Paul Masukowitz
These bike routes in NRW will take you higher, farther, and faster on the way to best athletic performance on your gravel bike, racing bike, or mountain bike. The low mountain regions of North Rhine-Westphalia offer routes and bike parks that lead steadily up- and downhill, either on paved paths, gravel tracks, or natural mountain bike trails. The best thing about them is that anyone who fights their way up high will usually be rewarded by a breathtaking panoramic view. You can make good speed even where there are no mountains, however, e.g., on the most beautiful racing bike routes of the Münsterland.
Paul Masukowitz
On the road by gravel bike
Over hill and dale
Little-used roads, narrow trails, and gravel paths in picturesque nature are waiting for you in the low mountain regions of the Sauerland, Eifel, Teutoburg Forest, and Bergisches Land. Choose between easy beginner tours and challenging routes that let you collect any number of altitude metres. Diverse landscapes, beautiful vistas, and pretty stops will be your companions on your gravel bike tours.
Sauerland: Pretty highlights and many altitude metres
The landscape with its sights, the ground properties, and the athletic challenge keep alternating on the selected tour suggestions in the Sauerland region. The 50-kilometre-long Golddorf cycle route in the Schmallenberg Sauerland has as many as seven destinations worth visiting along the way. The half-timbered villages of Lenne, Fleckenberg, Grafschaft, Oberkirchen, Westfeld, Niedersorpe, and Holthausen are not only pretty to look at, but also offer restaurants for a rest. Following a proper refreshment, the total of 638 altitude metres to be overcome along the route seem barely worth mentioning anymore.
www.bike-arena.de/gravelbike
Bergisches Land: tours between the dams
Routes from 40 to 70 kilometres in length will lead you through the Bergisches Land and past typical sights. For example, the “Between dams and church villages” tour not only affords you an opportunity to overcome almost 1,000 altitude metres along about 70 kilometres, putting your stamina to the test, but also contains some stops at the Bever and Schevelingen dams.
www.dasbergische.de/touren-mit-dem-gravelbike
Ruhr area: slagheaps and mountain ranges
The Ruhr area has some mountains and accordingly challenging ascents and rapid descents to offer as well. Athletic tour suggestions will make your heart beat faster not only due to the climbs and at times tricky forest passages, but also because of the vistas along the route. Get on your wheels along the Ruhr heights, travelling from Mülheim an der Ruhr to Essen-Werden and collecting altitude metres as well as great views on the approximately 55-kilometre-long loop above the Ruhr River. The “Slagheap ross by gravel bike” circuit route connects the three slagheaps of Rheinpreußen, Norddeutschland, and Pattberg in the region’s far west, offering a good overview of the history of this former mining region.
www.radrevier.ruhr/de/gravel-touren-im-ruhrgebiet
Paul Masukowitz
Into the mountains by mountain bike
Up and down from view to view
The low mountain regions are a popular destination for mountain bike enthusiasts. No matter if you're riding a touring, marathon, or downhill bike: the forests, mountains, and valleys of the Sauerland are going to be your next challenge. Challenge accepted?
Across the twelve eight-hundreds metre peaks in the Sauerland
The Sauerland offers tours, bike and trail parks for any needs. The short but demanding 20-kilometre-long Hochheide tour, for example, leads across the highest mountain in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Langenberg, with a technically very demanding trail section. Though focus on cycling technique matters, we recommend treating yourself to a view of the heath and the Hochsauerland as well: It is incredibly pretty, after all. Then you can dash downhill to Willingen on the freeride route. Are you properly warmed up now? Get ready to cross a few of the highest mountains in the Sauerland: The “Zwölf Achthunderter” circuit will bring even the fittest bikers to their limits on about 100 kilometres. One thing is certain, however: You can do it! If your offspring are cycling already as well, the Bike Arena Sauerland has the Mountainbike Kidsnetz in Willingen and some special offers in trail centres and small mountain bike facilities among the many options for letting children get a grip on cycling technique while enjoying some fun on trails and tracks.
www.bike-arena.de/mountainbike
Seven Summits in Siegen-Wittgenstein
The main ridge of the Rothaargebirge serves as the hub for mountain bikers in the Siegen-Wittgenstein region. Hilchenbach is the ideal starting point for beginners’ rounds and highly ambitious tours alike here. The name of “Seven Summits” conceals a true highlight, as the route connects the seven highest mountains around Hilchenbach, including, e.g., the Riemen, at about 680 metres even the highest mountain in the Siegerland region.
www.siegen-wittgenstein.info/mtb-touren-in-siegen-wittgenstein
Around the volcanoes of the Eifel region
20 mountain bike routes of varying degrees of difficulty offer a total of around 500 kilometres of cycling fun in the Eifel region. Trail parks such as the Mountainbike Park Hürtgenwald or the Trailpark Vulkaneifel with 750 kilometres worth of trails and 17,500 altitude metres, offer a particularly great amount of mountain bike fun in a single place. The Rur Eifel beckons with routes summarised under the umbrella of “Freifahrt Eifel”, catering to cyclists with different levels of training with their three different levels of difficulty.
