Hessian long-distance cycle route R3 - Hessischer Radfernweg R3

The Hessian long-distance cycle route R3 offers a lot of variety along its route. The route leads from the rough Rhön about Fulda and that Kinzigtal in the Rhine-Main conurbation. From Wiesbaden it will be in RheingauMediterranean. Vineyards cover the slopes here.

The Milseburgradweg on the former railway line (black) is part of the R3 (green) right: Ulstertal cycle path u. Rhön cycle path, · Bottom left: Hess. Long-distance cycle route R1-Fulda cycle path · Zoomable OpenStreamMap map of the R3 long-distance cycle path · here

Route profile

Main cycle path before Hochheim
  • Length: 258 km
  • Signposting: good norm-compliant standard of the Hessian long-distance cycle routes
  • Slopes: flat on most parts, in the Rheingau there is an alternative on the banks of the Rhine.
  • Path condition: Well
  • Traffic load:
  • Suitable bike:
  • Family suitability: largely yes
  • Inline suitability:

background

preparation

getting there

Public transportation

The R3 is between Fulda and Rudesheim in the Rheingau To the east of Fulda in the Rhön there is only on Sundays and public holidays from May 1st to October 3rd the Rhön-Rad-Bus with free bicycle transport.

Larger train stations on the route are Fulda, Hanau, Frankfurt am Main and Mainz. There are long-distance connections here, but none run between Fulda and Hanau IC's, but only regional express trains and ICE without bicycle transport. Separate IC's also keep in Bingen, which can be reached with the ferries from Rüdesheim. Mainz-Kastel and Rüdesheim can be reached with regional express trains.

All train stations on the route (including Mainz) are in the tariff area of ​​the RMVwhere bicycles can be taken along for free. The group day ticket is worthwhile from 4 people for a single journey, from 2 people for there and back.

By bicycle

Route description with sights

Corner points of the route

Stage Thann - Fulda: 39 km

  • Tann (Rhön) km: 0 · 353m - Pretty little Rhön town with old town and castle
  • → Branch at km 8.7 to Hilders on the Rhöhnradweg and Ulstertalradweg, access to the Milseburgradweg.
  • Milseburgradweg - Attractive railway cycle path with a 1187 m long tunnel. The Milseburg tunnel is official[1] closed from November to March. In practice, the closure should be from the end of October to mid-April. The period of the rest room for the bats in winter depends on the rest requirements of these flight animals. During the closing time, a four-kilometer bypass route with a steep rise is available. The highest point of the route is the former Milseburg train station.
  • Eckweisbach km: 10.6 448 m
  • Branch to Milseburg and tunnel bypass: km 15.6 · 542m
  • Access to the tunnel bypass: km 17 515m
  • Langenbieber: km 24.8361m
  • Götzenhof: km 34.2326m
  • Fulda Domplatz: km 38.9 · 262m - Baroque old town with castle and cathedral

Fulda - Wächtersbach: 55 km

→ Connection to the Hess. Long-distance cycle route R1-Fulda cycle pathwith which the R3 now shares a short section.
  • Fulda-Johannesberg - with the provost office
  • Neuhof
  • Ridge - Rhine / Weser watershed (steeper slope)
  • Kinzig reservoir - dam wall
→ Detour to Bad Orb

3rd stage: Wächtersbach - Hanau: 40 km

This stage leads as far as possible within sight and earshot of the motorways along the Kinzigauen located here and does not present any major technical difficulties, as the streets and paths are paved throughout. A special spectacle is the regular flooding, especially in the winter months, of which this long-distance cycle path is not spared, so that one is forced to use alternative routes to continue, which, however, are adequately signposted, except in extremely extreme floods. If the temperatures in winter fall below freezing point after heavy rain showers, huge ice surfaces form in the Kinzigauen, which families with children like to use as a free ice rink. Due to the route, some not uninteresting places along the road are left out, including Wirtheim, Haitz, Höchst, Meerholz, Hailer, Lieblos and Rothenbergen. If you want to travel to these places, you have to fight your way through the roads that are sometimes heavily used by motor vehicles - there are no bike paths here.

