Neolithic and medieval trade routes, smugglers' trails and old railway lines lead from the Danube across the Bavarian Forest deep into the Czech Republic. Nowadays, these adventurous routes can be easily explored by bike. The tour described here is 445 kilometres long and runs along the Regen and Danube rivers, following former railway lines and the former border strip along the Iron Curtain (now the European Green Belt). As the tour leads through the low mountain range, there are a few tough climbs.
Journey
The start and end point of the circular tour, Regensburg, has good connections to the railway network, information at www.bahn.de. Regensburg is conveniently located at the junction of the motorways to Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Vienna and is therefore easy to reach by car.
Accommodation
Guesthouse Edhof (certified organic), Edhof 1, 94104 Witzmannsberg, Tel. 08504-91440, www.edhof.de
Surrounded by forests, meadows and fields in an idyllic secluded location with many farm animals.
Hotel Arberresidenz, Anton-Pech-Weg 12, 94252 Bayerisch Eisenstein, Tel. 09925-940740, www.arberresidenz.de
National Park Partner House with excursion possibilities in the Bavarian Forest National Park.
Hotel Haidmühler Hof, Max-Pangerl-Str. 11, 94145 Haidmühle, Tel: 08556-9700, www.haidmuehler-hof.de
Chic accommodation in the border triangle with Ayurveda and wellness area.
Food
The Pekàrna Kvilda (Kvilda Bakery) offers a huge selection of bread, rolls and sweet pastries. Here you can find bread roll creations filled with sauerkraut and bacon or complete sausages. They also speak German. CZ-38501 Kvilda, house number 75, www.pekarnakvilda.cz
National Park Inn Haus zur Wildnis Here you can enjoy delicious organic dishes made from regional produce, www.gastronomie-hauszurwildnis.de
Feast between climbing roses in the historic cloister:
The museum café in Regensburg Dachauplatz 4, www.cafe-im-museum.de has a great atmosphere, delicious cakes and small dishes.
Museum café in Bayerisch Eisenstein There is a lovely café here in the historic waiting room of the railway station building. Speciality: Hosenknöpf (made from potato dough) with apple sauce. Bahnhofstraße 54, www.naturpark-bayer-wald.de
Worth seeing
A small information centre on the topics of trade routes, gold washing, moorland vegetation, etc. is worth a visit in CZ-38501 Kvilda, house number 14
In the Falkenstein National Park Centre in Ludwigsthal there is an animal enclosure with wolves, lynxes and primeval cattle, a reconstructed Stone Age cave and the House of Wilderness, where you can see an exhibition and films (some in 3D) on the subject of forest wilderness. Info at www.nationalpark-bayerischer-wald.de
Literature / Maps
Very good information (tour descriptions, elevation profile, maps, roadbooks etc.) about the Danube Cycle Route, Regental cycle pathAdalbert-Stifter cycle path, National Park cycle pathNationalpark-Rad-Rundweg and Donau-Ilz-Radweg can be found on the website of the cycling and MTB portal Bayernbike (www.bayernbike.de). Further information under www.donau-ilz-radweg.de.
The article was published in Trekkingbike issue 5/2016. You can download the issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play) or order it in the DK shop.
You can download the individual articles as PDF files here.
