Cross-border cycling circuit "Vineyard & Terroir" (PAMINA area)

Our advice for the 3-day routes:

Stage 1: Alsace-Baden (approx. 172 km)

We follow the route as described below, from Schweigen, passing through Wissembourg, Seltz, Iffezheim to the southernmost point of the route at Bühl.

From there, we head towards Kuppenheim. However, between Kuppenheim and Rastatt, we leave the main route. Instead, we pass through Rastatt and follow the Murg River until we join the Rhine Cycle Route (EuroVelo 15). We continue north and take the Neuburgweier-Neuburg ferry. On the Palatinate side, we take the PAMINA cycle path along the Lauter valley through the Bienwald forest, then the Fassbodentour circuit back to the starting point, the German Wine Gate at Schweigen.

Stage 2: Baden (approx. 106 km)

The route starts at the baroque castle of Bruchsal, at the castle gardens. From there, we follow the path described for the large loop to Karlsdorf. Then we leave the main route and turn left at Karlsdorf station toward the town center. At the roundabout, we follow signs with the small asparagus man (asparagus route). It leads us along the Pfinz through Neuthard and Spöck. From here, we continue following the daily bike network south along Stutenseer Allee to Karlsruhe. A break in Karlsruhe castle park is recommended before continuing to Durlach. Here, we rejoin the Baden Wine Route cycle path and are back on the main route. We follow it north through Weingarten and Untergrombach to return to Bruchsal castle.

Stage 3: Southern Palatinate (approx. 114 km)

The starting point for this route is Bad Bergzabern. Here we immediately leave the main route. We take the Fassbodentour 2, the Peronella cycle path along the Rhine, and the "Farm to Farm" cycle path to get to Kandel via Oberhausen, Hergersweiler, Winden, and Freckenfeld. From Kandel, we follow the Kraut-und-Rüben cycle path through Hayna, Herxheim, Offenbach, Ottersheim, Knittelsheim, Bellheim, and Zeiskam to Lustadt. At Lustadt, we rejoin the main route. Here, as described below in the full loop, we take the "Kraut-und-Rüben-Radweg" cycle path via Weingarten, Schwegenheim, and Freimersheim. From there, we follow the main route back to our starting point at Bad Bergzabern.

Description of the full route:

The start and finish is Schweigen-Rechtenbach:

We begin our route at the Palatinate Wine Route Gate in Schweigen. From there, we follow the B38 south towards the Franco-German border. We cross the border via the RD264 towards Wissembourg along the cycle path.

In Wissembourg, we pass through the town center via Bahnacker street, Nationale street, Quai du 24 Novembre, Faubourg de Bitche, and leave Wissembourg via Boulevard Clémenceau (RD334). Turn right onto RD77 towards Rott. Cross Rott and follow signs to Cleebourg.

At Cleebourg, follow signs to the center. Near the Keimberg hotel, turn left onto Moulin street. Then take Vignes street. You are now cycling on vineyard paths. Turn right then immediately left. Then turn right again. Turn left.

At Oberhoffen-lès-Wissembourg, turn left and take the main street. Then turn right onto Vignes street. You are again on vineyard paths. Turn right onto RD3. Turn left onto RD264 towards Wissembourg. At the roundabout, turn right towards Lauterbourg following IC 51 signs to Scheibenhard. Take the Lauter cycle path on the German side to Lauterbourg.

At Lauterbourg, follow EuroVelo 15 (EV15) along the cycle path to Seltz and take the Seltz ferry.

After crossing the Rhine at Rastatt-Plittersdorf, we follow the PAMINA-Rheinauen-Radweg cycle path (PAMINA Rhein floodplain cycle path) south. We pass the Iffezheim barrage and Baden-Baden airport and continue on the PAMINA-Rheinauen-Radweg to Greffern. Here, we change to the southern PAMINA cycle path and continue east. We cross several villages and eventually arrive at Bühl. As soon as the southern PAMINA cycle path turns left at Bühl, we leave it and follow Leopoldstraße to the station and town center of Bühl. We pass under the station and follow Eisenbahnstraße past Stadtgarten to the church and town hall. Here, in the center of Bühl, a long break is recommended to fully enjoy the gastronomy the town offers. After recharging, we continue from the town hall along the main street on the Baden Wine Route cycle path north (coming from Eisenbahnstraße, we follow it to the left). We follow this route passing Sinzheim, some districts of Baden-Baden, Kuppenheim, Rastatt-Rauental to Muggensturm.

