900km in 6 days: an (almost) endurance cycling adventure on EuroVelo 15 – Rhine Cycle Route
In June 2024, I fulfilled a dream of mine. I cycled along EuroVelo 15 – Rhine Cycle Route, which starts in Andermatt in the Swiss Alps and stretches 1,500 kilometres through six countries. My journey was to follow the Rhine from my hometown in Germany to the Hook of Holland. I started on a Tuesday, and I had already booked a bus ticket with bike transport from Rotterdam to Stuttgart on Sunday night. That meant cycling almost 900 kilometres in six days. Considering the hot temperatures and the long hours of daylight, I decided to travel with my tent to be more independent and, in the worst case, be able to sleep at some spot alongside the route in nature.
On the first morning, I started at 5 am. It was already getting bright, and the colours of the early sunrise began to paint the sky. It felt great to be connected to my bike again, feel the additional weight of luggage, and know that EuroVelo 15 – Rhine Cycle Route would be my companion for this week. On that day at 2 pm, I found a beautiful camping site and after looking at my navigation app realised I had already cycled 148 kilometres. The heat was tremendous: I must have drunk five or six litres of water and still had a bit of a headache.
The next day, I felt my muscles didn’t want to continue. But the calling of Hook of Holland was stronger, so I continued towards Heidelberg, Mannheim and the Rhine. Riding along this river was fantastic, as many memories popped into my mind. When I was a teenager, my dad and I cycled up to Düsseldorf, and in January 2023, I cycled solo to Mainz from Weil am Rhein with cold temperatures and snow. This time, the water level was quite high because of heavy rainfall in the weeks before. But when I passed through, it was actually the perfect moment; the areas that are usually flooded were now easy to cross without any problems. Still, the number of people using this route was not high, probably because of the recent storms. A highlight of this day was the Theodor-Heuss-bridge crossing the river. In the centre of a four-lane highway is a passage for cyclists and pedestrians, but it is still hard to carry a loaded bike up and down the stairs. Unfortunately, the signalisation at construction sites was poor twice, and I needed to make some detours.
The following passage was lovely. Landscape became more spectacular, and the cycling infrastructure was separate and in good shape for most parts. My most memorable moments of the following days were Bingen, the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Upper Middle Rhine Valley” where the Bundesgartenschau (a national horticultural and cultural show) will be held in 2029, the poetry of Lord Byron, the picturesque town of Bacharach, as well as retracing William Turner’s journey in the opposite direction from Koblenz to Bingen in 1817.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, perfect signposting soon led me to Bonn, Cologne, Leverkusen, Düsseldorf and Duisburg. I could start to smell the Netherlands on a bicycle for the first time and realised that I probably would make it to the North Sea right on time. After sunset and 235 kilometres in my legs, I set up my tent near the Rhine with a group of Eastern European fishermen next to me to feel more secure. It was a peaceful atmosphere for the longest day on my bike so far.
Early next morning, on the first beautiful bench in the Netherlands, I sat down on a dike, enjoyed my breakfast, and was lucky to be finally in the cycling country. Just a few days before, at home, I finished an online course called “Unravelling the Cycling City” by the Urban Cycling Institute based in Amsterdam. I therefore knew about the privileges of the Dutch people regarding their infrastructure and sense of cultural understanding. Miles of red separate cycle lanes, an assisted bike lift next to stairways, well-designed safe junctions, traffic lights recommending the so-called Fietser to slow down to catch the next green light without stopping – I was in heaven.
The infrastructure met the needs of the various forms of transport without causing too many problems. Nevertheless, there were also some downsides I hadn’t expected. Since there are so many cycle lanes at times, I was confused which one would be the right one without being led into all the small city centres. I had to cycle carefully because at some points, car drivers on the dike were driving fast and recklessly. After Arnhem, I missed some official EuroVelo signs and followed my navigation app towards Schoonhoven beneath black clouds. Lying dry in my tent, hearing the raindrops falling, I ate typical Dutch bread with loads of peanut butter, bananas and Stroopwafels. I looked at the postcard my father sent me from Rotterdam, showing the iconic skyline with the Zuid district and the Erasmusbrug, and I dreamed of reaching this city the next day on my bike.
On Sunday, this image would become reality as I passed the “Manhattan of Europe”, knowing that after Hook of Holland, I would return to the country's second largest city. Within the last 40 kilometres, the headwind became stronger, the kilometrage of the river showed 1015, and the wind turbines worked at their maximum capacity. Europe’s largest seaport, the Port of Rotterdam, was on the other side of the water. Finally, after simply standing on the pier in front of the North Sea enjoying the view and the energy, I was photographed with my “Bleu de Marseille” shirt and the steel bike. In the tourist centre in Hook of Holland, I received a signed EuroVelo 15 – Rhine Cycle Route certificate with a photograph, now being able to officially call myself a Fietser, Radfahrer, Cyclist and Cycliste. Without any barriers, I put my bike into the Metro, returned to Rotterdam, used the incredible cycle tunnel and waited in the Zuid district for the bus to come.
Gazing out into the night sky from my seat, watching the raindrops falling down the window, I realised that not only have I cycled the EuroVelo 15 – Rhine Cycle Route, but I have also crossed the European long-distance hiking trails E1, E3, E8 and E9 as well as the Nightjet train lines. One hundred fifty-three hours after I left home, I returned, having 896,51 kilometres more on my counter – the equivalent of the length of the E10, the Via Lemovicensis or the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR) Detroit Alternate, and 250.000 pedal strokes in my legs. I know that Paris, Brussels and London will follow soon.
About the author:
Julian Herzel enjoys travelling, writing, and cycling. Having visited 40 countries and cycled in 23 of them, the urban planner fondly remembers participating in Bogotá’s Ciclovía on a car-free Sunday and reaching the Black Sea, Atlantic, North Sea or Mediterranean coasts by bike. The availability of bike-sharing stations and protected bike lanes in cities like Cairo and Mexico City inspires him. Read about his winter cycling adventure in his last article. More information about the trip and GPS tracks of the stages can be found on his website.