Speckgürtel: The best trail tours in the centre of Germany
It really wasn't easy: Germany has 44 low mountain ranges and most of them stretch like a belly band across the centre of the country. That's why we would have preferred to increase the number of tours for the second part of our "Top 5" series to a selection of ten. At least! Because we have already travelled in almost all of these mountains and have presented the three best tours in our area guides. We've also included all the spots we've visited that aren't directly in a low mountain range, but which score points in other ways. To cut a long story short: We had a long and heated discussion until we were finally able to agree on this selection. Germany's forest peaks are amazingly diverse. From the air, one mountain range may look like another, but on the trails, each area has its very own character. The main criterion for us was, of course, the proportion of trails on the tours. Surprisingly, we didn't find the longest trails on the flanks of the highest peaks, but mainly in the border regions with France, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. In other words, areas that also have a lot of history to tell. But rivers are also a treasure trove in Germany. One of them was convincing because it created an extraordinary landscape with its many bends and its flanking trails also lead up to vantage points.
Tour 1 - Palatinate Forest: Overnighter South
- Length: 68.8 kilometres
- Uphill: 2600 metres altitude
- Duration: 2 days
- Difficulty: medium
Mountain bikers have always been welcome in the Palatinate Forest. Even on trails. So it's well worth spending two days here. In addition to its 900-kilometre network of trails, the mixed forest on the French border also offers overnight campsites, castle ruins and Moab-like sandstone towers. Our top tour winds its way through the southern Palatinate Forest: from Vorderweidenthal via Lindelbrunn Castle up to Vogelkopf, where the first super trail threads through the Kellerfels. Lunch is served in Bad Bergzabern and dinner at the French border in Schweigen-Rechtenbach. If you don't want to camp in the forest, you will also find a more comfortable guesthouse here. The second stage winds back through the Bad Bergzabern countryside: first on a trail along the border and through the Mundatwald forest to the Steinernes Tisch. A tricky descent circles down to the Drei Eichen car park before heading over the Hohlstein and finally over the Hirschberg back to Vorderweidenthal.
Highlights of the tour
You could call this tour a pure forest bathing adventure. Especially if you not only inhale the pure filtered deciduous forest air and enjoy the kilometres of permitted trails, but also use one of the official trekking campsites on offer. The castle ruins and the whimsical rock towers jutting out of the forest provide visual highlights. The soil is also made of coloured sandstone. This has the advantage that the trails dry quickly even after prolonged rain!
Key points
The trail sections almost always have a difficulty level of S1 and are easy to roll. However, you have to expect occasional rock steps, ramps and roots. Especially on the descent from the Steinernes Tisch (day 2).
Accommodation tip
A night at one of the 15 trekking campsites with a fire pit in the forest is well worth the experience. Info: www.trekking-pfalz.de
Tour 2 - Ore Mountains: To Klínovec
- Length: 50.5 kilometres
- Uphill: 1588 metres in altitude
- Duration: 4.5 hours
- Difficulty: medium
Stoneman Miriquidi, Trailcenter Rabenberg, the new Bikeman - there is plenty for bikers to do in the Ore Mountains. But the green border with the Czech Republic also stretches across the ridge of the low mountain range, making the whole region even more exciting. After all, our neighbours are considered European champions when it comes to MTB trails. Our favourite tour from Oberwiesenthal therefore crosses over to the Czech Republic after just under a kilometre. It heads towards the ruined village of Königsmühle and then down to Pürstein. This allows you to enjoy the long ascent to the highest peak in the Ore Mountains from the foot: 800 metres in altitude in one go up to the 1244-metre-high Klínovec. The cult bike park with chairlift awaits at the top. The Baron and Rubin trails adorn the next descent of this tour (seven kilometres long). If you want to experience the other two trails in the park as well, it's best to buy a lift ticket, otherwise you might run out of grains for the return journey over the Kleiner Fichtelberg (approx. 500 metres).
Highlights of the tour
Definitely the trails at Klínovec. Of course, there are also beautiful trails on the German side of the Ore Mountains. But they can't compete with the natural trail paradise of our Czech neighbours. That's why we opted for this long tour. The total of five descents in the Klínovec bike park may be shredded, but there are definitely no marble runs. A ticket for a single ride on the chairlift costs around 8.50 euros. Open: May to October.
Key points
At the end of the long descent down to Pürstein, the tyres skid through fist-sized basalt scree. The 800 metre ascent to Klínovec stretches over 15 kilometres and is even more strenuous at the end with its rough surface. Just like the rough trail down from the Kleiner Fichtelberg.
Retreat
In the Klínovec trail park (pizzeria and café). Back in Oberwiesenthal, at least one trail beer at the Prijut12 biker meeting point is a must.
