Weser cycle path
Weser cycle path | |
---|---|
overall length | 520 km |
location |
Lower Saxony North Rhine-Westphalia Bremen Hesse |
Starting point |
Hann. Münden 51 ° 24 ′ 45.5 ″ N , 9 ° 39 ′ 24.9 ″ E |
Target point | northeast of Fort Kugelbake in Cuxhaven 53 ° 53 ′ 30.1 ″ N , 8 ° 40 ′ 55.8 ″ E |
Places along the way | Hann. Münden , Wesertal , Bodenfelde , Bad Karlshafen , Beverungen , Höxter , Holzminden , Bodenwerder , Hameln , Hessisch Oldendorf , Rinteln , Vlotho , Bad Oeynhausen , Porta Westfalica , Minden , Petershagen , Nienburg , Hoya , Achim , Bremen , Elsfleth , Brake , Nordenham , Bremerhaven , Cuxhaven |
Flooring | mostly paved |
Height difference | slight incline towards the North Sea, few inclines |
difficulty | light |
Traffic volume | low |
Connection to |
D-Route 9 , Else-Werre-Radweg , Aller-Radweg , Europaradweg R1 Werratal-Radweg |
ADFC certification | 4 out of 5 stars |
Website URL | weserradweg-info.de |
The Weser Cycle Path is a 520 kilometer long long -distance cycle path along the Weser and leads down the Weser through the federal states of Hesse , North Rhine-Westphalia , Lower Saxony and Bremen . The first developments took place in 1978 in the East Westphalian district of Höxter .
The Weser Cycle Path is part of the Germany Cycle Network, a national long -distance cycle route network of twelve national cycle routes. The Weser Cycle Path is part of D-Route 9 Weser - Romantic Road and is signposted accordingly.
history
The first continuous route section was laid out in the years 1978 to 1987 by the Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia. The former head of the Höxter district, Paul Sellmann , is considered to be the initiator and trailblazer, and he recognized early on the opportunities for gentle tourism that were connected with the development of the Weser Valley through a continuous cycle path. Although cycling was not yet in vogue at the time, he won over the political committees to implement his idea. After almost eight years of planning and construction, the 40-kilometer stretch of route from the Lower Saxony state border in the north to the Hessian state border in the south was opened to the public on October 14, 1987.
Even during the construction work, the Weserbund e. V. in Bremen by first publishing an experience report by the senior district building director Mussenbrock, who was then involved in planning and construction, in the magazine DIE WESER in August 1982. The report dealt with the peculiarities and problems with the construction of the path in the flood area of the Weser and suggested solutions for the planning and shared use by agricultural vehicles. Following this, the Weserbund e. V. the initiative to open all districts and cities along the Weser between Hann. Münden and Bremerhaven to be won over for a continuous cycle path along the Weser. In this way he managed to create an overall concept that was implemented bit by bit in the years that followed. Since 2011, a cooperation of tourism associations along the Weser has been responsible for the further development of tourism on the Weser cycle path.
In the area of North Rhine-Westphalia , around 40 kilometers of today's Weser cycle path belonged to the NRW cycle network . This route was called R99 .
After extensive route improvements, the ADFC awarded the Weser Cycle Path a 4-star quality cycle route at the ITB in 2017.
course
The Weser cycle path begins at the confluence of the Werra and Fulda rivers near Hann. Münden and follows the course of the river to its confluence with the North Sea near Bremerhaven . From there it continues to Cuxhaven , where it meets the Elberadweg . The length of the cycle path exceeds the 452 kilometers of the river by around 50 kilometers because it cannot always follow the course of the river exactly. In large parts there are cycle paths on both sides of the river, so that there are almost always alternative sections in addition to the official main route.
The cycle path follows the Upper Weser from Hann. Münden via Bad Karlshafen , Beverungen , Höxter , Holzminden , Bodenwerder , Hameln , Hessisch Oldendorf , Rinteln , Vlotho , Bad Oeynhausen (there is a connection to the Else-Werre Cycle Path ), Porta Westfalica - Möllbergen through the middle Weser valley to Minden , then along the Mittelweser through the North German Plain via Petershagen , Nienburg , Hoya , Achim to Bremen and the Unterweser to the North Sea coast ( Elsfleth , Brake , Nordenham , Bremerhaven , Cuxhaven ).
In the Weser Uplands , the route leads past many historic half-timbered towns ( Weser Renaissance ). At Verden there is a connection to the Aller cycle path . The Europaradwanderweg R1 crosses near Höxter .
landscape
In the Weser Uplands , the route begins on the German Fairy Tale Route , the German Half-timbered Road , the Wesertal Road and the Road of the Weser Renaissance . It grazes or crosses the Solling-Vogler and Weser Uplands Schaumburg-Hameln nature parks .
There are several windmills between Rinteln and Porta Westfalica - this is where the path meets the cycle path Mühlenroute - and lakes with leisure facilities. The slope of the Wiehengebirge (near the large Weserbogen, between Wittekindsburg and Kaiser Wilhelm monument ) is a center for gliding and hang-gliding. The Mittelland Canal crosses the Weser at the Minden waterway intersection .
From Minden, the path leads through the North German Plain along the Central Weser with its barrages , weirs and locks , through geest and marshland (alluvial land) landscapes without any significant gradients .
