The Bavarian route of the Deutschland-Trail from Füssen to Mödlareuth in Thuringia covers 787 kilometres and 13690 metres in altitude. Here you will find the stage descriptions with the best trails of the first nine days.
Stage 1: Füssen - Schongau (77 km / 1942 metres altitude)
From the Dreiländereck above Füssen, you enter the first trail directly. The narrow hairpin bend trail down from Schwarzenberg ends at a gravel road to the west of the Alpsee. You then circle the Alpsee to the south on another nice trail, which finally ends at the lakeshore. After passing Hohenschwangau Castle, you could roll straight down to the car park. But if you push down the few metres on the "Fischersteig" (no cycling!), you will be rewarded with an impressive panorama from the shore of the Schwansee, with Neuschwanstein Castle in the background. Later, a few metres of trail are added on the banks of the Bannwaldsee. From Buching, the long ascent to Niedere Bleick begins. You follow a steep gravel road for a long time before coming across a trail again at Wolfskopf. After another super steep ramp, you finally reach the meadow summit of Niedere Bleick. Now comes the best trail of the day! At first, there are some very technical hairpin bends into the forest, but then the descents become increasingly gentle. After a somewhat rocky section, you finally reach a gravel road, which you follow to the Saulochhütte. Behind it, you turn into a fun forest trail with lots of roots, which only spits you out again on the Königsstraße. Via Resle you reach the Wieskirche church. You can bypass the wooden plank path through the moorland. Then follow the official cycle path, where Schongau is already signposted. From the large Lech bridge south of Peiting, you can take a few more trails along the high banks before reaching Schongau.
Stage 2: Schongau - Landsberg am Lech (42 km / 629 m elevation gain)
The short stage initially follows the Lech-Höhenweg, which initially offers a few very nice trails on the high banks. Further north, there is a very short section with a "No cycling" sign, so you have to push for a few metres. At Epach you change to the other side of the Lech. This is immediately followed by a few rewarding paths close to the banks. In Mundraching you climb back up to the high bank. From there, 13 kilometres of the finest single trails await you all the way to the wildlife park on the outskirts of Landsberg am Lech.
Stage 3: Landsberg am Lech - Neuburg on the Danube (135 km / 928 metres altitude)
From Landsberg, the route continues in a northerly direction along the Lech. First on gravel, then from the Naturfreundehaus (Oskar-Weinert-Haus) again on winding forest trails. You follow the "Romantic Road" past several barrages. At the Unterbergen hydroelectric power station, you turn westwards and reach the "Western Forests" via Oberottmarshausen and Wehringen. There you collect a few kilometres of trail until you reach the city limits of Augsburg. You cycle through Augsburg on cycle paths and gravel tracks along the Wertach and Lech rivers. After the A8 motorway, you pass the Schuttberg and head east. Between Miedering and Affing, you will find many flowing trails in the Derchinger Forest with a few berms and jumps. The route continues on gravel tracks past asparagus fields to Pöttmes. The long stage ends after a few more bridging kilometres in Neuburg. We searched in vain for trails on the stretch between Pöttmes and Neuburg.
Stage 4: Neuburg on the Danube - Beilngries (119 km / 2069 metres altitude)
To warm up, you can circle around the Alte Burg on built trails (300 metres extra elevation gain). Then leave Neuburg in a northerly direction and follow the "Urdonautalsteig" (marked with a red lasso). You reach Wellheim via Bergen. There are a few nice trails under the rock needles of Aicha and Konstein. The last trail over a ridge down to Dollnstein is particularly rewarding. From there, you join the Altmühltal Panorama Trail. The sections with prohibition signs can be bypassed on the cycle path along the banks of the Altmühl. Up to Eichstätt, however, there are always narrow paths, and some of the uphills are on trails. After Eichstätt, you climb 140 metres up to a transmission mast. The reward is a built trail before you return to the Altmühltaler Panoramaweg in Landertshofen. The signposted trail consists of gravel tracks, steep ramps and graded trails. But you shouldn't underestimate the constant ups and downs. After Arnsberg, you push up a few metres to a viewing platform and pass a gate. The forest trail down to Böhming is fast and flowing. Behind Kinding, you collect the last metres of altitude of the day, and a technical trail with steps through a rock gate takes you to Unteremmendorf. From there, the route is flat via Kratzmühle (with its bathing lake) to Beilngries.
