Fulda-Radweg by bike

Riverside cycle path beside the Fulda, with a railway viaduct near Guntershausen

Photo: ErwinMeier, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Distance
about 255 km (158 miles)
Country
Germany
Difficulty
Easy
Type of trip
Cycling route

The Fulda-Radweg, also signed as the Hessian long-distance route R1, follows the Fulda north through Hesse. The official route starts in Gersfeld, at the southern foot of the Wasserkuppe in the Rhön, and runs through Fulda, Bad Hersfeld, Rotenburg an der Fulda, Melsungen and Kassel to Hann. Münden, where the Fulda and the Werra meet to form the Weser. The last stage follows the Weser to Bad Karlshafen. The official site splits it into five daily stages and puts the riding time at about 33 hours. The official site has a map of Bett+Bike places along the route, plus campsites and motorhome pitches. There's nothing to book for the route itself.

The official site rates it easy, with 507 m of climbing and 1,211 m of descent. German Wikipedia says it's 85% tarmac and the rest mostly good gravel, signed in both directions and almost free of cars, though some village sections use quiet to moderately busy roads. It isn't flat all the way. The flattest parts are Gersfeld to Fulda and Kassel to Hann. Münden. Between Fulda and Schlitz there are short rises of up to 20 m, and Wikipedia suggests a touring bike with gears for hills. The ADFC gave it four stars again in 2022. Trains follow much of the valley. The line from Gersfeld to Fulda has eight stops along the first stage and between Bad Hersfeld and Kassel there are 14, but there's no railway between Fulda and Bad Hersfeld. On the Weser stage much of the route is a cycle path beside the B80 main road on the west bank.

Highlights along the way

  1. Fulda: The official site calls it the pearl of the Baroque and says not to miss the cathedral of St. Salvator, the city's landmark.
  2. Schlitz: A short detour off the second stage. The town was first recorded in 812 and is known for its five castles. You can take a lift up the Hinterturm for a view over the old town.
  3. Rotenburg an der Fulda and Melsungen: Two half-timbered towns on the third stage. Rotenburg has a Renaissance palace and the Highwalk, a raised walkway. In Melsungen the Bartenwetzer bridge over the Fulda dates from 1595 to 1596, and the town hall from 1556.
  4. Kassel: The capital of Hesse from 1277 to 1866. The route runs along the Karlsaue park by the river. On the west side of the city is the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe with the Hercules statue, and the documenta art show comes round every four to five years.
  5. Hann. Münden and Bad Karlshafen: Hann. Münden has over 700 half-timbered houses, and a stone on the Tanzwerder marks where the Werra and the Fulda become the Weser. Bad Karlshafen, the end, is a small Baroque Huguenot town with a former packhouse from 1715 to 1718, now the town hall, on its harbour.

Distance

About 255 km (158 miles) in all, from Gersfeld to Bad Karlshafen, by the official count, in five stages. German Wikipedia, using Hesse's cycle route planner, gives about 30 km for Gersfeld to Fulda, 49 km for Fulda to Bad Hersfeld and 56 km for Bad Hersfeld to Melsungen. Starting on top of the Wasserkuppe, Hesse's highest mountain, and riding down past the Fulda spring adds about 8 km.

Best time to go

Neither the official site nor German Wikipedia names a best season. On 3 November 2026 the official roadworks page said no closures were known, but its notes were last updated on 27 February 2025. The bike cable ferry over the Fulda at Morschen-Binsförth on stage 3, the only one of its kind in Germany, closed for good in August 2025, hessenschau.de reported. A new foot and cycle bridge is due around spring 2027. Until then, follow the signed alternative from Morschen to Binsförth. Check fuldaradweg-r1.de or the local tourist office before you go.

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