Jump to content
Jump to footer
Book now
To the online version

Neckar cycle path

From Donaueschingen to Heidelberg.

This Neckar cycling holiday takes you from Donaueschingen to Heidelberg, straight through the whole county of Baden-Württemberg. On this trip, discover the variety of the countryside – the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb for example. On your route, you will also visit the well-known towns of Rottweil, Tübingen or Stuttgart. The Neckar river is your trusty companion all the way! First a small stream, it soon develops into a major river, which is navigable from Plochingen. Expansive riverside meadowland and narrow curving valleys, vineyards, castles and forts – the wonderful mixture of countryside and culture is the particular charm of this tour.

Easy to moderate
Bike tours
10 Days / 9 Nights
Self-guided tour

Itinerary

"Brigach und Breg bringen die Donau zuweg" is the phrase people say here meaning that the Brigach and Breg rivers jointly form the river Danube. The Romans considered the spring in the parkland of Castle Fürstenberg to be the start of the Danube. The castle, in the style of the Belle Epoque, is an impressive testimony to Fürstenberg Family’s former significance. Reserved rental bicycles are parked at the hotel ready for you.

Up on the high Baar plateau you cycle through beautiful rural scenes between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb to Bad Next, you continue on to Schwenningen, where you reach the narrow stream waters of the Neckar. You follow the river to Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg's oldest town. It developed from a Roman settlement to a charming town with a medieval centre.

You follow the river north, the Neckar now carving its way deeply through the valley and widening considerably. The few villages along the way are idyllically situated. Of the former majestic Neckar Castle – now only ruins remain. In Oberndorf, you reach the midpoint of today's section. After this town, which is regarded as the capital of the Swabian-Alemanni carnival festivities, you pedal on to Sulz.

You can take your first break in Horb, the gate to the Black Forest, and visit the Schurkenturm tower. And then cycle on to Rottenburg. The town suffered many city fires, which is why its townscape is Baroque rather than Medieval. Now it's not much further to today's destination ‒ Tübingen. It is one of the prettiest towns on the Neckar cycle path and its medieval historic quarter is particularly enchanting.

Leaving the busy university town behind you, you now cycle downstream. You will come across of number of bathing pools you might like to stop at and have a swim. You go past Nürtingen, where the poet, Hölderlin, used to go to School. In Plochingen, we recommend visiting the tower by Hundertwasser. Esslingen is one of the towns that wasn't destroyed during the war, enabling you to enjoy its historic flair.

Today you can try the healing waters in the mineral spa resort in Stuttgart-Canstatt and take a break. Further down the river you cycle past lovely terraced vineyards and the royal summer residence at Ludwigsburg. The Neckar valley as home to poets and philosophers is felt most in Marbach, where Friedrich Schiller was born. In the newly renovated Schiller museum you can find out all about the poet.

Cycling past picturesque vineyards, you follow the bends of the river to Lauffen, where you can allow yourself a little sip of the delicious Katzenbeißer wine (cat biter!). Another important wine-growing and wine-trading centre is Heilbronn. The large town is shaped by a mixture of historic and modern buildings. You continue along romantic roads past castles to Neckarsulm.

Worthy of a visit is the NSU museum featuring exhibits of historic bicycles and cars. As you approach Bad Wimpfen you will be amazed by the breath-taking views of the town with its many towers and alcoves. Pedaling past terraced vineyards and wooded slopes, you can catch a glimpse of Hornberg Fort. The Staufer town of Eberbach used to be known for its handicraft professions.

The Neckar winds its way through Odenwald forest and depending on which side of the river you're cycling on, either through the county of Baden-Württemberg or Hessen. In Neckargemünd, you are able to see glimpses of medieval architecture. The famous university town of Heidelberg awaits you with its famous castle ruin, Baroque buildings in the old part of town and a lively cultural scene.

After breakfast, individual return journey or start of your extension.

Tour character

Easy to moderate

The cycle route does not always run close to the river in the valley, so slight climbs are unavoidable. There are only a few steeper, albeit short, climbs. The well-signposted cycle route leads along quiet country roads and cycle paths. Some short sections have to be travelled on roads with heavier traffic, especially when passing through towns.

Prices & Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Services & extras

Services

Included

  • 9 nights in hotel as described
  • breakfast
  • Travel documents with maps, 1x per room (DE, EN, FR, NL)
  • GPS data for your navigation device available on request
  • Luggage transport from hotel to hotel (max. 20kg per piece of luggage)
  • 7-day service hotline

Not included

  • Arrival and departure
  • parking fees
  • Spa and local taxes where applicable
  • transfers
  • Optional sightseeing
  • travel insurance
  • Expenses for personal use
Extras

Arrival / parking

  • Free car parks at the Stadtmühle, at the Realschule and at the Fürstenberg-Gymnasium.
  • Hotel car parks (available in some hotels, subject to a charge).
  • Railway station: Donaueschingen.
  • Airports: Zurich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt.

 

  • Return transfer on Saturdays between 09:00 and 10:00 in a minibus from Heidelberg to Donaueschingen € 89.00 per person. We charge an additional € 40.00 for the return transport of your own bike. Booking required.
Hotels

You will stay in selected hotels, mostly in the 3-star category, as well as selected guesthouses and inns. All rooms have a shower/WC or bath/WC.

 

Further information

Further important information in accordance with the "Pauschalreisegesetz" (Package Travel Act) can be found here!

"We look forward to making your holiday dreams come true"

Olga Prieb
Give us a call
+49 441 48597 41
Write a message
Send an e-mail

5 out of 5 stars

2 ratings
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%
Load more
Neckar cycle path

You might also be interested in

Follow us on our website and browse through several cycle tour programmes.

You now receive special conditions when you book a trip.