The Rhine Cycle Route makes it possible. It runs from the Alps to a North Sea beach and on its way links Switzerland, Austria (layover), France, Liechtenstein, Germany, and the Netherlands.

The Rhine Cycle Route is also the first long-distance cycle path to be certified following a new European standard. Testers belonging to the German ADFC cyclists organization and the European Cyclists Federation have examined the whole course and evaluated it under a variety of criteria.

The great attraction of following a river from source to sea is that it is downhill all the way (well, almost all the way – our route does occasionally climb a little for spectacular views down into the valley). From the summit of Oberalppass (which can be reached by cycle-friendly train), near the source of the river at Lai da Tuma, the Rhine Cycle Route descends 2046m to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland (Hook of Holland), a distance of 1373km.

The cycling is straightforward, with much of the route following well-surfaced cycle tracks, often along the riverbank or flood dykes. On those occasions where roads are used, these are usually quiet country routes with dedicated cycle lanes. All the countries it passes through are highly cycle-friendly, and motorists will generally give you plenty of room. This route is suitable both for experienced long-distance cyclists and those who have done only a little cycle touring and wish to attempt something more adventurous.

"The route mostly follows Swiss, German, French and Dutch national cycle trails"

The route mostly follows Swiss, German, French, and Dutch national cycle trails, with a high standard of waymarking throughout. The Rhine is rightly one of the world’s greatest rivers and one of the most visited by tourists. Many travel by boat, disembarking only at tourist honey-pots and eating international food on-board. By cycling the length of the river you will have a different perspective, passing through smaller towns, meeting local people, and eating local food. English is widely spoken, almost universally in Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Six Countries

This is a journey of variety. Passing through six countries (Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, with short sections in Liechtenstein and Austria) you will be exposed to much of the geography, history, culture, and economic success of Western Europe.

From the Rhine’s upper reaches in Switzerland, surrounded by high Alpine mountains, our route passes the tiny principality of Liechtenstein to reach Bodensee (Lake Constance), Western Europe’s second-largest natural lake. On the shores of Bodensee is the Austrian festival town of Bregenz, where open-air opera is presented every summer on a stage over the water, and Friedrichshafen, home to the Zeppelin. Beyond the lake is Rheinfall, continental Europe’s largest waterfall by volume of water. Below here the river flows through an attractive wooded valley between the Black Forest and the Jura mountains, passing a series of unspoiled medieval towns. After Basel, the route turns north through French Alsace, an area much fought over, with many remnants of successive wars.

Then it is on past the French gastronomic centre of Strasbourg, the great industrial cities of Karlsruhe and Mannheim/Ludwigshafen, and the imperial cities and religious centres of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz, before reaching the barrier of the Taunus and Hunsrück mountains. The Rhine Gorge, cutting between these ranges, is the most spectacular stage of all, lined with fairy-tale castles and award-winning vineyards.

Halfway through is the infamous Loreley Rock. Continuing between the dormant volcanic Eifel and Siebengebirge ranges, where an active geyser demonstrates the power of vulcanism, the Rhine emerges onto the North German plain. The route continues to Bonn, past the Bundeshaus (where the West German parliament sat 1949–99) and Beethoven’s birthplace, then on to Köln (Cologne), which with over one million inhabitants is the largest city en route and the site of the world’s second tallest cathedral spire.

The river starts dividing to eventually reach the North Sea by way of five different channels.

Then past Düsseldorf and through industrial Duisburg, which produces half of all German steel and is Europe’s largest inland port. For most of the way through this area, the river is followed, avoiding much of the intensive industrial development. Continuing through wide-open flat agricultural land into the Netherlands, the river starts dividing to eventually reach the North Sea by way of five different channels.

Windmills

Our route follows one of these, the Lek, cycling on top of flood dykes with intensively farmed polders (drained land), lower than the river and reclaimed over many centuries, lining the river’s course. At Kinderdijk there are 19 surviving windmills of the type used to drain this land. The last great city is Rotterdam, rebuilt hurriedly after destruction in the Second World War and now being rebuilt again with much stunning modern architecture.