The 90-kilometer section along the Lower Weser begins in the Hanseatic city of Bremen .
Choice of direction of travel
The Weser Valley is an important north-south connection for cycling trips . It is very suitable for cycling in both directions.
The difference in altitude between Hann. Münden and Minden is relatively low (75 meters on 199 kilometers), the one between Porta Westfalica and the North Sea coast is even lower (40 meters in altitude on over 250 river kilometers).
In the broad part of the Weser Valley between Hameln and Vlotho , the Weser flows to the west, in the lowlands to the Allermuende to the north, but then to the Huntes to the northwest.
Transport links
The Weser cycle path is crossed by several railway lines in the Oberweser area, which provide good access to the cycle path in Hann. Münden , Bad Karlshafen , Höxter and Holzminden enable. From Hameln railway lines run parallel to the Weser via Bad Oeynhausen ( Weserbahn ), Minden , Nienburg , Verden to Bremen. Further rail connections exist in Nordenham , Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven . Parallel use is possible between Hameln and Bremen. A bicycle ticket is required on the RE and RB trains.
marketing
The "InfoZentrale Weser-Radweg", based in Bremen, has been providing information for over 20 years, regardless of the individual interests of local tourism associations. Information media are the annually published “RADgeber zum Weser-Radweg”, the website weser-radweg.de and the “Weser-Radweg-App”.
Awards
For several years now, the Weser-Radweg has repeatedly received awards as part of the ADFC bicycle travel analysis.In 2019, the Weser-Radweg came first in the 2019 bicycle travel analysis, making it the most popular long-distance cycle route among Germans. With the exception of a few sections, the route can be selected in such a way that exhausting inclines and slopes are avoided as far as possible.
Transitions to other long-distance cycle paths
The following options exist to switch from the Weser cycle path to other long-distance cycle paths (sorted in the direction of travel north):
- in Hann. Münden - on the Fulda cycle path to the Fulda spring near Gersfeld (Hesse);
- in Hann. Münden - on the Werra valley cycle path to the source of the Werra in Fehrenbach (Thuringia);
- in Hann. Münden - on the Weser-Harz-Heide-Radfernweg to Lüneburg ;
- in Bad Karlshafen - on the Diemel cycle path to the Diemel spring near Usseln (North Rhine-Westphalia);
- in Höxter - on the D route 3 to Vreden or the European cycle route R1 to Boulogne-sur-Mer ;
- in Höxter - on the Hellweg route to Dortmund ;
- in Holzminden - on the D route 3 to Küstrin or the further European cycle route R1 to Saint Petersburg ;
- in Hagenohsen near Emmerthal - on the Weser-Leine cycle path to Gronau (Leine) ;
- in Hameln - on the BahnRadRoute Hellweg-Weser to Soest ;
- near Bad Oeynhausen - on the Else-Werre-Radweg to the Else-Hase-Bifurkation in Melle - Gesmold ;
- in Bad Oeynhausen - at Werre bike path to Werre source in Horn-Bad Meinberg weirs;
- in Verden (Aller) - on the Aller cycle path ;
- in Bremen - on the BahnRadRoute Weser-Lippe to Paderborn ;
- in Bremen - on the bridge cycle path to Osnabrück ;
- in Bremen - on the Elbe-Weser cycle path to Otterndorf at the mouth of the Elbe:
- in Bremen - on the Geestweg to Meppen
- in Bremen - on the long-distance cycle route Hamburg – Bremen to Hamburg ;
- in Bremen - on the Wümme cycle path to Wilsede in the Lüneburg Heath;
- in Bremerhaven - on the old post route to Cuxhaven on the North Sea;
- in Nordenham - on the D-Route 1 to Bunde (East Frisia) or the continuing North Sea Cycle Route to Inverness (Scotland);
- in Cuxhaven - on the D-Route 1 along the North Frisian coast to the Danish border or the continuing North Sea Cycle Route to Bergen (Norway) .
See also
literature
- "bikeline Radtourenbuch Weser-Radweg". Map of the Esterbauer Verlag, 1: 50,000, 17th edition 2018,
- "Weser Cycle Path - From the Weser Uplands to the North Sea" . Map of the InfoZentrale Weser-Radweg, Kompakt-Spiralo 1: 75,000, BVA Bielefelder Verlag, 2013, 3rd edition, ISBN 978-3-87073-591-3
- "The RADGeber - tour guide for the Weser Cycle Path" . Accompanying book, approx. 200 pages, 2020 edition, InfoZentrale Weser-Radweg Bremen
- Cycling map - Leporello Weser cycle path . 1: 50,000, Publicpress-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-87073-124-3
Web links
- Weser cycle path
- www.weserradweg-info.de The Weser Cycle Path: From the Weserbergland to the North Sea at Weserbergland Tourismus eV
Individual evidence
- ↑ Weser Cycle Path at www.adfc-radtourismus.de, accessed on March 18, 2018
- ↑ 4 stars for the Weser cycle path. Retrieved March 9, 2017 .
- ↑ ADFC-Radreiseanalyse 2019 , accessed on March 7, 2019
- ^ Esterbauer Verlag (Ed.): Bikeline Radtourenbuch Weser-Radweg . 17th edition. Verlag Esterbauer GmbH, 2018, ISBN 978-3-85000-452-7 .