~ Bicycle symbol 01 KMJ.png ~> From Wächtersbach it goes over the railway line and then further on dirt roads along the Kinzig. Over a distance of 10 km, the route mainly leads along the railway line and the motorway through the Kinzigauen until finally the next town is reached.
  • Gelnhausen (159 m) - The Barbarossa town of Gelnhausen is known nationwide above all for its imperial palace and the beautiful old town. The Romanesque-Gothic St. Mary's Church from the 13th century towers over the old town as a landmark that can be seen from afar. The train station is located south of the Kinzig.
~ Bicycle symbol 01 KMJ.png ~> The bike path leads south past the old town and then over the busy arterial road towards Roth. Over a railroad crossing it goes on to the Kinzigauen, then the A66 crossed on a lightly traveled district road and followed the course of the Kinzig downstream. Passing the Langenselbold airfield, after crossing the A66 reached the next town of the stage.
  • Langenselbold (130 m) - Former residence of the Lords of Isenburg, Langenselbold is now mainly a shopping town with its 14,000 inhabitants. In addition to the castle, the Protestant church from the 18th century is particularly worth seeing. Langenselbold train station is located far south of the city, but can be easily reached via a cycle path.
~ Bicycle symbol 01 KMJ.png ~> From the ascent to Schloßberg, the last major ascent of the route, there are two signposted route variants. The southern route leads over the A66 past the Kinzigsee through the Kinzigauen, but this road is flooded when there is high water, which is particularly common in the winter months. In this case there is an alternative, to the north of the motorway on the straight dirt road under the A45 through.
  • Return (114 m) - Rückingen is one of two districts of Erlensee with 6000 inhabitants. The small old town offers several sights with the moated castle, the Protestant church and the castle. There are bus connections to Hanau and Langenselbold.
~ Bicycle symbol 01 KMJ.png ~> The place is left south over the historical Kinzigbrücke, on dirt roads it goes again over the Kinzig and then over a well-developed forest path along the "Stadtautobahn" (former B40) towards Hanau.
  • Hanau (104 m) - The 90,000-inhabitant metropolis of Hanau was largely reduced to rubble and ashes during the Second World War and is now mainly known as an industrial and railway town, but still offers some buildings worth seeing, including the historic St. Mary's Church, the Marstall and the chancellery the former Hanau City Palace and the Frankfurter Tor on the northwestern edge of the city center. Hanau has the main train station as a supraregional railway junction, but for cyclists it is more convenient to use the Hanau West train station.
~ Bicycle symbol 01 KMJ.png ~> Passing the old town of Hanau, it goes on city streets (some with heavy traffic!) Again over the Kinzig and then on a dirt road in the direction of Kesselstadt.

Hanau - Frankfurt: 55 km

  • Hanau West train station
  • Philippsruhe Castle with park and orangery is located on the western edge of Hanau directly on the banks of the Main.
  • Maintal-Dörnigheim
  • Ferry Dörnigheim - Mühlheim (currently closed)
  • Ferry between Bischofsheim and Rumpenheim (Offenbach)
    • Rumpenheim Castle
  • Continue with that Main cycle path above
  • Offenbach am Main to
  • Frankfurt am Main - Iron bridge

Stage Frankfurt - Mainz-Kastel: 40 km

For a detailed description, see: Main cycle path

Alternative route on the south side between Höchst Bridge and Eddersheim lock. The bike must be carried over the stairs.

For a detailed description, see: Main cycle path

Alternative route on the south side between Höchst Bridge and Eddersheim lock. The bike must be carried over the stairs.
  • Hochheim am Main - The old town, which is well worth seeing, towers above the long-distance cycle path and can be reached through the station underpass, the street on the left and then up the dead end on the right, past the baroque church of St. Peter and Paul.
  • Mainz-Kastel - the Wiesbaden district opposite the state capital Mainz.

Mainz-Kastel - Eltville - Ruedesheim

Drive along the banks of the Rhine until you can't go any further and then a short distance on Biebricher Straße. At the white Wiesbaden-Biebrich town sign, turn left onto the company premises and then continue along the banks of the Rhine.