Stage 5: Beilngries - Bad Abbach (85 km / 1821 metres altitude)
This day is characterised by the Altmühltal. A short detour behind Beilngries on the Jurasteig offers steep ramps and flowing trails on forest floor. From the next summit, the Rosskopf, you have a beautiful panorama back to Dietfurt. Other beautiful trails can be found from Rosskopf and down from Eggersberg Castle. Here, you don't follow the route of the Jurasteig trail to avoid having to push your bike. You reach Riedenburg via the Jägerberg and another trail. You reach the Lohspitze via a signposted MTB route and can train your riding technique on a zig-zag path down to Einthal. On the other side of the Altmühl is the ramp to Prunn Castle. You reach the Litzelberg via some forest trails and gravel roads. The route then continues along more trails through the Sausthal to the Naturfreundehaus Wäscherhartl. Behind the "Kuhtränke", a built trail follows, which spits you out at the lock on the edge of Kelheim. Past the Goldbergklinik, you turn back onto the Jurasteig trail, which offers further trails to Kelheimwinzer. South of Saal/Donau, you cycle along a forest ridge and only at Lengfeld do you follow the Jurasteig trail again, which ends with a trail finale in Bad Abbach.
Stage 6: Bad Abbach - Schwandorf (89 km / 1932 m elevation gain)
Leave Bad Abbach in a north-westerly direction and follow the yellow signs for the Jura Trail. On the high bank above Oberndorf, you collect the first metres on your trail account. The views down over the Danube bend are not to be missed! You reach Matting via meadow paths, where you take the ferry across to the other side of the Danube. A few nice root paths follow through the Matting slopes before turning into the Laabertal valley in Alling. After Eilsbrunn, you follow the "Katzenpfotenweg" (cat's paw trail) for a while, a trail along the slope. Finally you come to Etterzhausen, where many Regensburgers go biking. You cycle along many winding trails through the Naabtal valley, partly on the Jurasteig trail, partly a little off the beaten track. From Pielenhofen onwards, you can confidently follow the Jurasteig signs - you won't find better trails even in built trail parks. From Heizenhofen, you can follow the gravel track to Kallmünz, as the Jurasteig only has gravel to offer on this section. A short loop into the Vils valley takes you up to Kallmünz Castle from behind. A rough trail takes you back to the picturesque village. The loop over the Hutberg near Fischbach is also not to be missed because of the path on the ridge and the views down below. You finally reach Burglengenfeld via forest paths. A loop around the landmark, the castle, is a must. You then follow the ridge via Premberg up to Münchshofener Berg. The sometimes steep climbs are repeatedly rewarded with easy, fast trails. From Bubach a.d. Naab, the day ends on cycle paths and gravel tracks until you reach Schwandorf.
