Symbols used on route maps

THE RHINE route

CYCLE ROUTE
alternative route

route direction

start point

RHINE CYCLE ROUTE

Cycle touring EuroVelo 15
start/finish point
• complete 1368km route in 27 stages from source to sea finish point
• takes approximately two weeks to ride • easy and mostly through six countries woodland
downhill cycling mainly on dedicated cycle routes urban areas

international border
Mike Wells A guide to cycling the Rhine Cycle
Route from source to sea with full North Sea station/railway
Mike has been a keen long-distance cyclist for over route descriptions and comprehensive
25 years. After completing various UK Sustrans peak
maps. It is described over 27 stages that NETHERLANDS
routes, such as Lôn Las Cymru in Wales and the C2C take between two and three weeks to GERMANY pass
route across northern England, he then moved on to complete. Rotterdam
building
cycling long-distance routes in continental Europe From the high Swiss Alps, a series
Köln
and beyond. These include cycling both the Camino BELGIUM cathedral or church
of national cycle trails, waymarked
and Ruta de la Plata to Santiago de la Compostela, a as EuroVelo route 15 (EV15), lead to LUX Mannheim abbey, monastery or priory
traverse of Cuba from end to end, a circumnavigation the North Sea, passing through six Strasbourg castle or château
of Iceland and a trip across Lapland to the North Cape. countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, FRANCE
While working for a travel company he made Basel tourist office
Austria, Germany, France and Holland). AUSTRIA
frequent visits to various parts of the Rhine Valley Much of the route is on dedicated SWITZERLAND youth hostel
and saw the cycle-friendly infrastructure all along the cycle tracks, mostly asphalt surfaced battlefield
river. This inspired him to cycle the route for the first with some sections on hard compacted ITALY
time with his partner Christine. In researching the first ferry
gravel.
edition of this book, Mike cycled the length of the The route traverses stunning airport
• highlights include Bodensee, Basel,
river three more times, following cycle routes along scenery, including the castle-studded Strasbourg, Speyer, Rhine gorge, viewpoint
both banks and exploring other alternatives. Rhine gorge between Mainz and Koblenz, Köln, Arnhem, Rotterdam
Cologne, and visits many historic lock
towns and cities. • can be linked with the Moselle
bo Dutch knooppunten
Cycle Route at Koblenz
(nodal waypoints)

point of interest

FRANCE/GERMANY
NETHERLANDS

SWITZERLAND
US $27.95 ISBN 978-1-78631-109-2

UK £16.95
GPX files for all routes can be downloaded
www.cicerone.co.uk Mike Wells free at www.cicerone.co.uk/1109/GPX.
CYCLING | SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, NETHERLANDS

1109 Rhine Cycle Route Cover 2021 4th Ed OUTER.indd 1 SPINE 21mm 19/10/2021 13:41
Back flap 82mm Back cover 118mm Front cover 118mm Front flap 82mm
Lat-Fin
THE RHINE CYCLE ROUTE
THE RHINE CYCLE ROUTE
CYCLE TOURING EUROVELO 15
THROUGH SIX COUNTRIES
by Mike Wells

JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS,

OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL
www.cicerone.co.uk
© Mike Wells 2022
Fourth edition 2022 CONTENTS
ISBN: 978 1 78631 109 2
Third edition 2018 Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Second edition 2015
First edition 2013 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Printed in Czechia on behalf of Latitude Press Ltd on responsibly sourced paper. The route. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Natural environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated. Preparation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Getting there and back. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Route mapping by Lovell Johns www.lovelljohns.com Navigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Contains OpenStreetMap.org data © OpenStreetMap Accommodation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
contributors, CC-BY-SA. NASA relief data courtesy of ESRI Food and drink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Amenities and services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
What to take. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Safety and emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
About this guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Updates to this guide
While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guide- THE ROUTE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
books as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an Alpenrhein (Alpine Rhine)
edition. This guidebook was researched and written before the COVID-19 Stage 1 Oberalppass to Ilanz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
pandemic. While we are not aware of any significant changes to routes or Stage 2 Ilanz to Chur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
facilities at the time of printing, it is likely that the current situation will give Stage 3 Chur to Buchs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
rise to more changes than would usually be expected. Any updates that Stage 4 Buchs to Bregenz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.
co.uk/1109/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We also Hochrhein (High Rhine)
advise that you check information about such things as transport, accom- Stage 5 Bregenz to Konstanz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
modation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. Stage 6 Konstanz to Schaffhausen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies Stage 7 Schaffhausen to Waldshut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to Stage 8 Waldshut to Basel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
[email protected] or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley
Oberrhein (Upper Rhine)
Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL.
Stage 9 Basel to Neuf-Brisach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers
Stage 10 Neuf-Brisach to Strasbourg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk.
Stage 11 Strasbourg to Drusenheim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Stage 12 Drusenheim to Karlsruhe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Stage 13 Karlsruhe to Speyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Stage 14 Speyer to Worms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Front cover: Werdenberg, the smallest town in Switzerland (Stage 4) Stage 15 Worms to Mainz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
The Rhine Cycle Route

Mittelrhein (Middle Rhine)

Stage 16 Mainz to Bacharach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Stage 17 Bacharach to Koblenz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Stage 18 Koblenz to Remagen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Stage 19 Remagen to Köln. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Niederrhein (Lower Rhine)
Stage 20 Köln to Düsseldorf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Stage 21 Düsseldorf to Duisburg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Stage 22 Duisburg to Xanten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Stage 23 Xanten to Arnhem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Delta Rijn (Rhine Delta)
Stage 24 Arnhem to Wijk bij Duurstede. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Stage 25 Wijk bij Duurstede to Schoonhoven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Stage 26 Schoonhoven to Rotterdam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Stage 27 Rotterdam to Hoek van Holland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Appendix A Route summary table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Appendix B Facilities summary table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Appendix C Tourist offices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Appendix D Youth hostels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Appendix E Useful contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Appendix F Language glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

Note on mapping
The route maps in this guide are derived from publicly available data, data-
bases and crowd-sourced data. As such they have not been through the
detailed checking procedures that would generally be applied to a pub-
lished map from an official mapping agency. However, we have reviewed
them closely in the light of local knowledge as part of the preparation of
this guide.

The infant Rhine desends from Lai da Tuma lake in the Swiss Alps (Stage 1) 7
The Rhine Cycle Route 

PREFACE

When I wrote the first edition of this guide ten years ago, I thought that my
completed volume would be definitive and last for years. I now know better; a
long-distance cycle route is a living entity that is forever changing. I incorpo-
rated a small number of route changes in the second edition and more in the
third edition. This fourth edition also has a number of route changes. In addi-
tion to the usual changes to road layouts, new one-way systems, new rounda-
bouts, etc, there have been a few more significant amendments. In France the
Veloroute network continues to grow with use being made of a new section of
voie verte on the towpath of the Canal du Rhône au Rhin between Neuf-Brisach
and Kunheim (Stage 10). In Germany and the Netherlands the main changes are
due to hydrological works which have been on-going since flooding in 1995.
New raised flood dykes have been used to re-route Stage 15 before Oppenheim
and Stages 22/23 before and after Xanten, while a diversion has been necessary
to avoid two newly created flood-water retention polders between Nackenheim
and Laubenheim (Stage 15).
However, the vast bulk of the route remains unchanged and the Rhine Cycle
Route remains one of Europe’s most popular long-distance trails for cyclists. With
cycle touring growing in popularity, well-waymarked and designated traffic-free
routes like much of the Rhine route will continue to attract riders.
There is one area of concern: cycle carriage by train. Provision of space and
the rules for carrying bikes have changed in each edition of this guide. This relates
to both Eurostar from London to Paris (where, at the time of writing, cycle car-
riage has been suspended for 20 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and
SNCF between Paris and Switzerland where direct Paris–Basel–Zurich and Paris–
Geneva/Lausanne Lyria trains have had cycle spaces permanently removed. It is
now necessary to use TGV Est trains via Strasbourg where the number of trains
with cycle space has increased. In Switzerland, where tickets were not previously
train-specific, you are now required to specify a particular train and this appears
on your ticket. On the positive side there has been a small reduction in the cost of
a Swiss trains one-day cycle pass.

