Best of Europe
Before we started our Best of Europe tour, we had a little stroll through Munich. Jay, Christine, and Aleksandr joined me for this short visit to the old town center. We took the train from Erding into the city and started our sightseeing at the Isartor, where we looked at the impressive structure of this castle gate. From here we went on to a very typical tradition of the region: the Weißwurst breakfast. So, sausage and beer for breakfast... We also visited multiple churches and took the time to walk up the 299 steps to get to the top of one of the church towers and look all around the city. This was after we watched the revolving figurines at Marienplatz, so I was proud of all of us that we managed to do all these steps after all the excitement of watching these figures move and listening to the bells. And that with 36 degrees. Of course, we could not skip a visit to the famous Hofbräuhaus. We had a drink and our lunch here, so we could take in the atmosphere of this historic building and its very distinct ambiance. Aleksandr was especially delighted by the *Stelze* that he ate. All in all, a very good start to our trip. When we got back, we had a little bit of time to relax before it was time for our welcome briefing. Here we got to meet all the other participants and go over some of the highlights of our upcoming tour. My personal highlights will be Rothenburg ob der Tauber and our hotel in Warth. Aleksandr is already looking forward to the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, and I am trying to keep Christine excited for Linderhof Palace. And if you are curious what all of this means, keep following our blog and you will see!
Our first riding day is behind us, and it was a great way to get started. We started off riding through the farm fields around Erding before making our way into the area where the hops for Munich's famous beer are grown. This also made for a perfect spot for a short photo stop and to make sure everybody was comfortable on their bikes and that everything was working as it should. Thankfully, it all was. It was also pretty much the last moment of the day that it was still relatively cool, as it slowly but surely warmed up throughout the afternoon. When we stopped for our morning coffee break, we were welcomed by some incredibly friendly staff. They had even gone to the effort of making their homemade lemonade look like a little flower bouquet, which was a really nice touch. Then, to continue our day, we had lunch at a castle, because where else would you have lunch on a Best of Europe tour? We might have overwhelmed them a little by showing up in a group, but they did a fantastic job. We all enjoyed some great main courses, followed by some lovely Apfelstrudel. By now we have arrived in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a beautiful medieval town where we will join a guided walking tour later this evening to hear some of the fascinating stories behind its history. All in all, a very good start to our trip, and a great sign of what is still to come!
Our destination today was Heidelberg—more precisely, the Berggasthof Königstuhl. But the journey there promised to be every bit as exciting as the destination itself. Early in the morning, we set off from Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The old town was still peaceful in the soft morning light, and just a few miles later the landscape opened up into rolling green countryside with inviting winding roads. Following quiet country lanes, we made our way to Langenburg. Langenburg Castle towers majestically above the Jagst Valley and is an impressive sight even from a distance. From the castle courtyard, the view stretches across wooded hillsides and gentle valleys. It was the perfect place to stop for a few photos. Unfortunately, the castle's automobile museum was closed, so before long we were back in our motorcycle saddles. Just a few minutes later, we reached a hidden gem: the Archen Bridge in Unterregenbach. The old wooden bridge looks almost as if time has stood still. The gentle murmur of the Jagst River, the historic timber construction, and the peaceful surroundings made this brief stop one of the most memorable surprises of the day. From there, the road continued through the Jagst Valley to Schöntal Monastery. Even the tree-lined approach is impressive. The magnificent Baroque monastery radiates a remarkable sense of tranquility. As we wandered through the courtyard, everyday life suddenly felt far away. It's the kind of place that naturally encourages you to slow down. After a well-deserved coffee break, it was time to hit the road again. Beyond Schöntal, the scenery gradually began to change. The roads became more winding, the hills grew steeper, and our anticipation of reaching the Neckar Valley increased with every mile. Passing through a series of small villages, we headed toward Neckarzimmern and Hornberg Castle. Hornberg Castle is closely associated with Götz von Berlichingen and stands high above the Neckar River. From its commanding position, the views across the valley are simply breathtaking. For motorcyclists, it's not only the scenery that's rewarding—the sweeping curves on the approach make this one of the finest riding roads of the entire trip. From there, we followed the Neckar upstream. The road winds its way between steep hillsides, vineyards, and charming half-timbered villages. It's one of those roads where you almost don't want to take your helmet off. The medieval town of Hirschhorn nestles along the river beneath Hirschhorn Castle, which overlooks the town from above. Its narrow streets, historic houses, and imposing hilltop castle give the place a truly unique atmosphere. We rode up to the castle and enjoyed the magnificent view over the valley below. The final miles brought us to Heidelberg. Instead of heading directly into the city, however, we climbed up to the Königstuhl. The ascent is tremendous fun, with flowing bends, dense forest, and frequent panoramic views across the Neckar Valley. At the top, the Berggasthof Königstuhl welcomed us. From its terrace, the views over Heidelberg, the Neckar River, and the Rhine Plain are simply spectacular. We didn't stay long before strolling over to the mountain railway, whose cable-hauled cars connect the Königstuhl with Heidelberg's city center. At the Vetter Brewery's restaurant, we enjoyed their locally brewed beer along with excellent regional cuisine. Later that evening, we took taxis back to our hotel, bringing another unforgettable day on the road to a perfect close.