Stage 7: Schwandorf - Weiden i.d.OPf. (75 km / 1435 m elevation gain)
You follow the meandering Naab northwards along meadow and gravel paths until you reach Schwarzenfeld. There you head for a meadow path that runs along the railway line almost as far as Nabburg. A short detour through the old town centre, then you continue comfortably on a cycle path to Pfreimd. Cycle along forest and gravel paths alongside the river of the same name to Trausnitz. A trail takes you to a bridge at the Trausnitz reservoir, over which you cross to the other side. Follow the course of the river to Tanzmühle, which offers constant ups and downs and some fun trail sections. Then continue along the Goldsteig trail. After Wittschau there is a long descent, then you fight your way up to the region's landmark, Leuchtenberg Castle, on sometimes steep trails. From up there, you can enjoy a fantastic 360-degree view over the Upper Palatinate Forest. A fast trail takes you downhill, then you cross the B22 and follow the root-covered paths through the Lerau valley. The route then climbs steadily up and down, from one valley to the next. Until you reach the chapel on the Dreifaltigkeitsberg, you collect a lot of gruelling metres in altitude, peppered with short trails. The finale to Weiden is finally heralded at the tower on the Fischerberg, first quickly through the forest, then on winding paths at the edge of the forest in a loop south around Weiden. At the end, you can take on the enduro trail built by the Weiden mountain bikers.
Stage 8: Weiden i.d. OPf. - Tröstau (91 km / 1578 m elevation gain)
The penultimate stage through the Upper Palatinate is one of the absolute highlights of the tour. To roll in, take the cycle path along the river as far as Neustadt an der Waldnaab. You then switch to the Goldsteig trail until Windischeschenbach, which offers a number of unspoilt paths. A little further on, you reach the Waldnaabtal nature reserve, through which you follow the meandering river. On this scenic section, you are repeatedly confronted with imposing granite formations and easy forest paths. In Falkenberg, you should definitely make a stop at a Zoigl inn and take a loop around the restored castle. You then collect flat kilometres on meadow and gravel paths through the lake landscape south of Wiesau. From Friedenfels, the ascent to the Platte, the highest peak in the Steinwald Nature Park, begins. But before you can enjoy the fantastic views from the Upper Palatinate Tower at the summit, you have to crank up a few ramps strewn with granite boulders. But the slog is worth it! The northern descent from the highest point offers enjoyable trails almost to the outskirts of Waldershof. With a perfect gradient in places, not as steep as in the Alps, where you are constantly on the brakes. The day ends with a 400 metre ascent to the southernmost summit of the Fichtelgebirge, the Kösseine. From the hut below the observation tower, you can rumble down a few steps before the trail descends in a technically demanding manner towards Burgstein. Further down, the trail becomes gentler and you surf along winding forest paths almost all the way down to Tröstau. A detour to the forest pool at the Petzlweiher pond rounds off a perfect day in the saddle.
Stage 9: Tröstau - Mödlareuth (71km / 1356 metres altitude)
From the Waldbad, you cycle up the gravel track of the old Silberhorn road. Behind the Silberhaus, the road turns off the B303 and shortly afterwards you turn into a blocked uphill trail that challenges your riding technique and thighs to the utmost. After a few metres of pushing, you reach the top of the slab. The first few metres of the descent over wildly scattered granite boulders are also quite a challenge - especially when it's wet. After a few metres, you leave the gravel road to the right and continue along the "Fichtelgebirge Höhenweg" via the Seehaus in the direction of Schneeberg. Almost everything is on trails, sometimes you have to descend briefly and push a few metres. Via the Saugasse trail, you finally reach the Schneeberg, the highest peak in the Fichtelgebirge. On the descent, you first cover a few metres in altitude on asphalt before the trail to Rudolfstein branches off to the right. Push briefly through two granite needles, then a short super-technical passage before trails and forest tracks lead down to Weißenstadt. The route takes you around the lake to Ruppertsgrün, where you can stop for a coffee at "Fichtelrad". From there, the route follows perfect forest trails over the Großer and Kleiner Waldstein to just before Förmitz. Then along the reservoir and on the Goldsteig trail to Schwarzenbach an der Saale. Between Schwingen and Oberkotzau, you can expect some easy trails near the railway line. After that, things look rather bleak. Cycle northwards through Hof on cycle paths. After that, the route zigzags along narrow tarmac roads and gravel paths via Issar and Töpen to the former German-German border in Mödlareuth.
++ Below you can download the GPS data for the nine stages of the Deutschland-Trail. ++
