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Bike/Barge Tour from Mainz-Bamberg (8
days)
Route: Mainz > Offenbach > Bürgel > Hanau > Steinheim
> Seligenstad > Aschaffenburg > Freudenberg > Gemünden >
Ochsenfurt > Schweinfurt > Bamberg
Price: $1250/person (double occupancy), on Comfort Plus barge.
Date: May 20, 2006
Discover beautiful Germany and experience its most beautiful and cultural
region by boat and bike.
Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Saturday
(Arrival in Mainz) You are welcomed on board the Merlijn with a welcome
cocktail. The afternoon is free, allowing you to explore the charming
historic centre of Mainz with the beautiful squares, half-timber houses and
impressive baroque churches. Behind Rococo Facades and in Baroque houses
hide inviting elegant boutiques, café’s and ‘Weinstuben’.
Sunday:
(Mainz-Offenbach–Bürgel-Hanau-Steinheim-Seligenstad-Aschaffenburg. Bike tour
of about 45 km.)Leaving Mainz we cruise the river Main upstream along
Frankfurt to Offenbach Bürgel, from where we bike via Mühlheim to Hanau, the
town where the famous Grimm brothers were born. From Hanau we continue to
Steinheim with its charming historic centre and then along the river Main to
Kleinauheim, Hainstadt, Klein-Krotzenburg to small and romantic Seligenstadt
with its meandering alleys, half-timber houses and the basilica. After
crossing the river Main on a small ferry, we continue to Dettingen and
Kleinostheim and our today’s goal Aschaffenburg with its museums, churches
and of course the castle that’s situated at the river bank.
Monday
(Aschaffenburg-Freudenberg. Bike tour of about 50 km.) Following the river
(sometimes at the right and then again at the left bank) we pass lovely
small towns and villages. Klingenberg and Groszheubach are famous for their
fine red wines and historic Miltenberg is charming because of its meandering
streets and alleys, old restored half-timber houses and the historic market
square. Our today’s stage next continues via Bürgstadt to Freudenberg. Just
before we reach Freudenberg there are some lakes where we can take a break
and a swim if the weather allows us to.
Tuesday
(Freudenberg-Gemünden. Bike tour of about 42 km.) In the morning we cruise
to Wertheim - situated right there where the rivers Main and Tauber meet – a
town that invites you to come and visit its historic centre and the mountain
ruins. Our today’s bike stage takes us along historic monuments, like the
half-timber castle Homburg and the Triefenstein monastery, through the
varying landscape with both wine mountains and afforested mountain slopes
with bizarre rocks to Lohr am Main and its Gothic and Baroque buildings.
From Lohr we continue by boat to Gemünden.
Wednesday
(Gemünden-Ochsenfurt. Bike tour of about 46 km.) Today again we start with a
boat tour, to Karlstadt this time. In Karlstadt with its historic centre we
start our today’s bike stage leading via Zellingen and Erlabrunn to
Würzburg, the Baroque town at the river Main. The road mounts gradually as
we climb the fortress that offers a magnificent view on the historic centre
of Würzburg with its many towers. We continue through the vineyards, the
hills full of vines and charming wine villages like Eibelstadt and
Sommerhouse, to Ochsenfurt that is situated right at the triple fork of the
river Main.
Thursday
(Ochsenfurt-Schweinfurt. Bike tour of about 48 km.) Cruising along
Marktbreit, Segnitz and Sulzfeld we head to Kitzingen that’s famous for its
leaning tower of which the story goes that’s its leaning because the
builders, who because of water shortage mixed the mortar with wine instead
of water, had too much wine while mixing. Passing villages that all are very
well known to wine connoisseurs like Dettelbach, Sommerach and Nordheim, and
Volkach - where the main eddies like crazy - we head for a cultural high
point: the pilgrimage church ‘Maria im Weingarten’ and the famous ‘Madonna
im Rosenkranz’ by Tilmann Riemenschneider. Today’s last stage takes us via
Fahr, Hirschfeld, Röthlein and Grafenrheinfeld to Schweinfeld with its old
centre full of cosy little spots, the town hall, the tower and the market
place, the museums and galleries and lots more.
Friday
(Schweinfurt-Bamberg. Bike tour of about 34 km.)We cruise to Hassfurt,
starting point for our last bike stage. Hassfurt is famous for the late
gothic Ritter chapel and the late gothic church at the market square with
its valuable paintings (John the Baptist and Maria with child) byTilmann
Riemenschneider. Passing the famous pilgrimage church Maria Limbach and the
town of Eltmann we reach our today’s goal: the historic bishops town Bamberg
with Villa Concordia, the historic lock 100, the water castle, the baroque
house on the bridge and the former fishing settling Small Venice all
emphasizing the tight connection between town and river.
Saturday
After breakfast, it's time to say Good-bye.
We reserve to ourselves the right of changing schedule and/or program. If
–part of – the route is not navigable the captain is entitled to change the
schedule for safety reasons. Changes in schedule and program do not give you
the right on free cancellation.
Included in tour:
• 7 nights accommodations aboard the Merlin
• Daily Cabin Cleaning Service
• Welcome Beverage
• Breakfast buffets, packed lunches, 3-course dinners
• Route description with map.
• Coffee and Tea on board
• Tour guide
• 7-speed hybrid bicycle, incl. a bike bag
• Route information
• Ferry fares en route
Not included in tour:
• Airfare
• Excursions not in program
• Drinks (other than coffee & tea)
• Transfer between airport and barge
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