Best of Europe - BOE2505
The day started with a typical Bavarian Weißwurst breakfast at the Weisses Bräuhaus. Fortified, we headed to the Viktualienmarkt, Marienplatz, Old Peter (including climbing the tower with a fantastic view over Munich), St. Michael's Church, Womans Church, Michael Jackson Memorial, Drückebergergasse, Hofgarten and finally a well-deserved beer at the Hofbräuhaus.
The tour took us via Eichstätt and Dinkelsbühl to Rothenburg o.d.T. After dinner together, the day was rounded off with a night watchman's tour.
Today we woke up to a glorious day, sunshine and perfect temperatures. We rode out of Rothenburg (odT, as we learned from the Nightwatchmen) through empty cobblestone streets, where there are usually loads of tourists. On windy roads we followed the river Jagst to castle Langenburg for our first coffee, then on to the Schöntal monastery via a old wooden, single lane bridge. Thomas prepared a delicious picnic along our route, and after that we continued our ride past castle Hornberg and Hirschhorn castle on to Heidelberg. For dinner we took the funicular down to the city to enjoy a hearty German meal.
Today's tour took us through the northern Black Forest (the southern part will follow on day 6). We encountered many curves on wide, narrow, and very narrow roads. At the Renchtalhütte, we enjoyed an excellent Black Forest cherry cake with a great view before continuing on to France's Alsace region, where a cold bootbeer awaited us.
Today we spent our "Restday" with riding through the beautiful Alsace all day. First stop was a visit to the Haut-Koenigsbourg, a stunning castle on the edge of the mountains, overlooking the Rhine river valley. After that we rode endless sweepers through pretty landscapes and romantic villages, passing several Cols (mountain passes) on our way. After a snack of local Quiches we took the scenic route back to Ribeauville. What a perfect riding day under the sunny french skies.
Today we traveled from France to the southern Black Forest. After stops at Kandel and Hexenlochmühle, we stopped for a picnic. Arno had prepared Leberkäse and meatballs. Finally, the tour took us to the Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen.
Today Switzerland wakes us with pouring rain, the remains of Hurricane Erin that have crossed the Atlantic and now moisturizes the European Alps. We decided to take the shoter but also scenic route out of Schaffhausen along the Rhine river and along the coastline of Germany's biggest lake, Lake Konstanz. Our first fotostop is in Stein am Rhein, a pretty little town on the shore of the crystal clear river. We have a coffee stop in Konstanz for a well deserved blueberry cake. After that we cross back into Switzerland for lunch and a quick photostop in the tiny country of Liechtenstein. Then we tackle the last two passes in pouring rain towards our hotel in Warth/Austria. Today we can say: We survived Hurricane Erin!
The last day of the trip took us through the Lech Valley to Neuschwanstein Castle. We took the opportunity to take a closer look at the castle built by King Ludwig II. We continued on to Wieskirche before finally approaching Erding again.