By the little river: The Erft cycle path
After passing through the medieval town of Bad Münstereifel, the route passes numerous castles, palaces and watermills, including the magnificent 800-year-old Paffendorf Castle with its open-cast lignite mining museum. Its impact on the landscape can be seen a few kilometres further on from various vantage points. After the renaturalised pits near Erftstadt and the local recreation areas of Grevenbroich, cultural buildings are once again among the sights.
Tip for the weekend: the Erft cycle path
The Erft cycle path runs from the source to the estuary over 110 kilometres from Nettersheim to Neuss and is signposted with the route logo throughout. The route runs along paved, partly asphalted, mostly traffic-free cycle paths and for the most part directly along the Erft. There are only a few inclines and steep gradients to be expected. The cycle route is therefore also suitable for inexperienced cyclists, families and children. Recommended in 2-3 day stages.
Best time to travel: May to the end of September.
Journey:
Take the train via Euskirchen to Nettersheim or Blankenheim. The destination in Neuss is also easy to reach by train. You can also change trains at several places along the way. Cycling hotline of the railway on 01805/99 66 33 (14 ct/min. from a landline, max. 42 ct/min. for mobile calls)
Bike service:
Bike hire and workshops can be found in Neuss, Nettersheim, Grevenbroich, Euskirchen, Brühl and Bad Münstereifel
Cycling hotels:
Tips for cyclist-friendly accommodation along the route include
Hotel Bedburger Mühle in Bedburg http://www.hotel-bedburger-muehle.de
Brauhaus zur Krone in Bergheim http://www.brauhaus-bergheim.de
Hotel Kölner Hof in Blankenheim http://www.hotel-koelner-hof.de
Design Hotel Eifel in Euskirchen http://design-hotel-eifel.de
Hotel Rosenhof in Kerpen-Horrem http://www.hotel-rosenhof.info
Further recommendations under http://www.bettundbike.de
Maps/literature:
Bouvier-Verlag "Der Erft-Radweg - Von der Quelle bis zur Mündung" with 14 detailed maps 1:50,000, 132 p., 12.95 euros. Themed service "By bike along the Rhine, Erft and Ahr - The most beautiful routes along the 3 rivers", tour with GPS data for download, 112 p., 14.95 euros.
Information (general):
Rhein-Erft- Tourismus e.V., Europaallee 33, 50226 Frechen, Tel. 02234/9556830, http://www.rhein-erft-tourismus.de
Internet:
http://www.gastlandschaften.de
http://www.erftweg.de (route, catering, accommodation)
