Sauerland (including the Dam Busters)

To be honest even getting from ferry to German border is pretty boring. Holland is one of the worst places to ride with speed bumps everywhere, 100km/h on motorways and its all pretty much flat. Then you have to get through the Ruhr, so good navigation and best just to take the motorway through to the other side. Just beware, the motorways around the big Ruhr cities are extremely busy.
Sundern indeed was good to reach most places. Very close to the Sorpe dam / See if you're doing the dambusters tour....
 
Going from London or pretty much Essex, Suffolk or Herts / Middlesex the choices are:

A. Chunnel

B. Harwich / Hook ferry

Of the two, arguably B is the better choice, travelling overnight. Then motorways to clear Holland and get into Germany.

The Chunnel works but you are probably looking at motorways, at least at the start. That said, if time is not a huge issue, you can look at a curving route through Belgium, into Germany and curving up, but that’s a decent schlep. I’d work it into doing other things along the way.
 
JonnyBravo said:
Heading here for a week in September - have been before and its a cracking area.
Only an easy 4 hour ride off the ferry from Rotterdam, from Hull
My mate is taking the ferry into Ijmuiden out of Newcastle
Click to expand...
seems they will be coming from ooop north......
 
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JonnyBravo said:
Just noticed that in Sundern there is a hotel called the 'Sunderland' Hotel
http://www.sunderlandhotel.de/

I've got to book that for the first night - would tip my mate from Newcastle over the edge and ruin his week !
😂
Click to expand...
looks a nice place. I see my website has a write up on our last jaunt there along with gpx and pdf's of the route from just east of Rotterdam where we all met up. Its an idea......
 
grantmac said:
looks a nice place. I see my website has a write up on our last jaunt there along with gpx and pdf's of the route from just east of Rotterdam where we all met up. Its an idea......
Click to expand...
Thank you - thats really helpful.
I shall have a good look at your route into Germany

I see it stops just outside Utrecht - had a blinding night there in a Belgisch Biercafé in the the town that used to be a church !
The Ibis hotel we used was good too as it had underground parking out of the way
 
With just over a week to go before this trip - I have decided to change it up.
I'm thinking that instead of heading in Sauerland and just staying there and touring around (its not that big of an area and we have all week) we shall, weather dependant, now head into Sauerland, from their up to the Hartz, maybe Goslar, swing a loop around, back through Sauerland towards Siegen mayeb, down through the Eifel, maybe even go via Cochem !!
before then heading back to Rotterdam for the ferry home.
I always prefer and enjoy the journey rather than the destination as it were.
Just picking up hotels on the way
Havent told the wife yet but she never knows where we are at the best of times!

Thoughts from the experts ?

This sort of thing

Loop Sauerland.JPG
 
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It’s a good idea. There’s lots of good roads in the area; you can hardly go wrong…... And sometimes lots of rain, too.
 
JonnyBravo said:
With just over a week to go before this trip - I have decided to change it up.
I'm thinking that instead of heading in Sauerland and just staying there and touring around (its not that big of an area and we have all week) we shall, weather dependant, now head into Sauerland, from their up to the Hartz, maybe Goslar, swing a loop around, back through Sauerland towards Siegen mayeb, down through the Eifel, maybe even go via Cochem !!
before then heading back to Rotterdam for the ferry home.
I always prefer and enjoy the journey rather than the destination as it were.
Just picking up hotels on the way
Havent told the wife yet but she never knows where we are at the best of times!

Thoughts from the experts ?

This sort of thing

View attachment 442639
Click to expand...
Have a look here ... https://www.ukgser.com/community/th...leine-wanderung-bei-auto.351243/#post-5220226

The bit about the Esloher Bauhaus especially. It might suit you as a base.
 
I went to to the Möhne Reservoir and dam a couple of years ago and camped at the Campingplatz Möhnesee right by the res.
Had a great time and explored the area, even played football with some German lads we had drinks with on the campsite.

I went over on the Hull-Rotterdam ferry and rode through holland, the weather was 28c and i found the roads fine.

There is a biker cafe on the north side of the res called Geronimo Restaurant, a good stop off point. if your ready for a brew and/or something to eat.
On the west side of the res where the dam is, there is a pay and display car park which was nearly empty when i went.
From there you can take steps down to the bottom of the dam and take in all the glory, good spot for photos.
then climb all the way back up and walk the top of the dam, there is usually a musician in the first tower. (singing something sexy in German :D)

If like me, its something you have read about and watched documentaries or YouTube videos for years.
When you first arrive and ride over the bridge its a pretty special moment. (y)
 
And so ends a fantastic week away on the bike for the missus and I, with some friends along for company.
Back on the ferry from Rotterdam and about to dress for dinner !

Amazing roads around the Sauerland region.
Highly recommend the Hotel Haus Wiesengrund.
Could easily do 5 days here without worry exploring 👍

A wonderful ride over and through the Harz on some epic roads in biblical rain and 4 degree temps to Quedlinburg for a night.
Even in the conditions, the roads, scenery and especially the road surfaces were superb.
Beautiful medieval town. Recommended stop for a night (can be busy so book dinner in advance somewhere!)

Amazing roads again back through the Dams region to final stop in Siegen.
Another good hotel here for a one night stop, Hotel Pfeffermuhle. (Quite cheap considering too)
It was a special Friday night Oktoberfest event with beer n food in the restaurant. Result !

Negatives ?
None of significance really - it’s harder to find a coffee stop in Germany in small towns and villages than it is in France and Belgium.
The motorways in the Netherlands are beyond tiresome.
AS Gravel suit doesn’t keep you warm(!)
I clearly wasted a lot of years as a young squaddie never bothering to head south an hour of two to some great roads.
I got pissed off faffing with the zumo XT updating routes or looking for somewhere and ended up using my phone full time after a few days with MRA or google maps when it needed a quick A to B.
So much quicker.

Worst of all, the wife is adamant I need a new bike with bigger plusher heated pillion seat and less vibes after the 4 degrees over the top of the Harz !!

It really didn’t help a German couple we got chatting to at the hotel having a K1600 GT.
poor old Hexhead GSA Helga looked a bit paltry in the comfort stakes !!
Could be expensive.
🤣

Anyway, fantastic trip, Germany, Sauerland (and further) highly recommended.
👍
 
I'm currently in Freiburg. By car this time. The only major hold up we've had was on approach to the Holland/Germany border where there were massive tail backs. Traffic was reduced to a single lane moving at walking pace so that bored coppers could look into cars and check registrations. Quite clearly a political move so that the Bundesregierung could say the border was being controlled. I'm sure there were dozens of minor crossings that were totally free of any controls!

Incidentally, for anyone heading south from Ijmuiden or Hook of Holland and looking for a stop off (or indeed heading north for the ferry) I'd recommend Haus Schlesien in Konigswinter, near Bonn. An interesting hotel based in a Silesian cultural centre established there some 50 years ago. I can only compare it to an old fashioned coaching inn. Comfortable beds, bar and restaurant, very reasonable prices and friendly folk. About 10 minutes from the autobahn. :thumb
 
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We had the ‘border’ issue on the way out last weekend.
Motorway filtered down to a single lane past some bored coppers stood under a gazebo on the old border line.
Utterly pointless.
Very long tailbacks.
No real delay for us on the bike just whizzing to the front 😉
 
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