Black Forest Tour August 2020
Day 1 Leende to Koerperich
Early start from The Hague southwards to Barendrecht and pick up point for 4th member of our party and then motorway to Eindhoven and on the A2 to Leende. This is where the route starts. From Leende a further 25 km on the A2 to the turnoff for Roermond and towards the German border. The first part of this route is a bit stop/ start with a lot of traffic as you pass through the industrial south West of Germany but once past Geilenkirchen it tends to lighten up and more so as you head into the Eifel National Park. The route tends to hug the border of Belgium as it heads south and the roads start to empty and become more winding the further south you go. Past Monschau which is well worth a stop if you have the time. Further south you get into the Vulkan Eifel region and for us our overnight stop at our usual Eifel Hotel Im Goldener Grund.
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Day 2. Koerperich to Natzwiller, France
From the Eifel to the Vosges mountain ranges, where temperatures started to seriously rise. The heat was such that riding for longer than 45 minutes became unbearable so much of the time was spent looking for the next shady tree line to drink more water and try to cool down a bit. Driving through the last valley before heading into the mountains, a fountain was spotted, where Bryan only just managed to resist the urge to jump in for a swim, opting to just splash the water onto his head instead. As we drove up the Vosges towards Natzwiller, temperatures started to drop, thankfully.
A very light rain shower gave quick relief allowing us to do the lest stretch of the day in an hour and a half of continuous riding. After arrival Bryan still had the energy to go for a quick run.
A quick shower afterwards led to him discovering a bunch of bees in his hair (remember the fountain? We weren’t the only ones enjoying the relative coolness...) Looking around the hotel it seemed the restaurant was a fair bit bigger than the hotel itself, and we were delighted to discover that the setup was, in fact, the other way round: it was a Michelin-listed restaurant with a few guest rooms! After a beautiful meal we’re off to bed after a long day. Overnight stay Auberge Metzger
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Vosges France
Day 3 Natzwiller to Todtmoos
After a visit to the former concentration camp near Natzwiller (Natzweiler-Struthof), we headed east towards the river Rhine, with temperatures again heading into the upper 30’s. Crossing the Rhine via ferry at Rhinau, we headed further east into the foothills of the Schwarzwald, until temperatures took a sudden plunge and rain started to fall. Quickly, we found a spot where trees allowed us to take a little shelter while putting on our rain gear, but before long the initial rain turned into hail, with ice balls up to two cm diameter being more of a standard than an exception...
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When the intensity started to reduce after half an hour, it was time to get underway again, and after another half hour of riding, skies cleared and we could get rid of the rain gear again. From there, twisty main roads all the way through the northern half of the Black Forest all the way into the tiny village of Todtmoos, where we would spend two nights. Overnight stay Hotel Waldwinkel
Day 4 Schwarzwald.
For day 4 we split into 2 groups. Tjarda and Joost decided not to ride the route but would go to BMW to fix a couple of things on Tjarda's bike. Bryan and Grant set off on the original route planned in at 160 km but after reaching the Rhine just outside Basel we decided on a few adjustments to extend by another 100 km. We all met up for lunch and then both groups headed their separate ways again. Weather was great and roads even better. A real riding paradise. We were a bit careful however as there was quite a bit of farm traffic on the roads and also a lot of tourists! The B 500 was a great ride but west of Todtmoos back to the wine area was also a great experience.
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Day 5. Todtmoos to Bulligny, France
Leaving the German Black Forest behind us, todays route took us straight through the higher peaks of the Vosges Mountains, driving through the twisties whilst every other corner finding ourselves driving into and out of the clouds. Reaching Bulligny, our stay for the night was a tiny 4 room bed and breakfast at a small winery, with their own wines accompanying a meal with filet mignon grilled over the embers of old grape vines. Overnight stay Maison Crochet
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Day 6 Bulligny to Huy, Belgium.
Waking up to a view of the wine tanks, it was time to head north, taking us from the Lorraine region, past the Abbey of Leffe towards the village of Huy, just outside of Liege, where the night was spent in the fully renovated farmhouse belonging the the chateau of Huy. Overnight stay Ferme du Chateau D' Ahin.
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Day 7 Huy to Tilburg
The last day took us through the northern bits of Belgium, crossing the border near Tilburg, after which we decided to leave the smaller roads behind us for the last trek home. Midway through the afternoon, we reached the end of our trip, for a well deserved rest (and loads of washing to do!)
Joost
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