Cycling in Europe: Cycle Routes in East Germany

Friday, September 26, 2014

Cycle Routes in East Germany

Shortly after reunification of the two German states the federal government decided to add a temporary extra tax to income tax to improve the infrastructure of the new formerly DDR federal states: Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Some of this money has been invested in cycle routes. Eastern Germany is now a paradise for touring cyclists:

Havel Cycle Route follows the River Havel from its source north of Berlin, south to Berlin and Potsdam and then west to join the Elbe (371km). www.havel-radweg.de (in German)
Oder-Neisse Cycle Route from Nova Ves in the Czech Republic along the German-Polish border to Ahlbeck on Usedom. www.oderneisse-radweg.de (in English, German and Polish)
Luther Route in Saxony in a loop east of Leipzig, passing through Colditz amongst other places (550km). www.lutherweg-sachsen.de (in English and German)
Much of the Elbe Cycle Route lies in the former DDR from Lauenburg to the Czech border (1260km). It is better to cycle upstream because of the prevailing wind. http://www.elbe-cycle-route.com/start.html
Cycle Tour Oder-Spree a loop between Berlin and the River Oder (250km) www.seenland-os.de (in German and Polish)
Thuringia http://www.thuringia-tourism.com/travel-hotel-holiday-tour/cycling-127964.html (in English)