Lahn cycle path

A tip right at the beginning: If you want to reach the Lahn source by bike without riding the first kilometers of the Lahn cycle path twice, you can start the QuellenAcht cycling route in Bad Laasphe (Upper Lahntal railway line), in Netphen, or in Hainchen. This route leads to the Lahn source and then continues downstream along the Lahn cycle path to Feudingen and Bad Laasphe via various paths. Before starting on the Lahn cycle path, the Forsthaus Lahnquelle or the Lahnhof invite you to take a break.

The first kilometers are already a delight! You gently roll down from the Lahn source at Lahnhof on the well-marked path down to Feudingen, enjoying the forest landscape along the still very young Lahn. Bad Laasphe, located on the southern side of the Rothaar Mountains, soon welcomes you with its remarkable old town and charming half-timbered facades.

In Biedenkopf, a trip to the Landgrafenschloss is worthwhile, which towers high above the town and is visible from afar. You then cycle relaxed along the Lahn without much effort, passing wide meadows and fields, and inviting places such as Buchenau, Caldern, Lahntal, or Cölbe. The university town of Marburg unquestionably offers cultural and historical highlights with its old town ensemble and the castle. Via Niederweimar, Odenhausen, Ruttershausen, and Lollar, you continue into the Gleiberger Land, which is characterized by its striking castle ruins Gleiberg and Vetzberg.

In Wettenberg-Wißmar, the Wood & Technology Museum invites you to an informative and exciting visit. In Gießen, there is a lot to experience. Highlights include the Gießen Weststadt Nature Observation Platform and the Lahnfenster Hessen, where you can explore the underwater world of the Lahn, as well as the new castle, the Zeughaus, and the botanical garden. The Mathematikum museum encourages participation and experimenting. Numerous overnight accommodation options and restaurants, as well as good train connections, make Gießen a popular stage town on the Lahn cycle path.

From Gießen, you cycle onwards through the middle Lahn valley. Wide green floodplains and idyllic small lakes lie along the way. And Wetzlar already awaits, the next lively half-timbered town. Those with time for a break can stop in one of the many restaurants and cafés in the old town or simply enjoy the sun in one of the relaxing green areas of the Goethe and optics town.

Continuing comfortably without noticeable climbs, you cycle sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right side of the Lahn, passing through Solms, Leun, and Löhnberg until reaching Weilburg. The baroque palace complex of the residence town is definitely worth a visit. You should also take a look at the oldest and longest currently navigable ship tunnel. Weilburg truly has a lot to offer.

From Weilburg, the Lahn and thus the Lahn cycle path perform numerous bends. This probably adds to the charm of the landscape that changes again from here. Often, you feel like being secluded from the world. And around the next curve, another postcard view is waiting. You glide calmly through pure nature and admire jewels like Villmar or Runkel. Before you know it, the well-known Limburg Cathedral appears high above the Lahn on the horizon.

Also in Limburg, you should leave the Lahn for a short city stroll. The medieval old town with its numerous lovingly restored half-timbered houses invites you to linger in small shops, cafés, and restaurants. You must have seen the cathedral, of course also from inside, and with the "Römer 2-4-6", you will find one of the oldest freestanding half-timbered houses in Germany in Limburg.

Under the old Lahn bridge, the Lahn cycle path now leads into the romantic lower Lahn valley. At Staffel, you leave Hesse and cycle through Rhineland-Palatinate, where the picturesque Oranierstadt Diez welcomes you. Here, you find two impressive castles, Oranienstein Castle and the Count's Castle, both of which also house museums.

Picturesque is probably the fitting description for the landscape you now continue to roll through. The Lahn winds through wooded slopes and sparkles in the sunlight. The village of Balduinstein perfectly complements the scenery, and via Geilnau and two newly built cycle and pedestrian bridges, you continue comfortably along the Lahn.

With constant contact to the Lahn, the Lahn cycle path leads from Laurenburg to Obernhof. A place with a long wine-growing tradition. This tradition has recently experienced a true renaissance with a community vineyard. A bottle of Riesling or Spätburgunder will surely still fit in your saddlebag. Through the nature park, you continue to Nassau with the castle Burg Nassau-Oranien perched high on the mountain. Here, too, a pleasurable break in one of the beautiful cafés of the lively town center is worthwhile.

Passing Dausenau, whose medieval town center with its city wall and the leaning tower is actually located on the opposite side of the Lahn, you reach the elegant spa town Bad Ems. Imperial spa, summer capital of Europe, world spa – and since 24 July 2021 even UNESCO World Heritage! Bad Ems is proud to have received this high international distinction. Walking through the town, it quickly becomes clear that Bad Ems rightfully belongs to the "Great Spas of Europe" with its elegant buildings.

Once again, you continue along the Lahn until it finally flows into the Rhine in Lahnstein. The view of the Lahn, now matured into a grown river, the arrival at Father Rhine, and the romantic castles Lahneck and Stolzenfels allow you to indulge in memories of the various daily stages, which you can sensibly and flexibly divide thanks to the many overnight options along the Lahn cycle path.

Route Marking

The Lahn cycle path is consistently marked with its own square logo and signposted according to the ADFC marking guidelines. Every turn has a full signpost. In North Rhine-Westphalia, these are in red, otherwise in green.