Nothing new in the East: The ferryman still charges €0.50 per person and bike as he did ages ago, man and mouse crowd onto the Main ferry to cross the river by bike or car at Rumpenheim. Since there is no bridge at this altitude in Frankfurt, public transport swims from bank to bank in the east and west of the city. After all, we have a weakness for ferries, whose history can be traced back to the -hold on - 17th century in the western district of Höchst and also goes back to the 18th century in the east.
The tour along the romantic river landscape is suitable for all those who want to quickly get out of the city and into the countryside: this section of the Hessian long-distance cycle route (R 4) leads past idyllic ponds in Enkheim to finally reach the ferry in Rumpenheim. It is also ideal because there is a place to stop for coffee and cake on the village side. If the outward route was a nature experience through forest and meadow, where we met only a few people, the varied return route via Offenbach with countless beach bars and music offers is now appealing in summer.
What is the Hessian R4? First and foremost, a charming long-distance cycle route that conveys the diversity of Hessen's landscapes from north to south. At around 415 km, the longest Hessian long-distance cycle route takes cyclists from the Weser in Bad Karlshafen via the Habichtswald, through the Schwalm, Vogelsberg, Wetterau, Rodgau and into the valley of the Mümling, as well as through the Odenwald to the Neckar. The tour runs mainly on quiet, secluded paths with little traffic along various picturesque river valleys. In order to connect the river valleys, however, hills and mountains have to be overcome again and again. For cycling tours with children and the untrained, only selected sections are therefore recommended.
For the half cycle circuit on a mostly gradient-free route we needed the whole Sunday with various coffee breaks, about the tour to Höchst I will report soon. But one thing is for sure: We will pay 0,50 € to the ferryman there, too.
Roadway R 4 <link https: www.hessen-tourismus.de natur-und-landerlebnis radfahren-in-hessen routen vogelsberg hessischer-radfernweg-r4>
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