Fruit Route (round trip)

The round route starts from the red wine and imperial palace town of Ingelheim with a flat section at the foot of the Westerberg towards Gau-Algesheim. Passing Schloss Ardeck with the Rheinhessen Bicycle Museum, the route follows the idyllic Welzbach Valley towards Appenheim until the first climb. From Nieder-Hilbersheim up to Engelstadt, 150 meters of altitude must be overcome on farm roads and through village streets. From the high plateau, there are wide views. The Wingertsschaukel with a small rest tower just behind the village of Engelstadt is a good place to rest before a scenic descent follows into the Selz Valley. There, the next beautiful rest spot awaits at the Elftausend-Mägde Mill.

From Elsheim, the route takes several gentle bends through the Selz Valley to Schwabenheim, from where a steep climb of up to 10% leads through the orchards to the Mainzer Berg. On the high plateau, you can ride relaxed or sometimes against the wind across the fields to Wackernheim. After the narrow lanes of the village, wide views into the Rheingau, the Taunus, and the Binger Forest accompany the beautiful descent down to the Rhine plain into the village of Heidesheim and to the Rhine bank with Rhine beach in Heidenfahrt. On the way, farm shops and seasonal wine taverns offer a break with fresh regional products.

In Heidenfahrt, the Fruit Route meets the Rhine Cycle Path. On well-developed paths, it goes behind the dike through a wide polder landscape, partly with views into the Rhine floodplains to the Rhine promenade of Ingelheim-Frei Weinheim, where the ferry crosses to Oestrich-Winkel in the Rheingau. Along the creek line of the Selz, you return to the town center. From here, culture enthusiasts can make a detour to the imperial palace, the winemaker's cellar, or the old district of Ober-Ingelheim with its wineries and the castle church with a historic city tour.

Requirements:
Due to the two climbs, the Fruit Route is suitable for regularly active cyclists. It can be ridden with racing bikes. The route is not recommended for handbikers because of the two climbs and a narrow street inside Wackernheim.

Route characteristics:

Route guidance:

• 36 km of farm and cycle paths
• 14.5 km of streets without cycle paths inside towns
• 1.5 km of streets without cycle paths outside towns

Surface qualities:

• The route runs on asphalt and concrete paths and only for just under 2 km on the height before Ober-Hilbersheim on a well-ridable unpaved path, initially in the field, later in the forest.