Bodensee radweg in Meersburg, with

8 Altes Burg castle behind (Stage 5) 9
TThe Rhine Cycleis Rthe
he Wasserturm symbol
oute 
of Mannheim (Stage 14)
INTRODUCTION

Marksburg castle in the Rhine gorge (Stage 17)

The great attraction of following a used, these are usually quiet country
river from source to sea is that it is routes with dedicated cycle lanes.
downhill all the way (well, almost All the countries it passes through
all the way – our route does occa- are highly cycle-friendly, and motor-
sionally climb a little for spectacular ists will generally give you plenty of
views down into the valley). From the room. This route is suitable both for
summit of Oberalppass (which can be experienced long-distance cyclists
reached by cycle-friendly train), near and those who have done only a lit-
the source of the river at Lai da Tuma, tle cycle touring and wish to attempt
the Rhine Cycle Route descends something more adventurous.
2046m to the North Sea at Hoek van The route mostly follows Swiss,
Holland (Hook of Holland), a distance German, French and Dutch national
of 1368km. The cycling is straightfor- cycle trails, with a high standard of
ward, with much of the route follow- waymarking throughout. This guide
ing well-surfaced cycle tracks, often breaks the route into 27 stages, aver-
along the riverbank or flood dykes. aging 51km per stage. A fit cyclist,
On those occasions where roads are covering two stages per day, should

10 11
The Rhine Cycle Route Background

be able to complete the trip in two second largest natural lake. On the
weeks. A more leisurely 80km per shores of Bodensee are the Austrian
day would allow for some sightsee- festival town of Bregenz, where open-
ing and you would still complete the air opera is presented every sum-
journey in 17 days. You can break mer on a stage over the water, and
the journey at almost any point as Friedrichshafen, home to the Zeppelin.
there are many places to stay along Beyond the lake is Rheinfall, conti-
the way. These are suitable for all nental Europe’s largest waterfall by
budgets, varying from 40 Hostelling volume of water. Below here the river
International youth hostels and many flows through an attractive wooded
backpacker hostels to B&Bs, guest- valley between the Black Forest and
houses and hotels. If you do not mind the Jura mountains, passing a series
the extra weight of camping gear, of unspoilt medieval towns. After
there are many official campsites. Basel, the route turns north through Impregnable Ehrenbreitstein fortress opposite Koblenz (Stage 17)
The Rhine is rightly one of the French Alsace, an area much fought
world’s greatest rivers and one of the over, with many remnants of succes-
most visited by tourists. Many travel sive wars. Then it is on past the French one million inhabitants is the largest World War and now being rebuilt
by boat, disembarking only at tourist gastronomic centre of Strasbourg, the city en route and site of the world’s again with much stunning modern
honey-pots and eating international great industrial cities of Karlsruhe second tallest cathedral spire. Then architecture. On the opposite bank,
food on-board. By cycling the length and Mannheim/Ludwigshafen, and past Düsseldorf and through indus- between Rotterdam and the North
of the river you will have a different the imperial cities and religious cen- trial Duisburg, which produces half Sea is Europoort, which was the
perspective, passing through smaller tres of Speyer, Worms and Mainz, of all German steel and is Europe’s world’s busiest port until overtaken by
towns, meeting local people and eat- before reaching the barrier of the largest inland port. For most of the Shanghai in 2004.
ing local food. English is widely spo- Taunus and Hunsrück mountains. The way through this area, the river is fol-
ken, almost universally in Switzerland Rhine Gorge, cutting between these lowed, avoiding much of the intensive
and the Netherlands. ranges, is the most spectacular stage industrial development. Continuing BACKGROUND
This is a journey of vari- of all, lined with fairy-tale castles and through wide open flat agricultural Geographically the Rhine has six dis-
ety. Passing through six countries award-winning vineyards. Halfway land into the Netherlands, the river tinct sections:
(Switzerland, Germany, France and through is the infamous Loreley rock. starts dividing to eventually reach • Alpenrhein (Alpine Rhine) is the
the Netherlands, with short sections Continuing between the dormant vol- the North Sea by way of five different combination of the Vorderrhein
in Liechtenstein and Austria) you will canic Eifel and Siebengebirge ranges, channels. Our route follows one of and Hinterrhein tributaries that
be exposed to much of the geography, where an active geyser demonstrates these, the Lek, cycling on top of flood flow rapidly down the north side
history, culture and economic success the power of vulcanism, the Rhine dykes with intensively farmed polders of the Alps, along deep glacial
of Western Europe. emerges onto the North German (drained land), lower than the river valleys, into Bodensee.
From the Rhine’s upper reaches plain. and reclaimed over many centuries, • Hochrhein (Higher Rhine) con-
in Switzerland, surrounded by The route continues to Bonn, lining the river’s course. At Kinderdijk tinues descending through broad
high Alpine mountains, our route past the Bundeshaus (where the West there are 19 surviving windmills of the wooded gorges providing the
passes the tiny principality of German parliament sat 1949–99) type used to drain this land. The last border between Switzerland and
Liechtenstein to reach Bodensee and Beethoven’s birthplace, then on great city is Rotterdam, rebuilt hur- Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
(Lake Constance), Western Europe’s to Köln (Cologne), which with over riedly after destruction in the Second from Bodensee to Basel.

