On the Tour de Spargel through the Rhine plain
The route leads through the Rhine plain between Schwetzingen and Bruchsal with almost no climbs. The asparagus cyclists cycle mainly on cycle paths, forest tracks and farm tracks, with only short sections on district roads. Taster tip: If the 108 kilometres are too much, there is also a short 40-kilometre route between Schwetzingen, Reilingen and Ketsch.
The sign with the asparagus man shows the way on the Tour de Spargel
Asparagus season begins in Germany in the middle/end of April. Traditionally, it lasts until St John's Day - 24 June. After that, no more asparagus is actually harvested. But the Tour de Spargel is also fun out of season. The route also takes in sights such as Schwetzingen Palace, which served as the summer residence of the Palatine Electors Karl Philipp and Karl Theodor, and the baroque Bruchsal Palace from 1720 with its world-famous staircase by Balthasar Neumann. The route also passes at least nine bathing lakes.
Journey:
Bruchsal is well connected to the DB network. There are also around a dozen railway stations along the route, easily accessible from Heidelberg and Karlsruhe. www.bahn.de
Tour combinations:
The tour can be combined with the Rhine Valley cycle path, Cabbage and turnip cycle pathHeidelberg-Black Forest-Lake Constance cycle path and Odenwald Madonna Cycle Route
Accommodation tips:
Wallhall brewery in Bruchsal, www.brauhaus-wallhall-bruchsal.de
Guest house at the castle in Schwetzingen, www.gaeste-schloss.de
Achat-Hotel Reilingen, www.achat-hotels.com/de/hotel/walldorf-reilingen
Culinary tip:
The Simianer asparagus farm in Hambrücken serves up asparagus in all its varieties, www.spargelhof-simianer.de
and the Böser asparagus restaurant in Forst, asparagusrestaurant.com
Organised trip:
Weekend packages can be organised by the Bruchsal tourist information office on 07251/5059461
Maps and literature:
The Tour de Spargel cycle map is available free of charge at:
www.tour-de-spargel.de/kontakt/radkarte-bestellen/
An interactive cycle map with tour planner can be found on the website.
Pietruska Verlag "Radwander und Freizeitkarte Landkreis Karlsruhe Nordteil" scale 1:40,000, 6.50 euros.
Information:
BTMV Bruchsaler Tourismus, Marketing & Veranstaltungs GmbH, Tel. 07251/50594-0, www.btmv.de
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 6/2016. You can download the issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play ) or in the DK-Shop order.