  • Wiesbaden-Biebrich with the Biebrich Castle - Uferweg
  • Wiesbaden-Schierstein past the harbor and over the dike
  • in the Rheingau the R3a (old R3) does not run directly on the Rhine, but from Eltville hilly through the vineyards over the Eberbach Monastery. Advantage: The route is away from traffic with beautiful viewpoints. Disadvantage: some longer inclines with "lost altitude". Alternative Rhine cycle path to Oestrich-Winkel via the side road or always along the bank to Rüdesheim. On Sundays when the weather is nice it gets very crowded on the Rhine.
    • Walluf - the official route goes into the village and then on the bike path next to the busy road with no view of the Rhine to the roundabout in Eltville and then the road up to Kiedrich. You turn before the sights of Eltville.
      Therefore it is better to take the riverside path to Eltville and drive back the main road to the roundabout. The electoral castle with the rose garden greets you from afar.
    • Eltville on the Rhine - Wine, champagne and rose city with the electoral castle and very beautiful half-timbered houses.
      From here now signposted as R3a. The cycle path leads to Eberbahch Monastery on or along the road.
      As an alternative to the bike path next to the road to Kiedrich, in the extension of the pedestrian zone you come to Schwalbacher Strasse, from which Holzstrasse branches off to the left. Via Scharfensteinstraße you get to the path through the vineyards and then turn left into the town center.
      4.5 km - 100 meters in altitude
      Ascent assistance: The hourly bus 172 from Eltville train station to Eberbach Monastery takes individual bicycles with it if there are no strollers or wheelchairs.
      From Eltville, the R3a leads on moderate inclines over the vineyards through the Rheingau.
    • → Alternative via the riverside path directly along the Rhine to Rüdesheim.
    • Kiedrich - Wine village in the middle of the vineyards with the St. Valentinus Church
      2.5 km - 60 meters in altitude
    • Eberbach Monastery - The outdoor facilities alone are worth a break.
    • Steinberg wine domain with a wonderful view and a wine trail, cellar tours and wine bar on weekends. You can drive through the walled-in vineyard in a westerly direction and come out below at the south gate, where the R3a continues.
      The cycle path now leads through the farm roads of the Rheingau.
    • → Hallgarten - Wine village above the bike path in the middle of the Rheingau, up the street.
      → At the fork in the valley cut, the R3a goes down to Oestrich-Winkel. To get to Vollrads Castle, you should turn right, then right at the next fork and then left straight to the castle.
    • → Vollrads Castle - Gastronomy in the inner courtyard, but no interior viewing. · Above the bike path.
      On the west side of the castle, a path turns off that leads to the Johannisberg district of the municipality Geisenheim runs in. The castle is in the south.
    • → Detour to Johannisberg Castle - Viewing terrace and gastronomy, but no interior tour.
    • angle (Municipality of Oestrich-Winkel)
    • Geisenheim - University of Applied Sciences with a beautiful, well-tended garden.
  • Rudesheim am Rhein - much visited Weinstadt at the beginning of the Middle Rhine Valley. Here the R3a ends at the market square by the church, while the new R3 already ends at the Hindenburg bridge ruins.

New R3 along the Rhine

  • The old R3 now has the designation R3a.
  • Since 2012, the new R3 has been running on the renewed asphalt path along the Rhine from Eltville on the Rhine to Rüdesheim.
    To the ferry from Mittelheim to Ingelheim Frei-Weinheim it is identical to the new Rhine Cycle Route. After the Winkel district, it turns onto the parallel main road, but you can also drive on the somewhat uneven towpath and continue to enjoy the view of the Rhine. After Geisenheim you drive around the leisure harbor and then drive under the last arch of the former mighty Hindenburg Bridge, which was blown up by the Wehrmacht in the last days of the war. The signage ends here. To Rüdesheimer Ufer, turn left behind the bridge and then past the swimming pool. The railway barriers are often closed for a long time. There are several underpasses.

A further journey is via the Rheingau Riesling Route possible Middle Rhine Valley, on the Rüdesheim side there is still no continuous cycle path, so it's best to take the ferry to Bingen. The use of the heavily trafficked B 42 is not recommended in the future either. The last place in Hessen is Lorchhausen.

Note: If you are familiar with the route, remove the heading "Key points of the route" and replace this section with a detailed route description with stages. It is best to simply work the place names into the stages. You can find instructions on how to do this here .

An example of a fully developed cycle route with stages is [[Hess. Long-distance cycle route R1-here to find.

trips

With the ferry to Bingen. From there on the Rhine cycle path in the Middle Rhine Valley to Koblenz.

References to literature and maps

Individual evidence

  1. ↑2009 cycling map of the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport and Rural Development, Press and Public Relations Department, Wiesbaden

Web links

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