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cycling tour through the Wetterau region nature travel: cycling tours |
This cycling tour through the Wetterau region takes you to three rivers - Usa, Wetter, Nidda, to the ponds at Albach and to the Inheiden / Trais-Horloff sand pit pond.
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Your trip takes you through a region inhabited since the Stone Age, close to the Roman Limes once separating the Roman Empire from Germanic tribes. You follow a Roman road to the ruins of a Romanesque castle and a Romanesque cloister. The 342 mile long Limes is part of Unesco's World Heritage. You go to Friedberg from Frankfurt by regional S-train S6. You can take your bike free of charge except barring the rush hour. From Friedberg station you cycle along the river Usa to Bad Nauheim, from Bad Nauheim along the river Wetter via Rockenberg to the castle ruins of Muenzenberg. Burg Muenzenberg's nickname is "Wetterauer Tintenfass" - Wetterau inkstand: the two towers remind of an old-fashioned writing set with inkpot and sandshaker. The oldest part of the castle dates back to the 12th century. From 1600 onwards the castle was inhabitant, its owners e.g. the dukes of Solms resided in the manor beneath the castle. From the castle you enjoy a good view of the Wetterau region. One tower can be climbed.
The route from Friedberg to Muenzenberg castle is an effortless climb, from the castle you roll steep downhill through the village. The next stop also dates back to the Middle Ages: the ruins of Arnsburg cloister. The Esquires of Arnsburg used to have their castle here before the moved to Muenzenberg in the 12th century, and Cistercensian monks moved in. Arnsburg cloister was dissolved in the beginning of the 19th century. The Limes wall separating German tribes from the Roman Empire encircled the Wetterau region. A Roman road went from Friedberg to the Roman fort at Arnsburg. There is a garden restaurant in Arnsburg, you either eat here or you continue the cycling tour to Lich, a small town of half timbered houses with many cosy pubs, garden restaurants, cafes and bars, a Renaissance castle of the Princes of Solms-Hohensolms Lich and a brewery founded in 1854 by Johann Heinrich Jhring. Up to Lich, you have been cycling ca. 37km. From here, the Limes cycling trail takes you 17km westwards to Butzbach or south-east via Hungen, Reichelsheim, Erlensee, Seeligenstadt to Aschaffenburg. North of Lich you swim in the Licher Waldschwimmbad - forest swimming pool at the Albacher Teiche - ponds, sourrounded by the woods, in a nature and bird protection reserve. You rest there in the shadows of an 700 year old oak tree. From Lich station you return by train to Frankfurt or you continue along the Roman Limes via Hungen to the Trais-Horloffer / Inheidener Badesee - swimming lake. The 850m long, 500m wide sand pit pond was developed from a brown coal mine, on hot summer weekends there is a crowd. First weekend in August a lake festival takes place.
From Hungen and Trais-Horloff the Butzbach-Lich railways takes you to Friedberg and Frankfurt. You can take your bicycle if prearranged, you find timetables at www.bahn.de including phone number for notification and information on bicycle conveyance (click into timetable details). If you continue your tour by bicycle you go via Reichelsheim at the Nidda river to the Hofgut Wickstadt - the manor of the dukes of Solms-Roedelheim and Assenheim. Originally the manor was owned by Arnsburg cloister. From Hofgut Wickstadt you return to Friedberg station, from there you take regional train S6 to Frankfurt. You will have cycled ca 76km, 39km from Lich to Friedberg. top of page << |
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