12 13
The Rhine Cycle Route Background

• Oberrhein (Upper Rhine) mean- of Western Europe, it has signifi- empire against barbarian tribes to the to destroy them in 1944–45 in an
ders north from Basel across a cance far beyond its relatively modest east. By medieval times this demar- attempt to prevent Allied invasion of
broad plain, between the Vosges 1232km length. It can be described cation had developed into a border Germany.
mountains in French Alsace and as four rivers in one. Firstly, it func- between Germanic speaking nations
the German Black Forest, as far tions as an important national border; of the Holy Roman Empire, east of The legendary Rhine
as Mainz. secondly it is the source of many of the river, and Francophone ones to The oldest tales of the Rhine are
• Mittelrhein (Middle Rhine) is a the myths and legends central to the west. From the Middle Ages up derived from the Nibelungenlied, a
picturesque stretch from Mainz European culture; thirdly it is a great to the mid-20th century, continuing 13th-century poem by an unknown
to Bonn, where the river has cut commercial artery and location for power struggles saw frequent territo- German author. It centred on the
the Rhine Gorge between the industry; and fourthly it has a mag- rial claims and border incursions. bloodthirsty affairs of court in Worms
Hunsrück/Eifel mountains (west) netic attraction to tourists and pursu- Further south, Swiss, Austrians and and featured Siegfried, Brunhilde and
and the Taunus/Siebengebirge ers of leisure activities. Bavarians competed to control the a hoard of gold that caused much
ranges (east). northern approaches to the Alps, with strife and was eventually buried in
• Niederrhein (Lower Rhine) The border Rhine the Rhine becoming a natural bound- the Rhine to prevent further trouble.
crosses the North German plain For two millennia, the river has rep- ary between their interests. In the far Siegfried went on to feature in many
from Bonn to the Dutch border. resented the border between major north, both the Dutch and Spanish other legends. Composer Richard
• Delta Rijn (Rhine Delta) is the national entities. The Romans set their used the river in their struggle for Wagner (1813–83) used this tale for
Dutch part of the river, which northern frontier along the Rhine/ hegemony over the Netherlands. the basis of Das Rheingold and sub-
divides into five different arms to Danube axis and established the As a result, the river is peppered sequent works making up ‘The Ring of
reach the North Sea. first towns on the Rhine at Colonia with military hardware from Roman the Nibelung’ opera cycle.
However, the Rhine is more than (Köln), Mainz, Strasbourg and Xanten fortifications, through medieval cas- Many of the towns, villages and
just a river. Flowing through the heart as bases for legions defending their tles, fortified military towns and inte- castles along the German part of the
grated defensive lines to concrete river have local legends, some of
anti-tank defences, each passing into which are related in the route descrip-
history as the technological progress tion. Perhaps the most famous is the
of warfare made them redundant. song of the Loreley maiden. First
Riverside settlements still show the appearing in 1801, the story was
scars of battle, particularly from the rewritten by the author Heinrich
Second World War, where intensive Heine in 1824 and set to music in
bombing was followed by destruc- 1837.
tive land warfare. This is particularly The Rhine provided the inspira-
evident in relation to the bridges. In tion for two great patriotic songs.
the mid-19th century, the Prussian La Marseillaise, the French national
military authorities controlling the anthem, was written in Strasbourg in
Rhineland resisted the construction 1792 as a ‘War song for the Army of
of railway bridges as a potential dan- the Rhine’ to honour troops defend-
ger of invasion. Before and during ing post-revolutionary France from
the First World War German forces Prussian and Austrian invasion. On
constructed a series of mighty bridges the German side, the poem/song
to support the war in France, only Die Wacht am Rhein (‘The Guard

