Bike signpost with many logos, the second from the top left belongs to the RurUfer
The Rur-Ufer cycle path leads from Monschau above Düren to Roermond in the Netherlands.
Route profile
- Length: approx. 150 km (in Germany 134 km)
- Signposting: present in Germany
- Slopes: Between Monschau and Kreuzau numerous uphill sections. The route rarely runs along the shore. Mostly flat below Kreuzau.
- Path condition: on the country roads asphalt, otherwise more gravel and nature. High proportion (almost 50%) of unpaved roads.
- Traffic load: longer sections on country roads are used
- Suitable bike: Touring bike with 7 gears, MTB
- Family suitability: Participants must be roadworthy.
- Inline suitability: not suitable.
background
Signs at Heinsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia
- The Rur (French and Dutch Roer) is a 164.5 km long, southeast and orographically right tributary of the Meuse in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands; about 80 percent of the river stretch is on German territory (Wikipedia). There is this cycle path there.
- There is a track for the route from the source to Küchelscheid / Leykaul, but this does not lead along the Rur. The here specified source cannot be reached by bike. The track begins at this fork in the road (N50 29.479 E6 04.506), but is not signposted. The Rur has no actual spring, but rather a headwaters. The first crossing is here (N50 29.625 E6 07.932). The route to Küchelscheid / Leykaul is rather unspectacular, essentially a wide, dead straight forest path.
preparation
- further route suggestions taking into account the Rur-Ufer cycle path see.
getting there
Arriving by train
Düren
Good connection to the rail network of the DB (regional traffic, S-Bahn Cologne), continue with the Rurtalbahn to Linnich and Heimbach
Roermond
- With the DB to Venlo, from there connections to Roermond at least every hour
above Heimbach
there is no train connection to the Rur-Ufer-Radweg! By train to Aachen. From here there is the possibility of a bike transfer with the AVV to Küchelscheid and to the source after Signal Botrange. Mr. Brandenburg Tel. 01701852247. Up to 16 bicycles can be taken.
Route description
Headwaters of the Rur
- Headwaters north of Sourbrodt / Longfaye im High Fens.
- The Rur has no actual spring, but a more or less humid headwaters. You can see them for the first time by bike at N50 29.625 E6 07.932. The length of the route from the beginning of the track to Küchelscheid is 12.5 km with a difference in altitude of around 150 m.
Küchelscheid to Heimbach
First sign of the RurUfer cycle path in Belgium
This section is shaped by the deep Rur valley, which is almost like a gorge. It ends with the Rursee, which is bypassed either north or south.
- Küchelscheid (B) - although this place is in Belgium, there is a German arrow bike sign with the RurUfer logo, which can be seen as the first sign of life on the RurUfer bike path.
- Kalterherberg (D) / Leykaul (B) - German-Belgian border. Draisine trip to Sourbrodt possible. Afterwards a water-bound blanket almost up to
- → Connection to the Vennbahn
- → Detour to Reichenstein Monastery, visits possible by prior arrangement
- Monschau
- Höfen - here you can admire a national park gate.
- Hammer with camping site "Camp Hammer"
- Dedenborn
- Einruhr
Rursee alternatives
In terms of volume, the Rursee is Germany's second largest reservoir. The cycle route offers two alternatives:
South-east bank, approx. 10 km
- direct connection with poor road quality to the dam. Slight inclines in both directions. Spring catchment with drinking water halfway. The area is part of the Eifel National Park.
- Simmerath
- Rurberg. Short inclines in both directions
- → Connection to the Urft cycle path
North-west bank, approx. 16 km
- the longer route with better technical quality is also more varied.
- Simmerath
- Woffelsbach. Short uphill sections in both directions
- Nideggen-Schmidt
- Heimbach-Schwammenauel (district of Hasenfeld) - the route leads over the Rurtalsperre, a 77 m high dam wall that has existed since 1938.
Heimbach - Kreuzau approx. 30 km
Riverside path in front of Heimbach (Eifel)
Section in the Eifel, after the wall it goes quite steeply over a mountain Heimbach-Hare field. Then a little flatter, where you often have to go down from the main road into the valley and then up again. Often you cycle next to the busy state road on a narrow, accompanying cycle path behind a guardrail.
- Heimbach
- Hasenfeld: Art Nouveau power station (RWE industrial museum) on the right of the route
- Main town Heimbach - connection to the D routes 4 and 7
- Hausen: Shortly before the Wittscheid campsite, drive approx. 200 m at a level crossing on the L 249, no cycle path, at times heavy traffic!
- Blens, then the path follows a short stretch of the L249 on a separate cycle path
- Nideggen
- Evenings - with train station and overnight accommodation
- Bridge. There are short inclines on both sides between the bridge and the evenings.
- Huertgenwald-Call
- Connection to the Kalltal cycle path.
- Kreuzau: In the area of the municipality of Kreuzau there is the transition from the low mountain range of the Eifel to the flat Cologne Bay.
- Obermaubach
- Striking stone
- Untermaubach
- Üdingen
- Winches
Kreuzau - Linnich
Section in the Cologne Bay, approx. 35 km, largely flat:
- Kreuzau main place
- In the
- Schophoven
- Düren - The Rur runs about 15 km through the urban area of Düren. The cycle path follows it very close to the shore through partially park-like floodplains. Signposts show branches to "Düren Zentrum".
- Düren-Krauthausen
- --- The path leads past "Annakirmesplatz". (???)
- Notice
- Hoven
- Birkesdorf
- Mariaweiler
- Niederau
- Koslar
- Jülich
- → Connection of the Aachen industrial railway line to Würselen and Aachen
- Linnich
- Raft village
- Rurdorf
Linnich - Wassenberg
Section in German Lower Rhine, approx. 25 km, largely flat
Wassenberg - Roermond approx. 23 km
The Rur in Roermond, just before the mouth
Dutch section, approx. 13 km, largely flat, route not signposted and therefore not always fixed.
- Vlodrop
- Herkenbosch
- Sint Odilienberg
- Roermond - Junction 83 - on the right bank there are numerous street cafes where you can celebrate the end of the tour.
trips
Roermond
- Junction 83 (Maas) - connection to LF 3
Düren and Kreuzau
- Kaiser route Aachen-Paderborn with connection to the cycle paths on Rhine: Rhine cycle route
Simmerath-Rurberg
- → Connection to the Urft cycle path. Follow this and with Nettersheim to the Ahr cycle path from Blankenheim (Ahr) transfer.
Kalterherberg
- Crossing with the Vennbahn, You can continue your journey in numerous directions.
Suggestions for the return journey from Roermond
- On the 2-country route to Aachen and then the Vennbahn to Kalterherberg
security
literature
- RurUfer cycle path: "Three countries, one river" From the source in the Belgian Fens through the Eifel and Börde to the confluence with the Meuse in the Netherlands. 166 km paperback - December 3, 2013 by Esterbauer (ISBN 978-3850004923 )
