Cycling in Volkerode

Cycling on the traces of Jacobite pilgrims and along old hiking trails from Berlin to Meckenheim.

About 1,400 km stretch the Green Belt from north to south along the former divided Germany. I covered just over 20 km on the Kolonnenweg, the concrete slab road like the former East German motorways, just smaller - indestructible, on which soldiers once patrolled - day after day... Unknowingly, over the years of German division, an Eldorado for animals and plants developed there, which fortunately remained preserved after the wall fell thanks to the initiative of conservationists, gained attention with the designation "Green Belt," and today offers a habitat for plants, animals, history enthusiasts, and recreational hikers and cyclists with a mix of history and nature reserve. I completed the circuit by continuing the route through the Hessian Switzerland and a crossing of Bad Sooden-Allendorf. Started at 0 degrees, variable April-like weather, cycled and hiked, sometimes carrying the bike...

This very demanding tour repeatedly changes from the Hessian to the Thuringian Werra Valley and requires mastering about 2,500 meters of elevation.

This medium to very difficult tour leads from Eschwege through the Hessian Switzerland into the Eichsfeld and then back at half the height of the Hoher Meißner to the over 1,000-year-old half-timbered town.