14
Blockhouse turret on the Maginot line near Marckolsheim (Stage 10) 15
The Rhine Cycle Route Stage 1 – Oberalppass to Ilanz

ss
pa
a lp
m
STAGE 1

er
Ob
2100
Oberalppass to Ilanz 2000
1900
1800
1700
Start Oberalppass summit (2046m)
1600
Finish Ilanz square (705m)

un
dr
1500

Se
Distance 52km

r
té
us
1400
Waymarking R2

M
is /
1300

nt
se
Di
1200
1100

in
r re
1000
A fast descent on a well-surfaced minor Alpine pass road through Surselva,

a
Su

as
nu

an
Tr
900
passing a series of Alpine villages, leads to the monastery town of Disentis/

v
Ta

nz
800
Mustér. From here, a mix of off-road tracks and quiet country lanes take

Ila
700
you to Ilanz. Superb mountain scenery and high Alpine peaks abound. The
600
Rhine evolves from a tiny mountain stream to a fast-flowing river over the 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55km
course of this stage. The local language is Romansh, although German is
spoken by all. (accommodation, refreshments, station), Rueras (10.5km,
1405m) (accommodation, refreshments, camping, Rueras church

Rheinquelle, the official source of Vorderrhein, is

an outflow from Lai da Tuma lake (2345m), high on
the mountainside south of Oberalppass. It can be
reached in an hour and a half by footpath, which
is not accessible to cycles. The footpath branches
right, off the pass road, shortly after summit.

Although From Oberalppass summit (2046m) (accommoda-

Oberalppass is a tion, refreshments, tourist office, station) follow road SE
quiet Alpine pass, it passing lighthouse and tourist office R (limited hours).
can become busy on Pass start of footpath that leads across mountainside to
summer weekends, Rheinquelle and descend steeply around series of hairpin
particularly attracting bends.3
many motorcyclists. Road passes through tiny village of Tschamut (5.5km,
Care should be 1645m) (accommodation, refreshments, station) and then
taken as there is no continues above golf course at Selva, one of the high-
dedicated cycle lane. est in Europe. Levelling off, road crosses grassy plateau,
passing in quick succession through villages of Dieni

44 45
 The Rhine Cycle Route Stage 1 – Oberalppass to Ilanz
3027m
station), Camischolas (accommodation, refreshments)
and Sedrun (12km, 1406m) (accommodation, refresh- N 19
ments, tourist office, station).
St Martin

Just after Sedrun, a large pile of spoil was exca-

0 1 2
vated from an intermediate shaft of the 57km-long km
Disentis/
Gotthard base tunnel, which is directly below the Mustér
route at this point. The tunnel, which opened in
2016 after 21 years under construction, carries part Map continued
of the Zürich–Milan high-speed rail line. Original Bostg on page 48