Coming from Malsch, we follow the L607 on the Baden Wine Route cycle path to Ettlingenweier. We cross Ettlingenweier using the cycle path via Römerstraße, Morgenstraße and Scheibenhardter Straße to Ettlingen. We take Middelkerker Straße, pass the Horbachpark in Ettlingen and take Baptist-Göring-Straße, then Türkenlouisstraße. Next, we cross the S1/S11 railways and pass Schlossplatz, turn into Marktstraße. We cross the market square and pass under the town hall arch, then take the Alb bridge to Kronenstraße. We continue cycling on Durlacher Straße and shortly before leaving Ettlingen, turn left into Alexiusstraße. At the next opportunity, turn right again and follow the Baden Wine Route cycle path along the B3 to Wolfartsweier.

From Ettlingen, we follow the Baden Wine Route cycle path towards Karlsruhe. The cycle path passes under the A8 towards Wolfartsweier. We follow Steinkreuzstraße past Zündhüttle, cross Tiefentalstraße and briefly follow the B3. At Tiefentalgraben, we cross B3 and follow a dirt path passing Turngemeinde Karlsruhe-Aue 1895 e.V. until Basler Tor, which we cross, then turn right into Amthausstraße. We follow Amthausstraße straight on, passing Durlach town hall, to Zunftstraße, which becomes Bienleinstorstraße. We turn right onto Lederstraße and further right onto Seboldstraße. At the end of the street, we turn slightly right onto Pfinzstraße and immediately left onto Hubstraße where we cross the Pfinz river. We follow Hubstraße to the railway line, where we turn right. From there, continue on the Baden Wine Route cycle path along Alte Weingartener Straße towards Weingarten.

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Detour via Turmberg offering breathtaking views and ideal for a break.

For those wishing to discover more of Durlach and the Turmberg, leave Amthausstraße by the municipal church and Durlach town hall and turn right onto Marktplatz into Pfinztalstraße, then follow Pfinztalstraße, pass Schlossplatz and turn left into Hengstplatz Straße. Stay on this street until the next intersection. There, turn right onto Blumentorstraße; this street curves slightly right and becomes Grötzingerstraße. Follow Grötzingerstraße and turn left at the intersection towards Bruchsal. Then turn onto Neßlerstraße and continue straight to the next crossing. At the intersection, turn right onto Reichardstraße, which leads in front of the Turmberg fountain, at the top of Turmberg. From Turmberg terrace, enjoy magnificent views of Staatsweingut Durlach vineyards, the Rhine plain, and the urban area of Durlach and Karlsruhe. For a culinary break, stop at Hofbistro/Restaurant Anders on Turmberg. After resting, continue on Reichardstraße which becomes Jean-Ritzert-Straße. Continue straight to the end of the street, then turn right onto Rittnertstraße towards Durlach. Then stay on this road and continue straight to town. Cross B3 and continue straight towards Badenerstraße. Along Badenerstraße, take Pfinztalstraße at the second crossing after turning left. Follow Pfinztalstraße back to the market square, the starting point of this sporty detour.

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In Weingarten, at the end of Kanalstraße, we leave the Baden Wine Route cycle path. Here, we turn right onto Bahnhofstraße. Then turn left onto Luisenstraße. At the Burgstraße junction, we continue straight along Breitwiesenweg next to Breitwiesengraben and leave Weingarten along B3 towards Untergrombach. At Untergrombach, we turn left onto Brühlstraße, right onto Weierstraße, then left onto Bachstraße. Then, we turn right and zigzag slightly on Ernst-Renz-Straße. At the end of the street, turn left, cross over the railway line, then immediately right, and take Wendelinusstraße. At the end of the street, turn right onto Jöß-Fritz-Straße. Here, we arrive at the "asparagus circuit" cycle path with the small asparagus man. It leads us along Untergrombach gravel pit, through the forest to Bruchsal with its castle and gardens.

