Southern Palatinate Route

136 KM   I   165 HÖHENMETER  I  9:30 STD. DAUER  I  MITTEL

 

STARTING POINT AND HOW TO GET THERE Starting/finishing point: Bahnhof Kandel (Kandel Train Station), Georg-Todt-Straße How to get there: A65, Kandel Mitte exit, Georg-Todt-Straße, train station on the left-hand side Public transport: Train connection towards Landau or Karlsruhe via Bahnhof Kandel (Kandel Train Station) Parking: Train station, Georg-Todt-Straße; Gartenstraße/Sommerstraße   THINGS TO SEE Kandel: FunForest Abenteuerpark (FunForest Adventure Park), FUSS-GOLF Adamshof (Adamshof Footgolf), late Gothic St. Georgskirche (St. George’s Church), Europäischer Kulturpark (European Culture Park) at Schwanenweiher Pond, Waldschwimmbad (Forest Swimming Pool) Büchelberg: Heimatmuseum Laurentiushof (Laurentiushof Local History Museum), Bienen- und Streuobstentdeckungspfade (Bee and Orchard Discovery Paths) Neuburg: Schifffahrtsmuseum (Maritime Museum), Rheinauen-Museum (Rhine Wetlands Museum), Badesee Epplesee (Epplesee Bathing Lake) Wörth: Badepark (Water Park); Jockgrim: Ziegeleimuseum (Brickyard Museum), Baggersee Johanneswiese (Johanneswiese Quarry Pond) Neupotz: Haus Leben am Strom (Art Gallery), Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum), Schlemmermeile (Food District), Römerschiff (Roman Ship)

Leimersheim: Heimatmuseum Fischerhaus (Fisherman’s House Museum), Maislabyrinth (Maize Maze), Rheinfähre (Rhine River Ferry) Germersheim: Festung (Fortress), Deutsches Straßenmuseum (German Road Museum), Stadt- und Festungsmuseum (Town and Fortress Museum), Ziegeleimuseum Sondernheim (Sondernheim Brickyard Museum), Nachenfahrten auf dem Altrhein (Old Rhine Boat Rides) Speyer: Speyerer Dom (Speyer Cathedral), Technikmuseum (Technology Museum), SeaLife Bellheim: Schwimmpark (Water Park), Historisches Sägewerk Mittelmühle (Historical Sawmill and Middle Mill), Minigolf, Sternwarte (Observatory) Ottersheim: Oldtimerscheune (Vintage Car Workshop) featuring historical forge and bakery, Walderlebnispfad (Forest Experience Path)

 

PLACES TO STOP

• Kandel: Gleis 3 restaurant, Hotel-Restaurant Pfälzer Hof, Hotel-Restaurant Zur Pfalz, Hofmarkt Zapf market, Hotel-Restaurant Zum Riesen, Gasthaus Zum Schloddrer guest house

• Scheibenhardt: Waldgasthof Bienwaldmühle guest house

• Neupotz: Zum Lamm guest house, Gehrlein’s Hardtwald guest house, Zum Karpfen guest house, Zur Krone guest house

• Leimersheim: Bäckerei Kohler bakery, Rheinschänke Pfälzer Land restaurant

• Hördt: Bäckerei Kohler bakery, TUS04 restaurant

• Germersheim: Rhenania restaurant, Café zum Elefant, Stadtgarten-Restaurant

• Zeiskam: Hotel-Restaurant Zeiskamer Mühle, Zum Pflug rural guest house

• Bellheim: Bellheimer Braustübl taverna, Bellheimer Waldstube restaurant, Ristorante Pizzeria Ischia

• Knittelsheim: Waldhaus Knittelsheimer Mühle restaurant, Steverding’s Isenhof restaurant

• Ottersheim: MundArt-Stube “Quetschkommod” restaurant, Bärenbräu Ottersheim brewery, Eisoase Ottersheim ice-cream shop

PLACES TO STAY

• Kandel: Hotel-Restaurant Pfälzer Hof, Hotel-Restaurant Zur Pfalz, Hotel Zum Riesen, Hotel Zum Rössel, Zum Schloddrer guest house
• Scheibenhardt: Waldgasthof Bienwaldmühle guest house
• Neupotz: Zum Lamm guest house, Gehrlein’s Hardtwald guest house
• Germersheim: Hotel-Restaurant Germersheimer Hof, Hotel-Restaurant “Kleine Festung”
• Zeiskam: Hotel-Restaurant Zeiskamer Mühle
• Bellheim: Lindner’s Hotel
• Knittelsheim: Waldhaus Knittelsheimer Mühle hotel and restaurant