Dr n
u
plans for the shaft at Sedrun to be used to access a 1995m 19

ein
station in the tunnel 800m below ground have been

rrh
dropped. Sedrun

rde
Vo
spoil
tip
From Sedrun, road becomes busier as it resumes 1 Surselva

9
descending. After short tunnel and couple of hairpin tunnel
Curaglia
shaft
bends, Disentis/Mustér, dominated by white facade of

Dr n
u
N Map continued Re
in
on page 47

41 6
Sedrun

da
Plattas
Kloster St Martin, comes into view. Disentis/Mustér
hijenstock 0 1 2 Rueras 1 (21km, 1142m) (accommodation, refreshments, camp-
9

km tunnel ing, tourist office, cycle shop, station) is where you leave
shaft
main road.

in
Oberalppass rhe Founded in ad720, Kloster St Martin in Disentis
der
2046m Vor is one of the oldest Benedictine abbeys in
Oberalpsee golf
course Switzerland. The current baroque edifice was com-
Tschamut Nual pleted in 1712. Plundered by French troops during
Pazzolastock 2387m the Napoleonic wars, the abbey barely survived
footpath

19

the 19th century until restoration of Swiss religious

2740m
houses in 1880 led to the founding of a secondary
school. The community now includes 23 brothers.
Rossbodenstock
Piz Lai da
Lai da Tuma Cavradi Nalps On-road alternative
Rheinquelle
2612m Lai da
After Disentis/Mustér, route is mostly off-road, accessible
Piz Curnera to mountain bikes and hybrids. Going is not difficult and
Badus Piz
Tagliola
in dry conditions touring bikes will have no problems,
especially after Danis. To bypass this section, use main

46 47
The Rhine Cycle Route Stage 1 – Oberalppass to Ilanz

At T-junction, bear L onto cinder track and descend

Map continued via series of hairpin bends. Cross Rhine for first time and
on page 50 turn L ascending steadily on track cut into wooded hill-
Trun side to reach Cavardiras (24km, 1136m).
Turn L downhill in village (Via Sogn Antoni) passing
in
church R. At bottom of hill turn R and after 200 metres,
e
Rabius errh bear L on rough track into woods. Cross two small streams
Vord
and after emerging from woods turn L downhill (sp Laus).
19
Sumvitg Turn R at crossroads before river (Via Resgia) and climb
steeply past Resgia (accommodation, refreshments) on
Cumpadials 4WD track. Descend to riverbank and continue to reach
Surrein asphalt road. Turn R and immediately bear L (sp Surrein)
along road through spread-out agricultural village of

Rein
19
N Surrein (29.5km, 898m) (accommodation, refreshments).
da
At T-junction by Surrein church, turn R and after
Sumv
Cavardiras
itg 75 metres fork R following road gently uphill. Where
0 1 2 asphalt ends, bear slightly L on cinder track into woods.
km Fork L on cinder track then turn R on bridge over river
Sumvitg. Turn L on 4WD track alongside river, continu-
ing for 2km undulating through woods. Emerge from
road to Ilanz. Off-road and road routes intersect at Trun woods then bear L onto road and cross Rhine. After
and Danis. Alternative route shown in blue on maps. bridge bear R and head across meadows with Trun vis-
ible ahead. Fork R (Via Pendas) and turn R at T-junction
At T-junction in middle of Disentis/Mustér, turn R (Via passing sports field R.4Bear L (Via Ferrera), passing To visit Trun
Lucmagn) and after 150 metres L (Via dalla Staziun, round timber yard, and continue across meadow. Bear L (refreshments,
sp Cavardiras). Pass station R, and continue on Via over bridge and level crossing to reach main road just E camping, station) turn
Cavardiras, passing under railway and descending out of of Trun (34.5km, 853m). left at the T-junction.
town. Turn R for 75 metres along main road to petrol sta-
tion and fork L gently uphill (Via Darvella) to reach small
The whole way from Oberalppass to Chur, the village of Darvella. Turn R at T-junction back downhill.
route runs close to the railway line used by At bottom turn L past houses and barns. Where road
Glacier Express trains. Traversing the Swiss Alps ends, continue ahead on cycle track leading up to main
from Zermatt in Valais to St Moritz and Davos in road. Continue alongside main road for 150 metres
Graubünden, a service of four luxury tourist trains and where road bears R to cross Rhine, turn L steeply
runs daily. Taking nearly six hours for 290km, this uphill for 50 metres. Asphalt ends at farm where gravel
is the world’s slowest ‘express’ train, but what it track drops down ahead, cut into hillside above railway.
lacks in speed is made up for by spectacular scen- This becomes 4WD track undulating alongside railway.
ery. There is no provision for cycles, but if you wish Cross over railway and continue on ledge between rail-
to traverse this line, there is an hourly local service way and Rhine to reach hydro-electric power station.
that you can catch with your bike. Track becomes asphalt as it passes between dam R and