On our third riding day, we were going to make our way to France, our second of the five countries for this tour. This was definitely not the only highlight for today, as the main part of our ride was through the Black Forest in the south of Germany. The ride started off with a little excitement, as somebody got a little warning from his German colleagues just minutes into the ride. In the end, it turned out all they wanted was to swap patches. From there, we made our way to the German Autobahn. There technically is no speed limit here, but since there was a lot of traffic, we didn’t really notice that very much. Coming off the highway, we drove towards our morning coffee. We had to make a little loop in a parking lot of a supermarket to get the timing just right, but this worked out, so that when we drove into the town for our coffee, we had a fighter jet do a fly-by. It banked into a turn right above us and veered off to the side. It wasn’t easy to convince the pilot to do this, or to get the timing right. But hey, we do everything for our guests. The coffee stop itself was at a bakery, where they serve one of my favourite cakes, a Bienenstich, or bee sting. A soft, fluffy cake with cream, honey and almonds. After the coffee, it was time to literally wind our way through the Black Forest. The first part was on a bit rougher roads and damp in places, but this soon made way for perfectly smooth asphalt. Almost no traffic and lots of great turns. An absolute blast of a ride. The lunch stop was at a little lake, so Jay had his chance to go for a little swim and cool off. The last part of our ride, when we made our way out of the forest, meant it was over with the nice cool shade from the trees. We had 40 degrees on the motorcycle displays (probably a million degrees in F...). Even on the highway, the airflow from riding didn’t really cool us down. That did not stop us from posing at the sign indicating we had made it to France, and enjoying all the shenanigans that go with it. Then, coming into town at our hotel was nice, as we once again got to ride our motorcycles straight through the pedestrian zone of a medieval town, and got a lot of fun reactions from the people walking around us. We had a lovely dinner together and had a lot of laughs. Christina couldn’t leave the bottle of wine alone, even when Danny and Colleen tried to tell her it wasn’t nice at all. At least I think it was that way around. Now it’s time for bed and to get ready for our rest day ride tomorrow. Colleen is going to give us a masterclass in flipchart drawing, as she wanted to make the one for tomorrow, so we are all very curious about the artwork she will come up with.
Our rest day ride started off with a lovely briefing by Colleen, assisted by the lovely drawing that she made for the riding day. Since the Shelby’s were in charge of the drawing and briefing, they were the first ones there, so that was another special for today! We started off by making our way to a castle. Once we got there and saw that we would have had to stay in line for an hour or so, we decided to continue on our ride instead. The whole day was filled with wonderfully winding turns through the forests of Alsace. Most of it was under the cover of the trees, so it was significantly cooler while riding than out in the sun. Lunch was in the small town of Munster, where we could try some different French dishes. Here it was also very hot, making it extra nice once we got back into the cooler forest. Jay even decided the best continuation for the day was to ride back along the route for a bit and get back to the lake we passed for another swim. The last hour we rode on small forest roads where it had rained a bit, so it was lovely and cool in there. There were a few big rocks that had decided to wander out into the middle of the road and be more than a bit in our way. This meant that Danny could display his impressive reflexes and riding skills, so hats off to him. Now we are back at the hotel and preparing ourselves for a wine tasting we organised for tonight, and then another lovely dinner afterwards. Not much rest on the rest day, but hey, when in France... right, Christina?