From the castle gardens, we cycle north on the Heidelberg Black Forest Lake Constance cycle path. We pass vineyards, orchards and Klumpp winery, following the national road to Ubstadt. Just after entering town, we turn left into the residential area and continue following the same signs. We head to a Ubstadt district: Stettfeld. Here, the Roman museum is worth visiting, close to the route.

At the roundabout in the village center, we continue straight towards the next Ubstadt district. We follow the departmental road and enter Zeutern passing fields. At the village center, in the large left bend, we follow the Kraichgau-Hohenlohe Weg signs. The 3-streams circuit runs parallel here and we follow the small Katzbach stream to Odenheim, a small yet charming Kraichgau village. We find Heitlinger winery and Adrian Zimmer winery here.

At the end of the village, we pass the Riesling circuit, then the small wine village of Tiefenbach and Kreuzberg lake to Eichelberg. Then we follow the Riesling circuit through a large forest to Waldangelloch and Angelbachtal. A short break at Eichtersheim castle park is recommended.

The Riesling Circuit then leads us a bit further along the national road to Östringen. Here too, wineries invite tasting. At the village center intersection, we leave the Riesling circuit and continue straight on the Baden Wine Route cycle path. Soon after, we change to the "Wohlfühltour" and arrive at the spa town of Bad Schönborn (Mingolsheim).

After the Catholic church, we turn right and then join the next town: Kronau, taking the Kraichgau-Hohenlohe Weg.

At the Kronau junction, signs take us back to the Heidelberg Black Forest Lake Constance cycle path and the asparagus circuit. Taking the long Kronau avenue, then passing the lake, we cross the forest along the Heidelberg Black Forest Lake Constance cycle path and the town of Forst. After exiting town and crossing the national road at the next intersection, we leave the asparagus circuit and ride right on the daily cycle network towards Karlsdorf. At the station, we stay left towards the village center. At the street end, turn right onto Alte Bundesstraße. We follow it straight until we reach B35. Then turn left onto the departmental road until we rejoin the asparagus circuit. We follow it to Graben. At Graben, we leave the asparagus circuit and follow Rheinstraße left. Along K3533, turn right through the forest to Rußheim. In Rußheim, follow Rheinstraße. After the waste disposal site, turn first right, then left until we reach the Baden section of the Rhine Cycle Route (Eurovelo 15). We follow it north to Germersheim crossing the bridge on the B35 cycle path running alongside the road.

After the bridge, we turn left twice onto Rheinsheimer Straße towards the Rhine. We pass under B35, turn right into Heilbronner Straße, then into Alte Schiffbrückenstraße. Here, the Queich river flows into the Rhine. We enjoy the river activity by the Rhine in Germersheim and regain energy by tasting a delicious portion of fresh fish at restaurant Rhenania.

Here, we also join the Palatinate side of the Rhine Cycle Route (EuroVelo 15). We follow it through Germersheim to Lingenfeld. At Lingenfeld, we leave the Rhine Cycle Route and follow Berliner Straße. At the end of the street, turn right into a small alley and follow Wörthweg. We cross the intersection and continue straight onto Lauxengartenstraße. We take the cycle path along the railways via Westheim to Lustadt. Shortly before Lustadt, we reach the Kraut-und-Rüben-Radweg cycle path. We follow this marked cycle path and turn right to Lustadt. Continuing on the "Kraut-und-Rüben-Radweg" cycle path, we pass through Weingarten, Schwegenheim, and reach Freisbach.

From Freisbach, we continue west on the "Kraut-und-Rüben-Radweg" cycle path via Böbingen to Freimersheim. Here, at the village's west exit, we continue straight through vineyards and Großfischlingen to Edesheim. At Edesheim, we follow the national road on the right and turn immediately left. The path leads us through vineyards to Rhodt. Here, we follow the wine route via Hainfeld to Burrweiler. At Burrweiler, we take the Palatinate Wine Route cycle path. We continue further south through many wine villages along the southern wine route. In Bad Bergzabern, we also follow the Palatinate Wine Route cycle path until we leave the town south and return a few kilometers later to the German Wine Gate at Schweigen-Rechtenbach.