Summer is the time when even cycling skeptics get their bikes out of the basement and dust off the cobwebs.
It’s the time to get on your bike with friends, family, and a packed lunch and head out into the countryside. Especially on holiday, cycling is a great way to explore unfamiliar territories. You see more than you would on foot, but you’re still slow enough to notice the little details along the way.
In addition, you are travelling in an environmentally friendly way. So, it’s no surprise that many of our Green Pearls partners are experts when it comes to planning cycling tours in their area. Bikes can often be rented directly at the hotel or nearby. In ad- dition to normal bikes, there are also more and more e-bikes on offer. Just the thing for those who want to try it out on holiday. How about an extend- ed tour through northern Italy? Or a racy downhill ride on a mountain bike?
From the Chalet Directly onto the Cycle Path
The Austrian town of Sölden is a true biker’s paradise. There are no less than 43 routes on offer that will inspire both beginners and ambitious mountain bikers. The tracks, routes, and tours with different levels of difficulty are all part of the Bike Republic Sölden, a bike project founded in 2015, which in addition to the ecologically constructed trails also cares for a lively biker culture in the Ötztal.
From the Leni Mountain Apartments & Chalet you can directly access the trail network. Gentle trails, rapid descents, and challenging climbs ensure that a biking holiday is never boring. A highlight is the ascent to the Rettenbachferner. 2800 metres high, the mountain is the highest paved destination in the world.
Starting this summer, a beginner’s and practice line begins at the front doors of the Leni Mountain Apartments and the popular Leiterberg Trail passes right by the chalet. By the way, Leni Mountain is well prepared for bikers of all kinds. As a certified bike accommodation, it offers lockable storage facilities, a washing area, tools, repair kit and everything else your heart desires.
Especially on holiday, cycling is a great way to explore unfamiliar territories. You see more than you would on foot, but you’re still slow enough to notice the little details along the way.
On the Trail of the Romans in South Tyrol
The Adige cycle path follows the course of the river all the way to Verona and also passes the Hotel La Vimea in Naturno. But you don’t have to cycle the entire trail, the section to Merano is only a few kilometres long, so the tour is also worthwhile for cyclists who are simply looking for a relaxed lap.
The route follows the Via Claudia Augusta, the old Roman connecting road between north and south. Emperor Claudius extended it from the routes laid out by Emperor Augustus in 15 BC. Today it is being rediscovered as a cultural axis that can be explored on a cycle tour along the sights and orchards. The Via Claudia Augusta is also popular as a long- distance hiking trail from the Danube to the Pos plain.
The holistic vegan Hotel La Vimea can serve either as a starting point or as a place to relax after crossing the Alps. Yoga, wellness and creative vegan cuisine provide well- relax after crossing the Alps. Yoga, wellness and creative vegan cuisine provide well- deserved relaxation after the bike tour.
Go with the Flow Along the Weser Cycle Route
In Lower Saxony, you can also cycle alongside a river. The Weser Cycle Route is the most popular long- distance cycle route in Germany (ADFC Cycle Tour Analysis 2022) and invites you to summer cycling tours on both sides of the Weser for almost 520 kilometres. If you don’t want to cycle the entire route from Hann, Münden to Cuxhaven, will also be reward you with great river views, idyllic floodplain landscapes and historical sights.
Okelmann’s in Warpe is only a few kilometres from the Weser Cycle Path and therefore a wonderful retreat for a few days’ break. In the midst of the fields, you can relax your tired limbs in the shepherd’s cart sauna or the wooden whirlpool. Yoga classes provide a welcome balance to cycling.
Always a bit of Baltic Sea
Another long-distance cycle route that literally passes by the front door of a Green Pearls partner is the Baltic Sea Cycle Route, which stretches from Denmark to Poland and beyond. Starting from Timmendorfer Strand, you can explore the surrounding Baltic coast along this route. It follows along the steep coast, windbreaks and coastal forests characterise the landscape and the salty air reminds you that the Baltic Sea is always only a short distance away. In addition to the route along the coast, there are also cycling tours inland, for example with the Priwall ferry across to Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, to Eutin Castle or along the Trave to the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. The Lifestylehotel SAND is an ideal starting point for this. Firstly, the wellness offer is just perfect after the tour through the amazingly hilly landscape. And secondly, the hotel cooperates with the bicycle manufacturer myBoo. Guests of the SAND can rent bamboo bikes on site and explore the area in style and in an eco-friendly way. In addition, the purchase of each bicycle directly finances a school in Ghana. Sustainability across all levels!
When people talk about the Spreewald, they often think first and foremost of canoeing, paddle boats and boat trips. But the region can be explored just as well from another perspective: from the saddle of a bicycle.
Pure Nature in the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve
When people talk about the Spreewald, they often think first and foremost of canoeing, paddle boats and boat trips. But the region can be explored just as well from another perspective: from the saddle of a bicycle.
Directly opposite the Strandhaus Boutique Resort & Spa Spreewald, you can rent bicycles or e-bikes and get going. From Lübben, you can join the well-developed network of cycle paths. One of the best-known routes is the Gurkenradweg (Cucumber Cycle Path), which is identified by a cycling cucumber on the signs! Low gradients, well maintained cycle paths, and only a few sections on busy roads make the path ideal for families and cyclists looking for a relaxed tour. In total, the Gurkenradweg winds its way through the biosphere reserve for about 260 kilometres. However, it can also be wonderfully explored on the sections around Lübben. There are always shortcuts or detours that lead back to the hotel. There you will be greeted by lovingly tended gardens, a pano- rama sauna and authentic Spreewald cuisine.
By Bike through the Black Forest
The SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA has been awarded the Bett+Bike label by the ADFC and has proven to be an ideal base for cyclists to explore the Black Forest on two or three wheels. Guests can park their bikes at night in lockable shelters, there are repair kits or, if necessary, information on where to find the nearest bike repair shop. And drying facilities are available for wet clothes or equipment.
After a hearty breakfast with regional and seasonal products, you can now even rent e-bikes directly at the hotel. Our Green Pearls tour tip: the loop through the Albtal nature reserve, through the Holzbach valley and the Maisenbach valley. Along the three valleys and streams you can explore the landscape and nature of the northern Black Forest. You should plan for just under half a day, after all it’s all about being on the move slowly, enjoying and relaxing. After a leisurely lunch, you can either add a second tour or return to the hotel and spend the rest of the day in the spa area with its large sun terrace, reenergising with a yoga session, or enjoying a massage.
Whether in the mountains, by the sea or along the river, whether by mountain bike, touring bike or e-bike: the surroundings are best explored on two (or three) wheels.
Explore the Rhön with a tour guide
Those who don’t like to explore the unknown trails on their own and would rather take a hike with a profes- sional guide can join Daniel Albrecht on a tour from the Biohotel Sturm in the Rhön Mountains. He knows all the trails in the region inside out and leads his guests on tours through the varied landscapes of the Rhön region that suit their level of difficulty. Guided MTB Tours are available as single tours as well as in a group. The newly con- structed Garden Rooms of Biohotel Sturm, with views into the greenery and direct access to the natural swim- ming pond, extends the experience of nature to the next morning.
Cycling tours can be undertaken from many of our Green Pearls partners. Whether in the mountains, by the sea or along the river, whether by mountain bike, touring bike or e-bike: the surroundings are best explored on two (or three) wheels. Slowly, mindfully and in harmony with nature.