We started today's ride in the fairytale town of Riquewihr, France. Rolling out along its narrow cobblestone streets, we passed charming half-timbered houses and the first visitors of the day, who were just as early as we were. Vineyards lined both sides of the winding road, eventually giving way to the other crops cultivated throughout the region. After visiting the Rhine locks and crossing back into Germany, we joined the highway towards Basel for a short stretch before turning onto a federal road that wound through the Oberglottertal. From there, we continued along the L128 before taking a left onto a tiny scenic road that led us to the Hexenlochmühle. After exploring the site—and enjoying coffee, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, and Apfelstrudel—we gathered at the bikes and continued our journey towards the Swiss border. Before reaching it, however, we made a small detour to meet Lars, who was waiting for us in a peaceful spot between the fields with a delicious picnic. Next to the picnic area was a children's playground, which, naturally, we had to test as well. Continuing on, we crossed the unmanned border into Switzerland, a country famous for its banking, cheese, and notoriously steep traffic fines. Needless to say, we kept a close eye on the speedometer as we made our way back to the Rhine, this time at Schaffhausen, renowned for its watches and the Rhine Falls—the largest waterfalls in Europe by volume. Most of us took a boat tour that brought us remarkably close to the falls, where we experienced the immense power of the churning water at their base. Just downstream, the river quickly becomes calm again, creating the perfect spot for a refreshing swim—a welcome reward after a hot day in the saddle. We regrouped at our hotel in Schaffhausen, where we enjoyed a lovely dinner followed by an evening of Dopff wine, Swiss chocolate, and great conversation with a local couple who became intrigued by our adventure.
After a hearty breakfast at our hotel in Schaffhausen, we made our way to the Old Toll Bridge in Diessenhofen—a covered wooden bridge spanning the Rhine that still supports vehicles weighing up to nine tons. After admiring it from the riverbank, we crossed the bridge, meandered through the charming little town, and continued along the southern shore of the Untersee, the western arm of Lake Constance, one of Europe's largest freshwater lakes. Following a scenic photo stop overlooking the lake, we took a sharp turn south—the Alps were calling. We soon entered the picturesque Appenzell region, with its rolling green hills, breathtaking vistas, and traditional farmhouses scattered across the landscape. The winding road climbed steadily to Schwägalp, nestled at the foot of the majestic Säntis, reaching an elevation of 1,250 metres above sea level. After lunch at Schwägalp, we rode the final stretch of the mountain road before descending towards the border with Liechtenstein. Skirting most of the afternoon traffic, we crossed the northern tip of this beautiful little principality and entered Austria, the fifth country on our journey. After battling through the busy streets of Feldkirch and Rankweil, we finally reached the foot of the Furkapass. There, some riders couldn't resist an enthusiastic charge to the summit, while the rest of us enjoyed the climb at a more relaxed pace. Judging by our group photo at the top, everyone agreed it had been a fantastic ride. From the Furkapass we descended to Damüls and Au before climbing over the Schröcken Pass. A few miles later, we reached our destination for the day: Hotel Jägeralpe, nestled in a spectacular alpine setting of steep meadows and towering mountain peaks. A delicious five-course dinner awaited us, and we rounded off the evening with drinks, laughter, and great conversation that lasted well into the night. What a wonderful day on the road!
This morning we all woke up to fresh Austrian mountain air, with cowbells in the background. We moved our schedule around a little bit, so we could have a slightly later breakfast and start our day relaxed. By the time we were ready for the briefing, we had not yet done the planned *Sound of Music*-style twirling in the alpine pasture, so we had to do so before starting our ride. It should be obligatory when you visit Austria. Sadly, it was already our last riding day today. After so many great days on the road together, it was a little sad to set off on our last ride as a group, for now. That does not mean we weren’t going to make it an awesome day. It started off with some smooth, winding roads between the Austrian mountains. Surrounded by peaks with clouds hanging around them, it all looked very mysterious. The first stop was at the Plansee. And guess who was the first one in the water? This lake has amazingly blue water and is nestled between the mountains. This meant that it was the perfect place to take some pictures and videos of people jumping from the dock into the water. From here, we made our way to visit Linderhof Castle. A good chance to get some inspiration on how to redecorate our homes. Georg was waiting for us when we came out of the castle, as he had prepared a wonderful picnic for us. Brezen, salad, dessert, and most importantly, the peanut butter were all there, just waiting for us to arrive. Back at the hotel, we had a wonderful dinner together and also a good chance to go over the highlights of our trip together. It was really great to spend this time with this group, and I am still amazed at how quickly the group bonded so tightly together. It was really nice to see strangers become friends so quickly and have so much fun together. It would be nice if Colleen and Christian would join in the laughter every once in a while, but hey, we can’t have it all.