Along the Ruwer

We start our tour at the Catholic church in Kell am See. The church has become known far beyond the town's borders due to its beautiful Christmas cot and attracts numerous visitors to the small town every year. We cycle east into the street at Herrenmarkt, cross the road and thus arrive directly at the Ruwer watercourse, which we now follow for almost 40 kilometres. We cycle for the most part on the former railway tracks and have few difficulties navigating thanks to the good markings. We always keep to the left of the meandering Ruwer, cross small forests and wide meadows. After a few kilometres we reach a forest with two geological peculiarities: the Flesch rocks (1). White quartz crystals that are much more resistant than the dark Taunus quartzite that is common here. Over the course of time, the black rock was eroded away, leaving only white quartz ribs. The Fleschfelsen! At Zerf, we leave the Ruwer for a few kilometres. While it makes a wide loop around the Mühlenberg, we keep to the north and after a short while we get back to our wet companion. However, if you still want to enjoy a picturesque view, you should not shy away from the additional metres of altitude up the Mühlenberg. From the lookout tower (2) at the summit you have a breathtaking view. The Ruwer now changes direction and flows northwards from here on. We can continue to follow the small watercourse on a path that always slopes slightly. Now we always keep to the right of the stream and, once we are at the height of Hinzenburg, cycle directly along the bank. Soon we reach the foot of the mountain, on whose summit stands the Sommerau ruins (3). The castle was built in the 13th and 14th centuries and is still a tourist attraction today. We continue on well-marked paths to the valley of the Moselle. Here we can either go straight on to where the Ruwer joins the Moselle or turn left and after a few additional kilometres reach the picturesque town with its historic city centre.