Sweepers Heaven Eifel Mountains CGX2601
Our tour starts with our welcome briefing. Mark and Heiko give a warm welcome to our guests at the Hotel Fürstenhof in Bad Kreuznach—the starting point for our 10-day journey through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. We introduce our guests to the tour highlights and essential safety rules for riding, both, individually and as a group. We can‘t wait for for the next day, when the adventure finally begins. Next morning: time to start the engine hit the road, and have fun. We quickly leave Bad Kreuznach behind, heading toward the Rhine. Our route initially winds along the riverbank, offering picturesque views. We are accompanied by numerous castles and spectacular scenery—and, of course, the famous Loreley Rock is a must-see. In Koblenz, we pay a visit to the equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm; this is the "Deutsches Eck" (German Corner), where the Moselle and Rhine rivers converge before the Rhine continues its journey to the North Sea. For the next 40 kilometers, our route follows the banks of the Moselle. Nestled amidst vineyards, we ride toward Cochem. After a quick coffee stop to stroll through the town, we head for the Nürburgring. Our hotel is located right next to the racetrack, and we can smell the scent of gasoline in the air. A wonderful—and hot—day of riding draws to a close with a delicious dinner and conversation at the bar.
Our day begins with a hearty and sumptuous breakfast right next to the racetrack. The weather is very pleasant, with a temperature of 28°C/82°F degrees and a light breeze. Then it’s time to “hop on” and head off to the Ahr Valley. Gentle curves to warm up and shady forests alternate regularly—until we’re greeted by vineyards; we’ve arrived! Once we arrived in Ahrweiler, we first took off our warm clothes and strolled slowly through the idyllic old town toward the café. It was nice to relax on the shaded terrace on the market square—the coffee was good, and John treated the group to a round of pastries. After a quick break, we continued on toward Bad Münstereifel. On our way out of the Ahr Valley, we bid farewell to the valley with a wonderful view and set off toward the forests. The group happily navigated the very winding, sometimes narrow, and uneven roads and was subsequently rewarded with a cool drive through the woods past Effelsberg. Once we arrived in Bad Münstereifel, we stopped briefly for a drink and continued on toward the national park. The wide, well-maintained roads slowly carried us out of the Münstereifel Valley. Between Zingsheim and Kall, the group was able to open up the throttle and enjoy the sweeping curves. A magnificent view over the vast fields, passing a few isolated farmsteads, promised a great riding experience! We were then guided through the beautiful Gemünder Valley to Einruhr for a well-deserved lunch. The final stretch of the route after lunch promised a refreshing change of pace. The winding mountain climb gave way to a smooth ride through the woods with a cool breeze. A few beautiful curves later, we arrived in Aachen. After a lively ride through the city, Heiko was already waiting for us at the hotel with a cold Bootbeer! Cheers!
Today we set off on our way to Bouillon. We left Aachen via the quickest route and were in the Netherlands in just a few minutes. There, at the Three-Country Point obelisk, we walked from Germany into the Netherlands and then into Belgium—all in the span of two seconds! :-) Next, we continued to a memorial steeped in history: the Henri-Chapelle Memorial. It was here that 8,000 US soldiers lost their lives in November and December 1944 while pushing back Hitler’s Germany and playing a decisive role in bringing the war to an end. We should not forget that. We took a moment to discuss these events before heading to our first coffee stop of the day. A spot offering a fantastic view of the Gileppe Reservoir. Refreshed by a good coffee, we moved on to the next highlight: the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the Belgian racetrack beautifully situated in the Ardennes. It was bustling with activity, as an event was taking place that weekend. In Stavelot, we were amazed by the many racing cars and motorcycles on display. It was a fantastic venue housed in an old monastery—and the exhibition rooms were cool. It was another scorching day, with temperatures hitting nearly 100—puhhhh! Mark surprised us with a picnic; thanks, Mark—it was delicious. Refreshed and rested, we headed for the day's final photo stop—the quintessential Ardennes view: the *Panorama de Frahan* near Rochehaut. Anyone traveling through the Ardennes really ought to see this beautiful panorama. After another 40 kilometers and a quick fuel stop, we reached our destination in Bouillon. From our hotel room, we enjoyed a lovely view of Bouillon Castle. It had been a truly hot day filled with memorable experiences. We took a short walk after dinner before the day came to a close.
