level NN
Detour
Wermelskirchen - Leverkusen
Follow the signposted Balkantrasse for 19 km to Opladen train station.
Pernze - Gummersbach
Cycling west from Pernze you get across Bergneustadt and The punch to Remmelsohl. This continuation of the railway line is now also signposted as the Bergischer Panorama Cycle Path. Incidentally, from Niederseßmar to the Brucher dam near Marienheide it is only an 11 km route, but without a developed cycle path.
Continuation of the tour
- Ruhr-Sieg cycle path
- Ruhr valley cycle path
- From-Ruhr-to-Ruhr cycle path - uses other old railway lines, from Hattingen to Quellenburg parallel guidance with the panorama cycle path
security
- There are posts and barriers that are not always easy to see. It is better to drive slowly first to explore the route.
- The first stage in particular is heavily used by pedestrians who wander through the dimly lit tunnels unlit. A bright light on your own bike is very useful, it is better to drive slowly.
References to literature and maps
- Rivers and railway lines Bergisches Land: Panorama cycle paths, Siegtal, Ruhr-Sieg cycle path and Lenneroute in the Sauerland. Esterbauer, ISBN 3850006816 .