Are you fit and looking for a multi-day tour? The Eifel-Höhen-Route may be the right thing for you, offering breathtaking panoramic views, many different landscapes, and romantic little towns along a demanding total route of 230 kilometres.
www.eifel.info/radfahren/mountainbike
Ruhrpott-Cross and slagheap trails
The Ruhr area mountain bike tours lead across former mining spoil heaps. The Ruhrpott-Cross, for example, covering 130 kilometres of slagheap landscape from Duisburg to Dortmund, is considered a special highlight among mountain bikers. The trails between Herten and Recklinghausen in the Landschaftspark Hoheward offer fully signposted cross-country fun away from the hiking trail network.
www.radrevier.ruhr/de/mountainbike
Teutoburg Forest: tour advice on the way to the Hermann Monument
Stopovers are non-optional on MTB tours through the Teutoburg Forest. After all, the trails connect many viewpoints and sights. Nine tour suggestions lead along winding paths to both well-known highlights and hidden treasures such as medieval ruins and facilities for historical medicinal peat production. Are you looking for some challenges and highlights worth seeing? Set out to the Hermann Monument, then, e.g. on small hidden paths and trails from Bad Meinberg, through the Werre valley, up the ridge of Remmighauser Berg and onto Grotenburg castle with its famous monument. At a total height of exactly 53.46 meters, it is Germany’s highest statue and the landmark of an entire region.
www.teutoburgerwald.de/mountain-bike-touren
Paul Masukowitz
Around the volcanoes of the Eifel region
20 mountain bike routes of varying degrees of difficulty offer a total of around 500 kilometres of cycling fun in the Eifel region. Trail parks such as the Mountainbike Park Hürtgenwald or the Trailpark Vulkaneifel with 750 kilometres worth of trails and 17,500 altitude metres, offer a particularly great amount of mountain bike fun in a single place. The Rur Eifel beckons with routes summarised under the umbrella of “Freifahrt Eifel”, catering to cyclists with different levels of training with their three different levels of difficulty.
Are you fit and looking for a multi-day tour? The Eifel-Höhen-Route may be the right thing for you, offering breathtaking panoramic views, many different landscapes, and romantic little towns along a demanding total route of 230 kilometres.
www.eifel.info/radfahren/mountainbike
Teutoburg Forest: tour advice on the way to the Hermann Monument
Stopovers are non-optional on MTB tours through the Teutoburg Forest. After all, the trails connect many viewpoints and sights. Nine tour suggestions lead along winding paths to both well-known highlights and hidden treasures such as medieval ruins and facilities for historical medicinal peat production. Are you looking for some challenges and highlights worth seeing? Set out to the Hermann Monument, then, e.g. on small hidden paths and trails from Bad Meinberg, through the Werre valley, up the ridge of Remmighauser Berg and onto Grotenburg castle with its famous monument. At a total height of exactly 53.46 meters, it is Germany’s highest statue and the landmark of an entire region.
www.teutoburgerwald.de/mountain-bike-touren
Paul Masukowitz
Racing bike
A burst of speed
Breaking records in the Sauerland
Ready, set, go! This is all about making the best of times: The StoppOmat at Rönkhausen will take your time and let you compete for the fastest time with others virtually or directly. On 4.5 kilometres with 250 altitude metres, you are going to see who has the greatest stamina. Start by drawing a stamp card, cycle the route, and insert the card back into the machine at your destination. This records your time and will subsequently publish it online. Of course, there are more routes waiting for you and your racing bike as well.
www.sauerland.com/Sauerland-Stoppomat-in-Roenkhausen
Ups and downs of the Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest will live up to your athletic needs as well, while offering relaxation for your mind at the same time: The mountains and valleys of the low mountain region are crisscrossed by small, remote paths that let you give all you have athletically while still enjoying many beautiful moments. The Lippe Avenue Road, for example, has about 1500 altitude metres distributed among many small climbs, garnished with some historical town centres and idyllic landscapes.
www.teutoburgerwald.de/rennradstrecken
A burst of speed in the Münsterland
As the Münsterland region proves, athletic cycling does not require mountains. You can participate in the RennFietsen Tour Münsterland once every year, competing not only with other participants on four days of 150 kilometres each, but also doing some good. For every kilometre cycled, there will be some donations made to a good cause. A total of about 4,500 kilometres of bike paths are signposted and mostly flat, but by no means boring, thanks to castles, chateaus, farms, and the sprawling park landscape.
www.muensterland.com/radfahren-muensterland
Paul Masukowitz
Through the Bergisches Land around Cologne
The annual cycling classic “Rund um Köln”, great parts of which go through the Bergisches Land region, proves that the region is just about perfect for racing bike tours. Away from the main traffic routes, winding and at times narrow paths cross the mountains and valleys while offering athletic pleasure and beautiful scenery at the same time. The “Tour de Reichshof”, for example, will try your stamina on 50 kilometres with more than 1000 altitude metres, while also rewarding you with beautiful views all the way to the Siebengebirge mountains on clear days.
www.dasbergische.de/touren-mit-dem-rennrad
Eifel: around the Nürburgring by bike
Even though the legendary Grand Prix circuit is world famous mostly for motorised racing, you can, in fact, race around the track on your racing bike as well. Whether you prefer the test track or tour, off- or on-road cycling: the Radarena am Ring offers digital overview maps, detailed information, and gpx data. More than 1,500 kilometres in total are held ready for your next race and offered in the form of roadbooks and GPS tracks as well. You can even cycle on the Nürburgring itself during dedicated sporting events such as Rad am Ring and Circuit Cycling, as well as on specific evening dates.
www.eifel.info/rennrad
