Rhine River Cycling Tour

You will arrive in Constance, where Lake Constance stretches toward the Alps and the Rhine begins its westward course. The city’s medieval heart, untouched by wartime destruction, invites you to wander cobbled streets past the towering 1,000-year-old Münster Cathedral. At the harbor, the Imperia statue slowly turns, a reminder of the power plays of the 15th-century Council of Constance. As the sun sets over the lake, the mix of half-timbered houses and lively waterfront cafés sets the stage for the journey ahead.

Leaving Constance, the path winds along Lake Untersee, where vineyards flourish in the gentle climate. In Ermatingen, Napoleon gazed over the water from Arenenberg Castle, now a museum with sweeping views. Stein am Rhein welcomes you with frescoed façades and medieval charm before the route climbs past Hohenklingen Castle. As the Rhine quickens, Schaffhausen comes into view, where Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe, sends mist swirling into the air.

The Rhine sweeps you past Rheinau, where a baroque monastery crowns an island, once a pilgrimage stop for centuries. Vineyards stretch toward Eglisau, where cellars carved into the hillsides store the region’s renowned Pinot Noir. Rolling onward, the route will weave through Kaiserstuhl, its medieval watchtower still guarding the narrow streets. In Koblenz, the Aare River rushes in, swelling the Rhine before you reach Waldshut, where city gates from the 13th century welcome you into the heart of town.

Morning light filters through the trees as you follow the river’s winding course toward Albbruck, where the hills begin to soften. In Rheinfelden, the 200-year-old stone bridge will guide you across the border. Basel soon rises ahead, its red-sandstone Münster Cathedral towering over the old town. Ferries drift past swimmers in the Rhine, while lively market squares and riverside cafés invite you to unwind.

Leaving Basel, you will ride through the sun-drenched vineyards of Efringen-Kirchen, where the warm microclimate nurtures Markgräflerland’s prized Gutedel grapes. The route leads to Bad Bellingen, a spa town known for its thermal waters rich in minerals. Further on, Müllheim welcomes you with its wine heritage and half-timbered winemaker houses before the path climbs gently to Badenweiler. Overlooking the Rhine Valley, this elegant resort town reveals the ruins of a grand Roman bathhouse, once a retreat for emperors seeking its healing waters.

You will glide downhill from Badenweiler into the medieval heart of Staufen, where legend says Dr. Faustus met his fate. The route follows rolling vineyards before Freiburg’s spires rise ahead. The city’s Gothic Münster dominates the skyline, its 116-meter tower a masterpiece of medieval craftsmanship. Bächle – tiny canals lining the cobbled streets – trickle past bustling cafés and market stalls. Beyond the city, vineyards stretch toward Breisach, where the Rhine flows beneath the hilltop St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

You will follow the Rhine’s gentle flow past quiet riverbanks to Burgruine Limburg, where crumbling walls and a lone tower stand as echoes of the vanished Staufian dynasty. The route continues to Rheinhausen, with the option to detour to Europa Park, Germany’s largest theme park, for a thrill-filled break. Beyond, vineyards and orchards lead to Ettenheim, where Baroque façades glow in the evening light, and the town’s past lingers – once the place of exile for Louis XVI’s confessor before the French king met his fate.

You will ride through the fields and forests of the Upper Rhine Plain toward Lahr, a town once shaped by the French Sun King’s rule. Beyond, the route meets the Canal du Rhône au Rhin, where tree-lined towpaths offer a peaceful stretch along the water. As Strasbourg nears, the silhouette of its towering cathedral emerges above the rooftops. The ride will end where half-timbered houses lean over the canals of the Petite France district, their reflections dancing in the gentle current.

Before you leave, you can see Strasbourg’s soaring cathedral, its spire, once the tallest in the world, and admire the astronomical clock’s intricate mechanics. Along the canals, boats glide through the locks while the morning sun casts a golden glow over the city’s bridges and squares. You can stop at a café for one last taste of Alsatian kougelhopf before bidding farewell to the Rhine and the journey behind you.