Three gravel tours for autumn: Mini adventures on your doorstep
BIKE
· 14.10.2025
Update: This article was first published on 1 October 2025 and has now been updated.
The long weekend is approaching and with it the perfect opportunity to get away from it all and experience new adventures on your bike. Germany offers an impressive variety of cycle routes that are suitable for both road and gravel bike enthusiasts. Whether it's a sporty one-day challenge or a multi-day bikepacking adventure - the possibilities are almost limitless. Sometimes it just takes a good idea or suggestion to say to yourself: I could actually do that sometime. For example: Travelling to the Black Forest to conquer Alpe d'Huez. You read that right: There are a few climbs in Germany's largest contiguous forest area that, judging by the numbers, could rival one or two of the climbs in the Tour de France. The Hochblauen, with its 1046 metres of elevation gain over twelve kilometres, is somewhat reminiscent of the famous climb to Alpe d'Huez. Here are five ideas of what you can do on a long - or slightly longer - weekend of cycling.
Bikepacking adventure in the Palatinate Forest
The Palatinate Forest proves to be the ideal terrain for a bikepacking adventure on a gravel bike. The four-day tour starts in Neustadt an der Weinstraße and covers a total of 226 kilometres and 4570 metres in altitude through one of the largest contiguous forest landscapes in Germany. The first day offers a perfect start with 37 kilometres and 800 metres in altitude, especially if you can only start at midday. Just after Neustadt, the route climbs towards Eckkopf, the highest point of the day. The route leads over a mix of trails and forest tracks deeper and deeper into the Palatinate Forest Nature Park to the Frankenstein trekking site.
On the second day, 57 kilometres with 960 metres of elevation gain follow on a varied route through the mixed beech forest of the "Pfälzer Dauerwelle" to the "Pälzer Weltachs", a worked sandstone on the 459-metre-high Kleiner Roßrück. The third day is challenging with 56 kilometres and 1450 metres of elevation gain through sparsely populated forest hills, before the most demanding stage with 76 kilometres and 1360 metres of elevation gain on the fourth day, which leads over the highest mountain in the Palatinate Forest, the 673-metre-high Kalmit, back to Neustadt.
Gravel bikepacking from Munich to Freiburg
An exciting alternative for a long weekend, for example, is a three-day gravel tour from Munich to Freiburg from your own home to visit parents or friends. The 450-kilometre route leads through picturesque landscapes in southern Germany and offers a perfect mix of nature experience and adventure. The tour starts in Munich and leads through Upper Bavaria and the Allgäu on the first day. On the second day, the tour continues to Lake Constance, where you can take a refreshing break before the last day takes you through the Black Forest to Freiburg. There are various options for overnight accommodation: from a spontaneous overnight stay in the open air to a cosy guesthouse. The equipment typically includes bikepacking bags on the saddle, frame and handlebars, in which the sleeping bag, sleeping mat, change of clothes and food are stowed.
The Germany Trail: a gravel bike adventure across the country
For an even greater adventure, there is the Germany Trail in the Gravel Edition. This 880-kilometre route with 12,200 metres of elevation gain leads from Schengen in Luxembourg to Munich and can be ideally divided into eight stages. The first stage leads from Schengen to Saarbrücken along the German-French border and offers a challenging start with 130 kilometres and 2,100 metres of elevation gain. The other stages lead via Zweibrücken, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Neckargerach, Stuttgart, Ulm and Augsburg to Munich. Special highlights of the tour are the Palatinate Forest, the Swabian Alb and the German Wine Route.
Accommodation options range from hotels and campsites to private accommodation with friends and fellow cyclists. For a bikepacking adventure like this, it is advisable to pack a sleeping set-up, rain gear, toothbrush, sun cream, first aid kit and a change of clothes. The tour impressively demonstrates that you don't need to travel far to discover the unknown - many beautiful places are right on your doorstep.
