UNESCO listed the Upper Middle Rhine Valley – one of the oldest and most impressive natural landscapes in Germany – as a World Heritage Site in 2002.
Between Bingen and Koblenz, there are no fewer than sixty castles and palaces majestically overlooking the Rhine.
On both sides of the river rise steep vineyards used to produce the famous Riesling wines.
Further downstream in North Westphalia, cyclists can choose which bank to ride on. On the right bank is Königswinter, the most visited mountain in Germany, while on the opposite bank, the trail passes through the old government quarter in Bonn, with its cathedral, Baroque town hall and the house where Beethoven was born.
The Rhineland city of Cologne is, of course, famous for its cathedral, but it can also boast a chocolate museum, art galleries and a number of superb Romanesque churches.
Further downstream, in Düsseldorf, capital of North Rhine Westphalia, you can discover new buildings created by the greatest architects in the world, such as Frank Gehry.
Duisburg, another major city, lies at the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr and is the biggest river port in Europe. A few miles across the German-Dutch border, you will arrive in Arnhem, capital of the province of Gelderland.
In the Netherlands, the Rhine splits and joins up with other rivers.
The meanderings of the old Rhine are ripe for discovery and the Rhine Cycle Route shows cyclists the various faces of the different waterways. These include the Waal river expressway – one of the busiest vessel-going waterways in Europe – or the Kromme Rijn (Crooked Rhine), which for a long time stood as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.
I´m going to visit the iconic windmills near the village of Kinderdijk, pretty little port villages and, towards the river’s mouth, the world class modern metropolis of Rotterdam.
The North Sea will be the big final where I´m going to jump into –
after 3 1/2 weeks of fantastic landscapes and cultural highlights – looking forward to cycle along the River Rine!
From the alps to Rotterdam 