Cycle Tour Thuringia Cycle Loop

From the guest house we go again into the old town to take pictures with better light.

At the tourist information we try to find out in how far the Ilm Valley Cycle Route is affected by the floods. We decide to ride the bike path.

Directly behind the city the bike path runs through a park-like forest. The bike path was dredged just superficial, but we could ride it easily. From sewage treatment plant, the way was paved. Tiefurt was quickly reached. The castle is unimpressive, the park beautiful. In the valley between Tiefurt and Kleinkromsdorf the road was still slightly muddy, but could be traveled.

We pass through the castle park in Kromsdorf. At the enclosing wall dozens of stone busts are embedded. The castle building is unimposing, barely visible from the street.

A few kilometers further on the opposite site of the Ilm valley Denstedt Castle is looking above the tops of trees. The bike path runs on asphalt road on the left bank of the river Ilm, always high enough above the river to be spared from the already largely receded floods. In the valley you can understand due to the muddy meadows and fields, how high the water level has been.

In Niederroßla the track bypasses the attractions of the place: the water castle and the baroque church of the village built in 1670. Of the backside of the water castle you can catch a glimpse through the trees.

In Eberstedt we make a short stop at a walk-in sundial, where a "farmers wife" was already waiting on a bench beside it.

Soon we reach Bad Sulza. The sports ground is 50 cm under water. Ducks paddle leisurely on it. Just behind the municipal outdoor pool a "swimming cyclists" rides on a water left by the flood.

Three miles further we had to stop at an area of water. The Saale Cycle Path was flooded.

We cycle back to the road and follow it until Weichau. The bridge to Kaatschen is passable.

Passing wineries and vineyards we reach Kleinheringen. 700 meters further again a stop sign, an alternative route is not signposted. We ride up the hill via Tultewitz to Heiligenkreuz, nearly 150 meters of altitude in addition. On the street B88 we then roll down to Naumburg.

We arrive in the city via the Lindenring. First, we ride to the Duomo. Back to the Bürger-Stadt on the Steinweg. On the Herrenstraße  we go to the impressive historic market square with the town hall on the west side, Wenceslas Church and the district court on the south side.

In the Salzstraße we provide us with a snack. Then we headed to the Unstrut Valley. Since the Unstrut bike path was flooded, we followed the Eislebener Straße to the B180.

To Freyburg we cycled on the busy B180. The Neuenburg surmounts the valley powerfully. In Freyburg  we cycled across the city, but the city has not caused us to linger.

Following the road out of town we cycle along vineyards. Heavily terraced they pull up the slope. Because of the flooding we have to stay on the road, and have to pedal additional 60 meters in height. We see the lakes lying in the floodplain. Nice to look at, but certainly for affected proprietors connected with major damage.

Behind Karsdorf we must again ride on a main road, which we follow to Nebra. In Nebra we again have to cycle 40 meters of altitude to the Schlosshotel, where we had a very good hotel accommodation.