Luxembourg / Germany advice welcome

[Rasher]

With my upcoming trip to the Black Forest / Vosges I have been looking for alternate things to do if weather is crap in our intended destinations.

Staying just south of Baden Baden at Pension Williams gives us access to the Black Forest and Vosges, this covers areas to the East, South and West so hopefully we can find some dry roads, but if not I was looking for other places North of Baden.

I have never been to Luxembourg and wondered if that may be worth a trip?

Or any other towns North of Baden such as Frankfurt, Wurzburg, Nuremberg, anywhere that may present a fair ride out and something to see / do would be considered.

Looked into the Ring but it is a bit too far away really as it is about 3 hours motorway each way and I assume you would only get a couple of laps in over a couple of hours so would rather plan a trip there some other time.

 

[mcinlb]

I will be staying in Speyer(just north, up the Rhine from B.B.) and I am making a point of visiting the http://speyer.technik-museum.de/
Looks great for a rainy day ...........

 

[wessie]

Trier has some interesting stuff to see. Lots of Roman era history, markets, the Mosel river and a generally nice ambience.

Bitche http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitche is worth a look for the huge citadel

How about a brewery tour? http://www.eifel-exclusive.eu/english/eifel-products/bitburger-braugruppe.html

 

[Dave Barrett]

Luxembourg is definitely worth a visit, but still quite a way from here if the weather's bad. Somewhat closer, but still worth visiting are Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Freiburg and Basel (yes, the last 2 are South, not North). Don't bother with Frankfurt - apart from the Römer, there's not much to do apart from shopping.

 

[Wicker]

Technik Museum in Speyer is good. Focusses on military & civil aircraft, railway locos, has a 1960's U-Boat, Munch motorcycles collection, but also has a hall dedicated to space (Russian space shuttle Buran is the star attraction).

Its sister museum at Sinsheim is also worth a visit. A very eclectic collection: bikes, american cars, farm machinery, military vehicles, Concorde and Concordski. Speyer & Sinsheim are easily worth a day each.

If you like military stuff there are parts of the Maginot linewhich you can visit.
Fort Schoenenburg near Wissembourg. Can easily spend a few hours wandering around underground.
http://www.lignemaginot.com/accueil/indexen.htm

Also Fort Mutzig
http://www.fort-mutzig.eu/pagesn/pages-cadres/page_c_index_gbus.html
Suggest you check the times as they have limited opening.

There is also the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

The motorcycle museum at the Hockenheim Ring is worth a few hours but check there is not an event on as the area can get pretty busy if the size of the carparks are anything to go by.

Cite d Automobile in Mulhouse has a fantastic collection of vintage cars. Lot of Bugattis and other very rare vehicles. Good for a 1/2 day+ http://citedelautomobile.com/fr/home Also believe there is a good railway museum in the town but not really my thing so did not visit it.

The Touratech factory in Niedereschach is worth a visit is you want some toys for the bike.

Triberg to see the worlds largest cuckoo clock.

The Vosges has some nice riding roads in the area between Bussang to Ste Marie aux Mines. Actually prefer these roads to the Black Forest as they are less hemmed in by trees and you see a bit more of the countryside.

ADAC do a downloadable map which highlights some of the more scenic & bikeable routes in both areas. I generally print these onto A4 and take these on tour.

 

[gerarddwatts]

As David says the Vosges are good fun...look up Routes Des Cretes.

 

[Ronno]

An easy day out just north of the Black Forest: ride the Deutscher Weinstrasse which starts just over the border from Weisembourg (F). It meanders though lovely wee wine villages for about 50kms. When you get to the end of the route at Bockenheim, travel south again to St Martin (a really nice village about half way on the Weinstrasse route) and take the Totenkopfstrasse through the Pfalzerwald forest to Johanneskreuz. From there, take the route south through Annweiler and back into France.

The Johanneskreuz road is a cracker but it's closed to bikes at the weekend: the shrines at the side of the twisties will give you an idea as to why.