 

Übernachtungsmöglichkeiten

• Kandel: Hotel-Restaurant Pfälzer Hof, Hotel-Restaurant Zur Pfalz, Hotel Zum Riesen, Hotel Zum Rössel, Gasthaus Zum Schloddrer; Scheibenhardt: Waldgasthof Bienwaldmühle; Neupotz: Gasthof Zum Lamm, Landgasthof Gehrlein’s Hardtwald; Germersheim: Hotel-Restaurant Germersheimer Hof, Hotel-Restaurant „Kleine Festung“; Zeiskam: Hotel-Restaurant Zeiskamer Mühle; Bellheim: Lindner’s Hotel; Knittelsheim: Waldhaus Knittelsheimer Mühle

 

TOUR DESCRIPTION

The Southern Palatinate Route starts off at the train station in Kandel, which is famous for its excellent shopping area. From here, follow the signs for the “Südpfalz-Radweg” (Southern Palatinate Cycle Path) through the Bienwald, passing the orchards in Büchelberg, until you reach Scheibenhardt on the French border. Once you are in Scheibenhardt, follow the main road (Hauptstraße) out of the town towards the mountains. You will find yourself covering part of the “Dt.-frz. PAMINA-Radweg” (German/French PAMINA Cycle Path), which runs alongside the Lauter until it flows into the Rhine. Follow the signs for this cycle path until you reach Neuburg, where you will come to the “Véloroute Rhein” (Rhine Cycle Path). We highly recommend having a dip in the cool water of Lake Epplesee at this point. The first town the cycle path takes you to is Wörth. Grown-up and little cyclists alike are bound to have hours of fun at the water park there. And there are plenty more fantastic places to stop off along the route, as you cycle through picturesque villages against the stunning natural backdrop of the wetlands along the Rhine River in the Palatinate region. There are a number of museums that are well worth a visit too, such as the art gallery by the name of Haus Leben am Strom in Neupotz. Another place you won’t want to miss is the incredible fortress town of Germersheim. Set off on a guided tour of the historical fortifications, underground passages and parade grounds designed to look like parks. And prepare to be wowed! The Deutsches Straßenmuseum (German Road Museum) is interesting too and it is the only museum in Germany with a focus on the history of roads and the process of building them. Follow the signs that will take you in the direction of Lingenfeld, past vast farmland and orchards filled with juicy fruit. Here you can freshen up by taking a dip in the “Altrheinlandschaft” (Old Rhine Landscape) Quarry Pond. The Véloroute continues on to Speyer, passing the wetlands along the Rhine River. Soon after you arrive in Speyer, you will see the cycle path called “Vom Rhein zum Wein” (From Rhine to Wine), which leads to the Speyerer Dom (Speyer Cathedral) to start with. Take a quiet moment to take in this enormous building and this town steeped in history. When you carry on cycling, you will end up in the cycling community of Dudenhofen. You will need to start following the signs for the “Kraut- und Rübenradweg” (Cabbage and Turnip Cycle Path) once you have passed Harthausen. Along the route, you can expect to experience farming at close hand – whether that is observing production processes or enjoying delicious treats for the taste buds. You will cycle through a number of towns and villages, including Schwegenheim, Lustadt and Zeiskam. When you get to the outskirts of Bellheim, start to follow signs for the “Queichtalradweg” (Queich Valley Cycleway), which runs alongside the Queich River, taking you past the Knittelsheimer Mühle restaurant and the Ottersheimer Teilungswehr (Ottersheim Defence Barrier). With a bit of luck, you may even catch a glimpse of a magnificent white stork on the Queich valley meadows in Offenbach. There is nothing quite like being at one with nature on this adventure! Once you reach the centre of Offenbach, you will rejoin the “Südpfalz-Radweg” (Southern Palatinate Cycle Path). This cycle route meanders through Germany’s largest tobacco growing area via Herxheim, Hayna and Hatzenbühl, before returning you to where you started out at Kandeler Bahnhof (Kandel Train Station).

 

 

CONTACT

Südpfalz-Tourismus Landkreis Germersheim e.V.
Luitpoldplatz 1, 76726 Germersheim
Telefon +49 (0)7274 53300
info (at) suedpfalz-tourismus.de
www.suedpfalz-tourismus.de

Copyright photo on this page: © Südpfalz-Tourismus Landkreis Germersheim e.V., Fotograf Norman Krauß

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