Rheinradweg (Rhine Cycle Route in Germany)

Cycle path beside the Rhine at Boppard, with wooded hills across the river

Photo: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Distance
about 1,019 km (633 miles)
Country
Germany
Difficulty
Easy
Type of trip
Cycling route

The Rheinradweg is the German stretch of EuroVelo 15, the Rhine Cycle Route, which runs from Andermatt in the Swiss Alps to Hoek van Holland on the North Sea. In Germany it's also signed as D-Route 8. It comes in at Lake Constance and follows the right bank west towards Basel, then turns north past Karlsruhe and Mannheim, through the Middle Rhine valley between Bingen and Koblenz, and on past Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf to the Dutch border. Between Basel and Mainz you can ride the German right bank or the French left bank, and below Lake Constance there's a route on each side of the river except in the narrow upper Middle Rhine. Wikivoyage allows about a week for Basel to Mainz, and four or five easy days for the German Lower Rhine from Bonn to Kleve. You sleep in the riverside towns, and EuroVelo points to Bett+Bike for cycle-friendly places. There's nothing to book for the route itself.

From Chur in Switzerland onwards it's mostly flat, and Wikivoyage says a five-gear bike is enough once you're past the Alpine Rhine. Most of it is away from cars, but Wikivoyage warns of some stretches with very heavy traffic. German Wikipedia notes a break in the path north of Karlsruhe. The right bank through the gorge isn't finished. Between Rüdesheim and Kestert you'd be on the busy B42 with no cycle path, so take the ferry from Rüdesheim to Bingen and ride the left bank, which has its own path all the way to Bonn. Even there EuroVelo says to take care, as it shares the road in some towns and runs right next to it where the valley is narrow.

Highlights along the way

  1. Breisach am Rhein: The town sits on a hill above the river, with St Stephen's Cathedral and views across to the Vosges. A bridge takes you over to the fortress town of Neuf-Brisach in France, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  2. Speyer and Mannheim: Speyer, on the left bank, is known for its cathedral. Mannheim Palace, on the route, is one of the largest Baroque palaces in Europe.
  3. Upper Middle Rhine Valley: Bingen to Koblenz has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002 and has more than 50 castles and palaces. On the left bank you pass St. Goar, opposite the Loreley rock.
  4. Andernach: A town on the left bank north of Koblenz. German Wikipedia says its geyser is the highest cold-water geyser in the world.
  5. Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf: Bonn is the former German capital and Beethoven's birthplace. Downstream, the route passes Cologne Cathedral and then Düsseldorf's long riverside promenade.

Distance

About 1,019 km (633 miles) in Germany, from Lake Constance to the Dutch border, which is German Wikipedia's figure for D-Route 8. The whole of EuroVelo 15, from Andermatt to Hoek van Holland, is about 1,450 km (901 miles) by EuroVelo's count. Wikivoyage puts Basel to Mainz at about 400 km (249 miles). The left-bank path through the Middle Rhine, from Bingen to Bonn, is 132 km (82 miles).

Best time to go

Wikivoyage says May to September is best. Between Lake Constance and the Middle Rhine, April is often fine too, and October can be, depending on the weather. EuroVelo suggests April to September for the German part. If you plan to use trains, EuroVelo said in April 2026 that the right-bank railway between Wiesbaden and Troisdorf would be closed for renovation from July to December 2026, with no bikes on the replacement buses. Check eurovelo.com for the latest travel updates before you go.

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