48 49
 The Rhine Cycle Route Stage 1 – Oberalppass to Ilanz

substation L. Continue past road leading to generator

hall R and alongside reservoir L. Fork R halfway along
reservoir and drop down under railway bridge on nar-
row track. Follow riverbank under three road bridges and
immediately after last bridge turn sharply L uphill back
under bridge. At top, turn R onto minor road between
Danis and Tavanasa and bear R over Rhine. Turn L and
continue through Tavanasa (40.5km, 798m) (accommo-
dation, refreshments, station).
Continue through village and bear L under railway
bridge. Just before girder bridge over Rhine turn R onto
dirt road (Via Resgia). Cross small bridge and at three-
way fork just before railway line, take middle fork along
cinder track parallel with
Fil railway.
Fil Follow track as it
Climmernfirn
Climmernfirn
bends R and L under railway before bearing away from Pigniu
Pigniu
2418m
2418m
railway following edge of forest R and meadows L for Falera
Falera
5km, passing turn-off L to Waltensburg/Vuorx station.

LadirLadir Covered bridge

NN Siat Siat leading to Rueun
Andiast
Andiast
Fl e m

Fl e m

Ruschein
Ruschein

Schnaus
Schnaus 19 19
Rueun
Rueun
0 0 1 1 2 2 Waltensburg/
Waltensburg/
km km Vuorz
Vuorz
19 19 covered
covered Ilanz
Ilanz
bridgebridge Flond
Flond

Breil/Brigels
Breil/Brigels Sevgein
Sevgein

ein ein Valata

Valata
rrh rrh
19 19 orde orde
V V Surcuolm
Surcuolm
Danis
Danis
Tavanasa
Tavanasa Misanenga
Misanenga

Gle n

Gle n
Schlans
Schlans
Meierhof
Meierhof

ne

ne
Miraniga
Miraniga Piz Mundaun
Piz Mundaun

r
TrunTrun 19 19
2064m
2064m
Hitzeggerkopf
Hitzeggerkopf
ein ein 2112m
2112m Pitasch
Pitasch
errh errh
Vord Vord
Morissen
Morissen

Cumbel
Cumbel
VellaVella

50 51
The Rhine Cycle Route

Re-enter forest and drop down to riverbank, passing old

covered wooden bridge that leads across Rhine to Rueun STAGE 2
(47.5km, 746m) (accommodation, refreshments). Ilanz to Chur
Continue S of river, mostly in trees, to road repair
depot where asphalt surface begins. At beginning
of industrial estate, bear L parallel to Rhine on track
behind factories. Pass under railway and road bridges Start Ilanz square (705m)
and continue along riverbank (Via Sorts) with houses Finish Chur station (585m)
and allotments R. Bear R across level crossing and turn Distance 35km
L (Giessli) with skyline of Ilanz altstadt (old town) R. Waymarking R2
Turn R (Via Centrala) to reach square in centre of Ilanz
(52km, 705m) (accommodation, refreshments, tourist
office, cycle shop, station).
This is the only stage with significant ascent (250m). From Ilanz, the route
Ilanz (pop 2350) is the first town on the Rhine. It climbs steadily following a minor country road to Versam, drops down,
played an important role during the Reformation and then climbs again to a superb viewpoint high above the gorge of
when in 1526 the Diat of Ilanz gave citizens the right Ruinaulta. Descending to cross the river at the confluence of Vorderrhein
to choose between Catholicism or Protestantism, and Hinterrhein in Reichenau/Tamins, an asphalt cycle track is followed to
the second town in the country after Zurich to the medieval city of Chur, capital of Graubünden canton.
adopt this freedom. Points of interest in the altstadt
include medieval walls, a reformed church (1518)
Ilanz altstadt and fine 15th- and 16th-century houses.
From square in centre of Ilanz, follow Glennerstrasse E
(sp Chur). At end of Ilanz, cross river Glenner, and join
cycle track L, parallel with road ascending steadily to
reach Castrisch (2km, 722m) where cycle track ends.
Turn R by fountain in centre of village and continue
along road, descending gently for 1.5km, followed by
steady ascent. First views of Ruinaulta canyon appear L,
which will become more dramatic over next few kilome-
tres. Continue climbing through Valendas (6.5km, 810m)

