A Road Bike Tour

Participants:

Iris, age 67, retired

Road bike Tour to the Elbe bicycle trail

(Hamburg to Dresden/Germany)

Review of the bike Tour

The author of this review: Iris from Austria - now retired

General:

The river Elbe bicycle trail tour is about 561 kilometers from Hamburg to Dresden (including a lot of search and dead end escapes...)

The Elbe bike trail exists, but it is not made for miles eater riders, like me..., on a race bike

The trail is for bicyclists, who travel on a trekking bike, which is made for bumpy roads, gravel and dirt...; moreover for travelers who does 30 kilometers a day, stopping on each sign and picture buildings and landscape all over, and have many stops on coffee shops on the way....

What I did, is somehow wrong, and it does not really reflect the beauty of the entire trail.

Therefore, I ended up on several dead ends in gravel and dirt, what makes me ride more or less on side roads.

Particular the East of Germany has got some beauty, as not everything is renewed and still in old style.

Good for traveling bicyclists: the prices for accommodation and food is much more lower as in the Western locations of Germany. Accommodation in excellent hotels (mostly 3 star) is below EURO 50,-

No need to do advance bookings as the infrastructure is very good (Germany!).

I believe it could be crowded in summer on particular places, like Tangermünde, Wittenberg-Lutherstadt, Meissen and Dresden...

One little advise:

check always, if you are nearby a side road, when you are travel the marked Elbe trail in order to allow an escape, when gravel and dirt holds your bike

An actual map seems to be necessary, as some roads are renewed and freeways today.

Particular the area of Riesa (close to Dresden) is hard to find a good side road.

If one is a good navigator (with a nose of intuition) and a little GPS navigator, those wouldn't have to much trouble.

Enjoy the report and the pictures!

Good luck to our followers!

25. 09. 2012

Tuesday

1.day

travel by train to Hamburg

Wien-West - Hamburg (depart 19:48 arrive 07:50) EN 490

26. 09. 2012

Wednesday

2.day

travel until Dannenberg

day distance: 120 kilometers

Details:

I have meet a bicycle couple who are living near Hamburg-Harburg.

I have met them on the train, right before Hamburg. The offered to direct me to the South shore Elbe bicycle trail.

As it started raining, I have been even offered more: to come to their home, and a coffee!

We have been talking about philosophical issues of life..., music and more...

A wonderful discussion, we hardly could stop.

The gentleman rides an E-bike, but rather strong, the lady is an very experienced world traveler, who did already the bicycle tour: Seattle to Colorado...

As the rain continued, I was recommended to take a bus further East in direction of Winsen/Luhe.

But the bus has take me only round seven kilometers to the little town of Over.

Lucky, the hard rain has stopped and optimistically, I have been riding on to my days destination: Dannenberg.

Note: the roads from town of Bleckede on will be somewhat 'hilly'. Winding roads to and from the town of Hitzacker...

See some impressions below:

busy dam mowers:

my navigation help:

Dead end rides:

My bicycle looked like this, since the end of the first day...:

My hotel at Dannenberg: (bicyclists welcome!)

27. 09. 2012

Thursday

3.day

Riding to Tangermünde

day distance: 153 kilometers

Details:

have left Tangermünde on a late summer day (no rain at all).

Crossed the Elbe to the North shore at Doemitz, whereas is new Elbe bridge.

More easy to ride, as the terrain is flat...

...and my accommodation and the beautiful 'old' town of Tangermunde:

Cobble stone roads at Tangermunde:

28. 09. 2012

Friday

4.day

From Tannermünde via Magdeburg und Wittenberg-Lutherstadt nach Torgau

day distance: 188 kilometers

Details:

starting in good mood at Tangermunde, but ended soon worn out and frustrated after 50 kilometers, just before the city of Magdeburg facing strong front winds...

After a short rest, I have recovered (a miracle), and continued riding to Wittenberg-Lutherstand and further to Torgau

see pictures below:

Just before the city of Magdeburg is a town, called Wolmierstedt.

There is the 'Kalimanscharo', the hudge remains of the East German potash mining, which became a real mountain meanwhile...

A fast food place:

Wittenberg-Lutherstadt (a crowded tourist place):

My accommodation at Torgau:

29. 09. 2012

Saturday

6.day

From Torgau to Dresden via Meissen

day distance: 100 kilometers

Details:

Torgau to Riesa wasn't easy to find a way, as Hwy number 169 is a freeway now...

I navigated through little roads and found Hwy 6, which directed me directly to Meissen...

Just before Meissen is a rather long climb (you may detect the picture below...).

Meissen to Dresden is an easy way.

Just beautiful. A sort of parkway. Paved all the way through (...and tail wind...)

Note: from Meissen on, upstream, the river Elbe has lost definitely it's 'maritime' look

see pictures below:

some pictures from the city of Meissen:

my ride continuous to Dresden... (with a short rest at the 'old ferry house'):

some pictures from my arrival at Dresden:

I am eager to do the next section, whereas I have seen trail from the train: section Bad Schandau to Praha, via Decin

Train: Dresden to Vienna

Dresden – Wien-Praterstern (depart 15:08 platform 3, arrive 22:03 Vienna-Praterstern) EC 177

THANK YOU !

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