You can discover Germany's eastern border with the Oder-Neisse cycle path. The route between Zittau and Usedom is part of Germany's national long-distance cycle route network as the D 12. The route begins at the source of the Neisse in the Czech Republic.
Route profile
- Length: 476 km (Zittau - Uckermünde)
- Signposting: Smaller signs are available, the quality of the signs and the standard of signs are sufficient (status: 04-2004 for the Bad Muskau-Zittau section)
- Slopes: The route from Zittau is largely flat (there are smaller hills, but they are rather rare).
- Path condition:Tarmacked from Zittau to Frankfurt, mostly either on the top of the dike or as a path accompanying the dike (Zittau - Görlitz, Forst - Frankfurt / O.)
- Traffic load:Very little car traffic in the small towns, some bike path sections along the road
- Suitable bike:Touring bike
- Family suitability:absolutely, easy to drive on even with a bicycle trailer
- Inline suitability:not at all sections because of root breaks
background
preparation
getting there
Public transportation
Zittau is a possible starting point z. From Dresden, for example, it is quite easy to reach by train across Germany.
By bicycle
In the street
Route description with sights
General information about the route
The Oder-Neisse cycle path begins in Czech Liberec. It is also suitable for starting or ending a tour Zittau. A visit to the Zittau Mountains is a nice change after or before driving along the Oder and Neisse rivers.
The path itself was and is still being expanded at great expense. However, the route leads over longer stretches without any sights. If you are looking for a sight every 5 - 10 km along the way, you will be more likely to be disappointed, since the lowlands of the Oder and Neisse are not exactly densely populated and the route does not lead to all cities. But there is a lot of peace along the way.
Some sights like that Niederfinow boat lift, the old Hanseatic city Szczecin or the island Usedom (with the right mouth of the Oder) the path does not open up. But detours are definitely worthwhile here. Nevertheless, there are some interesting cities on the route such as B. Zittau, Gorlitz, Bad Muskau, Frankfurt (Oder) or also the Lower Oder Valley National Park.
Conclusion: Those who are well trained can easily reach the Baltic Sea in 4 - 5 days on the signposted route. Detours from the route are a good idea to make your vacation a little more interesting.
Corner points of the route
- Source of Neisse: Nová Ves nad Nisou (Neudorf an der Neisse) near Jablonec nad Nisou (Gablonz an der Neisse) in Jizera Mountains
- Liberec (Reichenberg) with Jested 1012 m
- Zittau - old town
- Hirschfelde - Village with many houses in the traditional Upper Lusatian architectural style
- St. Marienthal Monastery (Monastery of St. Marienthal) - the Cistercian Abbey is idyllically situated in the valley of the Neisse.
- Ostritz - Small town with a market place that is well worth seeing
- Gorlitz - Old town with many interesting buildings
- Zentendorf - small village between Görlitz and Rothenburg with the Einsiedel cultural island (here in Treehouse hotel overnight).
- Rothenburg (Neisse) - easternmost city in Germany
- Bad luck - Small settlement approx. 10 km southeast of Bad Muskau with a small half-timbered church
- Bad Muskau - the landscape park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Guben
- Alternative route via Neissemünde and New cell with the Neuzelle Monastery possible.
- Eisenhuettenstadt - East German counterpart to Wolfsburg. During the GDR era, the city was designed with an ironworks on the drawing board.
- Frankfurt (Oder) - Gate to Poland; various museums invite you to visit
- Küstrin-Kietz in the community Küstriner foreland - here is a detour to Kostrzyn nad Odrą possible on the Polish side.
- Schwedt with National Park "Unteres Odertal"
- Szczecin- The city in Poland is the economic center of the "Lower Oder" region. There's a lot to discover. A detour from the route is worthwhile.
- Ueckermünde - Port town on the Szczecin Lagoon
- Anklam - historical Hanseatic city (some buildings have been preserved)
- Usedom - Holiday island with a long sandy beach and sophisticated resort architecture
Note: If you are familiar with the route, remove the heading "Corner 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 .
Other places to stay
security
trips
- On the Baltic Sea Cycle Route to to reprimand or Poland.
References to literature and maps
- Bikeline guide "Oder-Neisse Cycle Path" - Esterbauer publishing house
- Oder-Neisse cycle path. From the source of the Neisse to the Baltic Sea, ADFC cycling guide 1:75.000, ISBN 978-3-87073-644-6
- Cycle touring and hiking map with zigzag folding Oder-Neisse cycle path. Publishing house Dr. Barthel, ISBN 978-3-89591-226-9 . Scale 1: 60,000, € 13.90