m
r sa
1000

Ve
s
da
len
900

Va

Ta duz
nz

s
in
800
Ila

na
m

g
Bo

er

ur
lsb
700

Ch
Fe
600
500
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35km

52 53
 Symbols used on route maps

THE RHINE route

CYCLE ROUTE
alternative route

route direction

start point

RHINE CYCLE ROUTE

Cycle touring EuroVelo 15
start/finish point
• complete 1368km route in 27 stages from source to sea finish point
• takes approximately two weeks to ride • easy and mostly through six countries woodland
downhill cycling mainly on dedicated cycle routes urban areas

international border
Mike Wells A guide to cycling the Rhine Cycle
Route from source to sea with full North Sea station/railway
Mike has been a keen long-distance cyclist for over route descriptions and comprehensive
25 years. After completing various UK Sustrans peak
maps. It is described over 27 stages that NETHERLANDS
routes, such as Lôn Las Cymru in Wales and the C2C take between two and three weeks to GERMANY pass
route across northern England, he then moved on to complete. Rotterdam
building
cycling long-distance routes in continental Europe From the high Swiss Alps, a series
Köln
and beyond. These include cycling both the Camino BELGIUM cathedral or church
of national cycle trails, waymarked
and Ruta de la Plata to Santiago de la Compostela, a as EuroVelo route 15 (EV15), lead to LUX Mannheim abbey, monastery or priory
traverse of Cuba from end to end, a circumnavigation the North Sea, passing through six Strasbourg castle or château
of Iceland and a trip across Lapland to the North Cape. countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, FRANCE
While working for a travel company he made Basel tourist office
Austria, Germany, France and Holland). AUSTRIA
frequent visits to various parts of the Rhine Valley Much of the route is on dedicated SWITZERLAND youth hostel
and saw the cycle-friendly infrastructure all along the cycle tracks, mostly asphalt surfaced battlefield
river. This inspired him to cycle the route for the first with some sections on hard compacted ITALY
time with his partner Christine. In researching the first ferry
gravel.
edition of this book, Mike cycled the length of the The route traverses stunning airport
• highlights include Bodensee, Basel,
river three more times, following cycle routes along scenery, including the castle-studded Strasbourg, Speyer, Rhine gorge, viewpoint
both banks and exploring other alternatives. Rhine gorge between Mainz and Koblenz, Köln, Arnhem, Rotterdam
Cologne, and visits many historic lock
towns and cities. • can be linked with the Moselle
bo Dutch knooppunten
Cycle Route at Koblenz
(nodal waypoints)

point of interest

FRANCE/GERMANY
NETHERLANDS

SWITZERLAND
US $27.95 ISBN 978-1-78631-109-2

UK £16.95
GPX files for all routes can be downloaded
www.cicerone.co.uk Mike Wells free at www.cicerone.co.uk/1109/GPX.
CYCLING | SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, NETHERLANDS

1109 Rhine Cycle Route Cover 2021 4th Ed OUTER.indd 1 SPINE 21mm 19/10/2021 13:41
Back flap 82mm Back cover 118mm Front cover 118mm Front flap 82mm
Lat-Fin