A sojourn through Rhineland: Cycling through one of Germany’s — and the world’s — greatest wine regions.
‘Weinhuttes’ dotted along the Rhine river tempt fate by twisting the arms of passing cyclists in the riesling region.
It’s a quintessential German summer as ROAM rides the Rhine River. This is to say that the rain is falling sideways, the wind’s whipping across an industrial landscape, and the stoic Germans seem ambivalent as they fly past on ebikes.
Then “it” appears — a light at the end of what has been a wet, windy and gruelling tunnel.
Not sunlight, no, that would be too much to ask. It’s a charming little wine kiosk nestled on the banks of the river. Anywhere else in the world, and this place would be slinging overpriced Cornettos, but here in Rhineland it’s serving some of the best riesling on earth. For the basement price of €3 ($4.80), you get an RSL pour of an exceptional white wine, and there’s enough sunshine in that glass to brighten this grey day.
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To tackle both regions, our week-long route is somewhat convoluted. It involves cycling from Frankfurt to Koblenz along the Rhine, catching a train from Koblenz to Trier, and then cycling from Trier to Koblenz along the Moselle, before catching a train back to Frankfurt. We rented our bikes from frankfurtbiketour.com, which is conveniently both their website and literal company name. Prices start from 19 Euros a day - ours 99 Euros for the week (an absurdly good deal in these economic times).
Again, this might sound confusing, but with German efficiency being the cliche it is, the trains here allow you to take your bikes on board, and you can book spots in advance. Also, by travelling from Trier to Koblenz, you’re actually rolling slightly downhill, something very important for those who don’t trust themselves around that much great wine and anything with an engine (even if that engine is actually electric).
As Frankfurt fades, the industrial grey is replaced by fairytale towns and an almost comical amount of castles. It’s casual how frequently these castles appear, lurking around every corner, shrouded in vineyards that make you feel like a Disney Princess with a drinking problem.
The cobblestones, too, are charming (when you’re not riding over them), and there’s something quite surreal about having a glass of wine in the shadow of a medieval church, sitting beneath the disapproving gaze of a stained-glass Jesus. They don’t call this stretch the “Romantic Rhine” for nothing, but it’s worth noting that after cycling anywhere between 60 and 70km in a day, the last thing your bruised arse will think about is romance.
It’s in the Moselle Valley where the landscape opens up. The space between things becomes wider, and more trellis-filled. Some of the most vertical vineyards in the world are here, and they tower over you like a Christopher Nolan fever dream.
The best part of the Moselle is that the bike paths take you through the heart of the wineries — Weingut Marx is a magical example of this. A peloton of bikes is parked out front, the tables are filled with riders from the lycra-clad to the leisurely, and after swearing that we absolutely, 100 per cent weren’t going to drink today, we can’t help but swoon for this picturesque spot and its delicious drop.
Please note that ROAM doesn’t condone drinking and riding. But when in Rome (Rhine?), do as the Romans do, and while the Romans might have left this part of Europe long ago, they left behind some fantastic wines. And there’s no better way to enjoy them than on two wheels.