 

[bladerunner]

Personally I would not bother with Luxembourg - it's an odd country - like one big duty free cigarette shop!

You will be by two great riding areas - the Black forest and Les Vosgues. If you have extra time, the Jura is also worth a ride.

Wear waterproofs and enjoy! Alternatively sit in a winestube and sup!

 

[sven]

Heidelburg has a stunning castle and interesting old town

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[stolzy]

I will be staying in Speyer(just north, up the Rhine from B.B.) and I am making a point of visiting the http://speyer.technik-museum.de/
Looks great for a rainy day ...........

This has been on my list for a long time, its only down the road from me.

Peugeot museum in Mulhouse is definitely worth a look and ISTR there is a locomotive museum, there too, though the town itself is nothing special.

On a rainy afternoon you could do worse than install yourself in an Alsaciene restaurant and eat choucroute and dry riesling for the duration.

Plenty castles in Alsace too (Haut Koenigsburg would be my recommendation). Colmar would repay a visit - good restaurants too. Freiburg is nice too, especially the Saturday morning market (been in the same place around the cathedral for a thousand years apparently). Plenty of good restaurants there too.

Good wine-tasting opportunities both sides of the Rhine.

 

[Rasher]

Thanks everyone, plenty there for me to add a couple more alternate routes and some Points Of Interest - in fact so much I may have to go back in the Autumn to visit some of these places!

Plan A is a ride out down through the Black Forest and then cross the border to St Marie and ride a loop of the Vosges to take in some of the "best" roads (Schlucht / Ballon etc) before riding back to our Hotel (Pension Williams)

Plan B if the Vosges looks iffy is a ride around the Black Forest which I know enough about from previous trips.

Had no knowledge on other stuff quite near by (Except Rust Theme Park) so well clued up now

Thanks

 

[cookie]

I have never been to Luxembourg and wondered if that may be worth a trip?

no, not really.

 

[Noddy]

What Wicker said. Speyer and Sinsheim are well worth a visit as is the motor museum in Mulhouse. If you have time whilst in the Colmar area take an hour or so out in Kaysersberg.

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

Just to be awkward, I've really enjoyed Luxembourg the times I've been there. It does seem strangely sterile, but there are great roads and scenery. And I spent one of the best nights out ever in Diekirch - fluked upon a summer festival and got incredibly drunk (in the days when I could drink more than a couple of beers) and laughed so much I bust my farting strings, all to the accompaniment of an oompah band in the square.

If you think the weather might be nicer to the North of the Black Forest, how about a trip to the Dambusters dams? Again, nice scenery and roads, but the presences of those lakes might give you a clue as to the likely rainfall!

(Oh, and I touched down the footpegs on my K1200 for the first time on the road up to Haut Koenigsburg.)

 

[Ronno]

Just to be awkward, I've really enjoyed Luxembourg the times I've been there. It does seem strangely sterile, but there are great roads and scenery. And I spent one of the best nights out ever in Diekirch - fluked upon a summer festival and got incredibly drunk (in the days when I could drink more than a couple of beers) and laughed so much I bust my farting strings, all to the accompaniment of an oompah band in the square.

If you think the weather might be nicer to the North of the Black Forest, how about a trip to the Dambusters dams? Again, nice scenery and roads, but the presences of those lakes might give you a clue as to the likely rainfall!

(Oh, and I touched down the footpegs on my K1200 for the first time on the road up to Haut Koenigsburg.)

Same here. We spent 2 weeks camping in Larochette in 1999 and really enjoyed it. Strangely, we haven't been back to stay until now. We intend stopping off in Vianden for 4 or 5 days en route to Germany this summer (camping again).

I hope the petrol, grub and drink are still as relatively cheap as they were in1999

 

[illustratedman]

Just back from a trip to lux and the eiffel, it's a great place if you ask m,e good roads picturesque small towns, well worth exploring. I go every year love it. Petrol was 1.40 euro in vianden. Only around an hour to the ring and the roads around there are some of the best you'll ride.