Tour 3 - Zittau Mountains: From lake to lake
- Length: 39.9 kilometres
- Uphill: 1033 metres in altitude
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Difficulty: medium
Germany's smallest mountain range presses into the easternmost corner of the country. On the borders of Poland and the Czech Republic. This alone means there are plenty of trails. But what is almost as impressive are the basalt towers that were once piled up here by volcanoes and polished by the weather into free-standing forest sculptures. This tour, from Lake Olbersdorf on the German side via three peaks to Lake Christina in the Czech Republic, endeavours to collect as many of these gems of the Zittau Mountains as possible: The tour starts with ups and downs into the nature park. The surface changes abruptly, as do the gradients. Until, at the end, the asphalted steep ramp to the 749 metre high Hochwald summit awaits. This is where the trail fireworks start on the route over Brandhöhe, Scharfenstein and around the Plattenstein. Things get similarly wild at the Töpfer (582 m) and Pfaffenstein (565 m) viewing peaks. The latter is already on the Czech side with a 300-metre descent down to Lake Christina.
Highlights of the tour
Rock sculptures suddenly appearing in the forest, three panoramic peaks with views over the entire mountain range with a volcanic cone look and, of course, winding trails connecting everything. Oh yes! Not forgetting the two bathing lakes at the start and end of the tour. This cross-border tour with its almost 17 kilometres of the finest single trails simply had to be included in this selection. Even if it is hidden in the very east of the country!
Key points
There are a few ramps lurking in the forest. Most of them are short, but all the more challenging. The trails are natural paths. Roots, abrupt changes of direction and the occasional stepped scree section near the summit require good reflexes and foresight.
Retreat
Kammbaude: Restaurant with GDR charm on the Hochwald with typical dishes such as Oberlausitzer Stupperle (potato dumplings, sauerkraut, bacon).
Tour 4 - Thuringia: Wave track in the Saaleland
- Length: 34.7 kilometres
- Uphill: 629 metres in altitude
- Duration: 3 hours
- Difficulty: medium
The Thuringian Forest is the cream of the crop in Thuringia - or so you might think. But our tour author is firmly against it. He has experienced the best trails in the state of Thuringia in Saaleland! Where the river Saale is dammed up and has therefore carved its way through the slate rock with extreme curves. Jens Kaufmann guides in this area and also showed us this wave track tour. A tour that really lives up to its name: from Ziegenrück, the route winds its way along the Saale dam system and grabs every trail detour until it reaches the ridge of Lückenmühle (250 m elevation gain). Then it's over the spectacular route of the former Oberland railway, including a crossing of the Ziemestal bridge. Finally, a steep trail climbs up the Hemmkoppe again, because from up there you have a sensational view of four 180-degree bends in the Saale and the prospect of a final trail descent back to Ziegenrück.
Highlights of the tour
Strictly speaking, the Saale meanders through the so-called Thuringian Slate Mountains. However, your eyes do not linger on any striking peaks here. The superstar of the region is the Saale with its wild river bends. The trails along its two banks are correspondingly winding. However, if the trails do make their way up one of the supposedly inconspicuous hills - as on this super loop near Ziegenrück - then you can experience trails in the rock face, cross a 32 metre high viaduct and finally get to know the Hemmkoppe trail and panorama spot with the carrot and stick.
Guided tours
Jens Kaufmann knows his way around the trails in Saaleland best. The Wellenbahn circuit is just one of the gems in his repertoire. Info: Tel. 0172/3616860, e-mail: jk777@gmx.de
Key points
The trail over the Hemmkoppe is around five kilometres long and presents even experienced riders with a few challenges.
Refreshment tips
Hirt's Brau- und Gasthof in Liebengrün and Gasthaus zur Fernmühle in Ziegenrück. Best breakfast at the Wurzbacher Backhaus in Saalburg!
Tour 5 - Aachen: Border triangle
- Length: 29.3 kilometres
- Uphill: 476 metres in altitude
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Difficulty: easy
Germany's most westerly city may not have a low mountain range on its doorstep, but it does have the Aachen Forest, which is up to 360 metres high. The locals call it Öcher Bösch. It lies directly in the border triangle with Belgium and the Netherlands - and if there's one thing border areas are particularly good at, it's trails. BIKE tour author Matthias Rotter was very enthusiastic about the kilometres of natural flow trails, which are only slightly rooty and have a lot of history to tell. He found the most exciting ones on the Dreiländereck tour. The route swings up to the Vaalserberg in the south of the city, whose summit (323 metres) is shared by the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. After a detour to the Aachen Bike Park, a path patrols along the Belgian border stones to the former Siegfried Line, which was carved into the forest here over a length of 600 kilometres during the Second World War. A war memorial with anti-tank barriers still reminds us of this today. The last seven kilometres are mostly downhill back to the city and at the end you have a tour with 52 per cent trail in your legs!
Highlights of the tour
52 per cent trail share with a length of almost 30 kilometres - you don't often find that in Germany. Especially because the fun starts less than four kilometres from the southern gates of Aachen. Right at the start, the trail whirls around particularly gnarled tree trunks. A photo at the border triangle on the Vaalserberg (with its viewing tower) is a must, as is a detour to the club-run bike park. The downhill trails from kilometre 22 back to the city are also particularly fun.
Key points
A few transverse roots keep the suspension happy. There's more to do for the gears, as some ramps appear quite abruptly in front of the handlebars.
Accommodation tip
Forest restaurant Gut Entenpfuhl (at km 15.9).
Info
Aachen has an MTB club with 1,500 members who are involved in the trail network and the bike park: www.gelaendefahrrad-aachen.de
GPS data for the MTB tours
Germany's most beautiful trail tours part 3 - the 5 super tours from Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg will follow soon!
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
