Best of Europe 2503
While Will was taken for a Guided City Tour in Munic by Heiko, Felix brought the bikes from the HQ to Erding and got everything ready to rock n' roll! In the evening the whole Group gathered (including the CA12501) for the Welcome Briefing and after the bike handover went to the first dinner togehter.
Let's go – our first day of driving. We set off from Erding to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. After a few minutes, the rain stopped, and we enjoyed a sunny day of driving. We drove idyllically through the Hallertau, the largest contiguous hop-growing region—no good beer without hops :-). We continued along the Danube, the Franconian Alb, and the Altmühl Valley. We visited medieval towns and made an archaeological photo stop. A brief stop at the site where the Archaeopteryx was discovered was made before we finally arrived in Rothenburg. After a traditional Bavarian meal, the night watchman of Rothenburg guided us through the beautiful medieval town and explained its history. A walk along the city walls brought our eventful day to a close.
Driving through the magical gates of the old town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber one more time and then heading straight to the Langenburg Castle, our first stop of the day. Riding along the Jagst, a calming and peaceful river, we found our way to the Schöntal Monestary and enjoyed a cup of coffee over there. After a few more castles along the way we found a typical bavarian restaurant for our lunch. In the afternoon we found some more twisty roads and after a final stop at the Hirschorn Castle we headed towards our Hotel, located on a hill just outside of Heidelberg. We took a cable car down from the hill straight into the old town and went to another typical bavarain restaurant, where everyone had one more chance to try some traditonal food.
We leave Heidelberg and, after a few kilometers of motorway travel, exit the motorway and head into the northern Black Forest. Our destination today is Ribeauvillé, a beautiful little town in Alsace whose history dates back to the 8th century. From the northern part of the Black Forest, we drive past monasteries, along the famous B500 - the Black Forest High Road, cruise through countless curves, and dine in a restaurant with breathtaking views and excellent local cuisine until we finally reach the Rhine River - the border with France. We take a look at the boat lift the Rhine Lock and, to top it all off, we make a detour to the Maginot Line Museum. We cover the remaining kilometers to Ribeauvillé quickly through agricultural areas. A long day filled with many impressions comes to an end. We enjoy dinner at the restaurant "Aux trois Chateaux."
Kirsten, Frank, Kevin, Will and Felix decided to go for a ride with the bikes in the morning, while the others prefered to sleep in a little bit. After the five returned Heiko had prepared and wonderful picnic just behind the hotel, where we all celebrated Wills 25th Edelweiss Tour!
Today was another wonderful day! We left Ribeuvillé in the morning and headed straight over the Rhine back to Germany. We had a stop on top of the Texaspass, where thanks to Kirrily, Nigel and Kevin we got some amazing pictures of us and the grape fields. From there we headed on back into the black forest and stopped at the Hexenlochmühle for some tasty traditional food. After lunch the rain caught up to us so we decided to head straight to the Hotel without stopping at the Rhinefalls, however some of us took a nice evening walk (with good weather again!) to the Rhinefalls.
Today, we have a long day of riding ahead of us. We leave Schaffhausen and initially ride along the Rhine towards Lake Constance. We cross the border between Germany and Switzerland several times until we finally pass through the old customs bridge in Dissenhofen. We then continue through Switzerland to the first highlight of the day: the cable car ride up Mount Säntis. Along the way, there are a few photo stops and something special for motorcyclists to discover. Mount Säntis, at over 2,500 meters, is unfortunately covered in clouds. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic experience. Liechtenstein is on our route, and after a short photo stop, we ride over the Furkajoch to our accommodation in Warth. Satisfied and filled with fantastic impressions of today, we enjoy the evening and look forward to tomorrow.
Today we have a long day of riding ahead of us. We leave Schaffhausen and initially ride along the Rhine towards Lake Constance. We cross the border between Germany and Switzerland several times until we finally cross the old customs bridge in Dissenhofen. We then continue through Switzerland to the first highlight of the day: the cable car ride up the Säntis. Along the way, there are a few photo stops and something special for motorcyclists to discover. The Säntis, at over 2,500 m, is unfortunately covered in clouds. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic experience. Liechtenstein is on our route, and after a short photo stop, we ride over the Furkajoch to our accommodation in Warth. Satisfied and with today's fantastic impressions, we enjoy the evening and look forward to tomorrow.
What a wonderful weather... We set off on our last day of driving from Warth to Erding. After a first-class breakfast, we set off. Warth is behind us, and for the next 40 kilometers we follow the Lech Valley, a magnificent landscape. After a quick coffee break, we deviate from our planned route and make a photo stop at Neuschwanstein Castle - "the Disney Castle." Beautiful to look at and well worth a visit. Back on track, Felix is waiting for us with a delicious picnic. We enjoy our picnic with „Fleischkäse“ in this fantastic location. Lindenhof Castle, like Neuschwanstein one of the four castles built by King Ludwig II, the fairytale king, is our next destination. Lindenhof Castle is the only royal castle of Ludwig II that was completed. After a tour of the beautiful park and admiring the castle, we drive to our last highlight - the Benedictine Ettal Monastery, founded in 1330 and rebuilt in the Baroque style after a fire in the 18th century. We stroll around and finally head straight to our hotel in Erding for our farewell dinner. A breathtaking tour is behind us, and everyone returned safely and with wonderful memories. Have a safe journey home, and thank you, for sharing these wonderful days with you. See you next time. Felix & Heiko