After a night in idyllic Boullion and a hearty breakfast in the morning, we set off for the Château de Sedan. The winding roads typical of the Eifel and the cooling shade of the forest bring us to our destination in just three-quarters of an hour. Upon arriving at the château, everyone is immediately impressed by the sight and grandeur of the castle. After a tour and a short break in the café, which is decorated in a medieval style, we head off for a photo stop. On the way to the Butte de Stonne photo stop, the landscape gradually changed, and we drove from the forested mountains into a picturesque panorama of the French countryside. Once we arrived at the photo stop, the view overlooking the valley gave us a good overview of the area and the direction of our next destination. Continuing on our route, we drive through increasingly flat rural areas dotted with small, sleepy villages. Our journey takes us to a brief stop at the Maginot Line. With a cool Coke and an air-conditioned muesum, the history lesson about the bunker complex is quite enjoyable. Back on the road toward Orval, we’re already looking forward to lunch, which will be right near the abbey. We enjoy a delicious meal at the restaurant, featuring local dishes and typical Belgian specialties. At the abbey, we made a quick stop at the gift shop and then set off for Luxembourg.
Today is our rest day—a choice between a motorcycle tour around Luxembourg or spending the day doing our own thing. Our American friends opted to plan their own day, while we took a motorcycle ride through Luxembourg with our Brazilian friends. Beautiful scenery, back roads, a delicious coffee stop with éclairs, a walk to a waterfall, photos of castles and palaces, and plenty of enjoyable curves—what more could a biker ask for? We made it back just before the afternoon heat set in. Dinner at an Italian restaurant—perfect.
After another relaxing night in Luxembourg, it was time to hit the road! With breakfast in our bellies, we hopped on our bikes and set off toward France. The closer we got to our stop, the more the still-quite-urban Luxembourg landscape gave way to an increasingly classic French provincial style. The road led us straight to a small local café in Landres. After a short break—with the temperature already at 34 degrees (as noted at 10:00 a.m.)—we continued on to Verdun. The landscape gradually changed from scenes of wheat fields to winding forests. Before we knew it, we were on the roads in the middle of the historic battlefield of Verdun. After a very interesting tour of the museum, we made our way to the war graves. Despite the very somber history, the graves were arranged with dignity and respect—you could sense that even after all this time— the fallen soldiers are not forgotten. After this very interesting historical excursion, we were all pretty hungry. Luckily, Heiko was already waiting for us just around the corner with a picnic all set up. Once our reserve tanks were full again, we headed to the small town of Saint-Mihiel for a coffee break. Leaving the shade of the forest behind, we gradually made our way back into the countryside. We drove through a few small villages, passed dozens of fields ready for harvest, and were already looking forward to a refreshing drink! After swapping our coffee for a cool soda, we continued on toward Nancy. On the way to Nancy, we stopped at a breathtaking monument—the Butte de Montsec. Completely impressed by its architecture and the view, we slowly but surely continued our journey to Nancy. We passed through more densely populated areas and finally arrived at our destination, Nancy.
Today is our second-to-last day of riding, and it promises to be a highlight of our tour. From Nancy, we take the quickest route—the first 60 kilometers via the motorway—towards the Vosges mountains. We leave the motorway and make our first coffee stop before the real ride begins. The Vosges are a French mountain range of moderate height; the Black Forest lies on the German side, with the Rhine Valley separating the two. Today is all about the pleasure of riding along small, winding roads, with very little traffic to encounter. Our route will cross the Maginot Line several times. Since we already visited Maginot Line fortifications on an earlier day of the tour, we are skipping that today. We stop at the former Struthof concentration camp, where each of us reflects on the events that took place there. After 30 minutes, we continue our ride through the beautiful landscape. Following lunch, we make another brief stop for refreshments—it is very hot again today—and after covering 306 km, we arrive at our hotel in Rott. A wine cooperative is located right next to the hotel. We enjoy a delicious wine tasting before sitting down to an excellent French dinner at the hotel. A tiring yet exciting day lies behind us.
The last day of our trip dawned with a rainy but at least cool morning. Right after breakfast, the rain let up, clearing the way for our departure toward the French border region. Our first stop took us to Fleckenstein Castle; the view of the low-hanging clouds there was a welcome start to our tour. After our first stop, the well-maintained and now dry road led us to the next castle. Fantastic curves and cool air made the ride an incredibly pleasant adventure. Once we arrived at Gräfenstein Castle, we had to put on our hiking boots and take a short walk. The effort was well worth it; we were rewarded with well-preserved castle ruins and a magnificent view of the surrounding region. After a short break, we continued north, heading back toward the Moselle Valley. Slowly, the dense forests and hills faded away, giving way to a completely different landscape. Vineyards as far as the eye can see. On our drive to Hambach Castle, we passed through small villages and saw grapes growing—and then we were there! Hambach Castle, one of Germany’s most impressive and historic sites, is truly something special. At the castle restaurant, we first enjoyed a well-deserved lunch; the view of the vast vineyards was truly incomparable. As soon as everyone had eaten their fill, we set off for Bad Kreuznach. Back at our starting point, Heiko was already there to greet us. Our farewell dinner that evening was another great opportunity to look back on our shared experiences and talk at length about the most interesting and memorable moments. We'll wrap up this blog with the following sentence: 43 degrees, a great group, lots of laughter, lots of experiences—it was an honor for us!