‘It's the calm before the stormingly good roads'

One of the biggest culture shocks is the number of trees you’ll find yourself riding between

26 Mayen ring ride

A stellar ride (recommended by German bike testers) that passes conveniently close to the Nürburgring – whether you want to watch or have a lap.
Start/finish: Mayen
Distance: 130 miles
Riding time: 4 hours
GPX file

27 Mainz attraction

Either Mainz or Weisbaden makes a great base for the visiting rider, with loads to see or do. Our route runs from Weisbaden, as it’s fractionally closer to the finest riding, high on the hills above the Rhine.
Start/finish: Weisbaden
Distance: 180 miles
Riding time: 5.5 hours
GPX file

28 Trier & Saarland

This route does follow the gently flowing Moselle for a while, but that’s just the calm before the stormingly good roads that cross the quiet land away from the river. It’s a full day in the saddle.
Start/finish: Trier
Distance: 180 miles
Riding time: 5.5 hours
GPX file

29 Dresden down

From the rebuilt baroque marvel of Dresden, this route heads out to the hills along the Czech border, looping back round to the city in a flourish of easy-going curves. A wonderful, relaxed ride.
Start/finish: Dresden
Distance: 145 miles
Riding time: 4.5 hours
GPX file

30 Gardelegen overdrive

A real mix of roads – from the open and sweeping to the tighter and technical – before this route picks up a stretch of the Romantic Road through Werferlingen. You’re sure to fall in love with it.
Start/finish: Gardelegen
Distance: 140 miles
Riding time: 4 hours
GPX file

Please note: This page contains the motorcycle touring routes for The RiDE Guide To Germany and Austria which came free with RiDE magazine in August 2019. These website pages are not regularly updated, so please check all critical information before you travel. All route files are in .gpx format. Garmin and BMW users can download the main file, which contains all the routes. TomTom users can either download the individual routes or use the MyRouteApp (depending on the age of your device). For many routes we also have Google Map links. However, as Google Maps will not plot routes over seasonally closed roads, such as high Alpine passes when they’re shut, so these may not work for every route all year round.