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Independent Bicycling Holiday

Romantic Road, Germany

No citizen in the Middle Ages would have thought that this road would become one of the most important holiday trails of the future. This old trade route has retained its historic image and its romantic atmosphere throughout the ages. The Episcopal, the royal residence and the fairy tale Bavarian castles provide a frame for this relaxing bike tour.

Your route travels along the Lech River on bicycle trails and small country roads. Pass through quiet and charming landscapes near the Roman Road. Starting in Imst, we are surrounded by magnificent peaks of the Alps and blue-green mountain lakes. Then continue to Schongau, famous for its Bavarian border fortress, to Lanndsberg. This medieval city has a historic town hall and a Gothic Bavarian gate.

The journey ends in Donauworth, a former . Admire a number of cultural and historic monuments and the beautiful architecture. A lovely way to end your holiday!

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: Grade Moderate This is a fairly easy to moderate tour. Mostly level with paved ground and a few hills on the route. A significant amount of this tour is on organized bike trails. You cycle about 4-5 hours a day, depending on your pace and fitness level. If you already cycle or plan to increase your exercise regime to include cycling, you should not encounter any difficulty. Try to cycle at least three to four times a week, with two of the sessions for lasting 2-3 hours at least a month prior to your departure. The fitter you are, the more you enjoy your cycling trip, eliminating saddle soreness.

ACCOMMODATION and MEALS: All accommodations are in three-star hotels with private facilities. On the independent tour, only breakfast is included. You can purchase a half-board option that includes all 6 dinners at the hotel.

1 ABOUT INDEPENDENT HOLIDAYS: On an independent holiday, you explore the region at liberty, cycling on paved roads through changing scenery. These holidays offer all the pleasures of cycling point to point. Arrive at a new destination each day, without the hassle of carrying any luggage. Distances each day are moderate allowing you to cycle at your own pace and enjoy the countryside. Our detailed route notes, up-to-date maps and our own sketches, combined with the official marker posts, ensure you enjoy your tour without the worry of finding the routes.

ITINERARY: 1st day: Individual arrivals Arrive in Innsbruck, and collect bikes, routes notes and maps. You meet with the tour leader and have an opportunity to ask questions about the route.

2nd day: Innsbruck to Imst 65 kms On the Treidel Path, along the River Inn, cycle through small villages to Stamswith its baroque Cisterian convent. Continue onto Imst for a walk around town and see the “Meran of north Tyrol” with its scores of fountains and wonderful mountains.

3rd day: Imst - Füssen 40-55 kms Ride or transfer by bus to Hahntenjoch (2000 m - by bus if required). A wonderful downhill ride to Elmen and Lech follows. The splendid mountain landscape, river and the town of Reutte get you into the right mood for a dream journey. The city of Füssen, surrounded by magnificent peaks of the Alps and blue-green mountain lakes invites you for a stroll around its city pedestrian zone. If you have time go for a sightseeing tour at “Königsschlösser” (King’s castles).

4th day: Füssen – Schongau 45 kms Today you visit King Luis' fairy tale castles in Königswinkel - Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. At the valley station of the Tegelberg you see the uncovered Roman thermal springs. The world famous Wieskirche (church) - the epitome of Bavarian rococo - is the next highlight. Through Steingaden and Peiting you experience the highlights of the landscape and arrive in Schongau filled with good impressions.

5th day: Schongau - Landsberg/Lech 40 kms Schongau, a former Bavarian boarder fortress gives evidence of the past. It has fortified passages on the town wall that can still be accessed today. The splendid view over the Lech Valley promises beauty. Visit Hochenfurch, Epfach (with the Roman Abodiacum and Roman museum) and Vilgertshofen (with a baroque pilgrimage church) on your way back to Landsberg. 2

6th day: Landsberg/Lech – /Gersthofen 50 kms You must see the medieval city centre of Landsberg/Lech, embedded in a wild-romantic riverbed. The historic town hall and the Gothic Bavarian gate are also noteworthy. Through Kaufering and Lech to Königsbrunn, with the 11 km’s of the best preserved part of the Via Claudia. Peddle into the old Bavarian duke city of Friedberg before reaching the Fugger city of Augsburg. Visit the famous Fuggerei, a trading company of the Fugger family and an old part of Augsburg dating back to the year 1516. Numerous historic monuments from all epochs give the city its distinctive tone. The Roman museum is worth seeing.

7th day: Augsburg/Gersthofen - Donauwörth 50 kms Ride along the Lech canal to the pilgrimage town Biberbach ("Herrgöttle von Biberbach"). You pass through meadow landscapes to today's destination. The former free imperial city of Donauwörth offers an abundance of places of interest: Mangoldfelsen, archaeological museum and the Käthe-Kruse puppet museum. The glorious imperial road with its stately bourgeois homes invites you to stroll around town.

8th day: Donauwörth Individual departure

ACCESS: Munich is the closest gateway. Trains and buses are available from Munich to the start of the tour in Innsbruck.

TOUR DETAILS 2009

SELF-GUIDED DATES: Sundays from May 10 to September 20

COST: $1650 per person SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $350

BIKE: $125 HALF BOARD OPTION: $250 per person for 6 dinners

INCLUDES: Accommodation, breakfasts, luggage transfer, route notes/maps LENGTH: 8 days/7 nights GRADE: Moderate STARTS/ENDS: Innsbruck / Donauworth

Note: Itinerary and price subject to change

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