The four-star Weser-Radweg cycle route passes through seven regions, which could hardly be more different. This 520 kilometre route runs from the Weser Uplands to the North Sea without encountering any major hills and by following it, you will discover why it has long been one of the most popular long-distance cycling routes in Germany.
Route and sights
The Weser-Radweg starts in Hann. Münden, where the Werra and Fulda join to form the Weser river. The route has been voted Germany's most popular long-distance cycle route several times (according to ADFC RadReiseAnalyse). The first stage along the Upper Weser runs through the Weser Uplands, where numerous historic towns, castles, palaces and abbeys can be found along the route and are strung together like pearls on a necklace. Alongside the imposing buildings of the Weser Renaissance style and colourful half-timbered houses, the Weser Uplands are also renowned for magical characters like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Cinderella and Baron Munchausen. Just before Minden, Porta Westfalica is the Weser river’s gateway to the North German Plain. Along the Middle Weser, you cycle through Nienburg, Verden, marsh and moorlands, passing picturesque windmills and watermills. Further north in the Hanseatic city of Bremen, the largest conurbation on the Weser-Radweg, is the start of the Lower Weser. In Bremen, it is well worth taking a detour to visit the town hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the statue of Roland and the historical old town. In Bremen, you cycle along the Weserdeich (Weser embankment) in the cultivated land of Teufelsmoor and take a detour to the river island of Harriersand. The main route continues through one of the largest continuous areas of grassland in Europe, the Wesermarsch. As the boats and boatyards get bigger and bigger, the maritime influence becomes more apparent. You have a choice in Nordenham: either you can take the ferry to the coastal town of Bremerhaven and follow the main Weser-Radweg route or you can cycle over the Butjadingen peninsula to Eckwarderhörne. The main route passes the coastal town of Bremerhaven with its Auswandererhaus (German Emigration Centre), Klimahaus (weather and climate-based museum), Überseehäfen (overseas harbours) and many other attractions. After Bremerhaven, in Cuxland, you are within reach of the North Sea and you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to visit the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Natural Site, before reaching the official end of the Weser-Radweg at the Kugelbake (Ball Beacon) in Cuxhaven.
