Freewheeling in the birthplace of the bicycle
IN THE town of Schwetzingen I admired a tower of bicycles, part of a sculpture trail marking one of Germany’s big anniversaries – 200 years since the invention of the bike. In June 1817, Karl Drais took his ‘Draisine’, a two-wheeled foot-propelled contraption, for a spin along the banks of the Rhine from Manheim to Rheinau. The roads were rutted and the 8km trip took more than an hour but it heralded the advent of the modern-day bike.
Today, the area around the Rhine, where Drais lived and worked, is a cycling paradise. Dedicated paths take you to historic towns and cities, past majestic castles and through Germany’s biggest wine-producing area.
As I cycled along the banks of the Rhine, the red sandstone spires of Speyer’s vast Romanesque cathedral came into view. And after a further 35km meandering through the valley, I reached the city of Worms, where, at the Diet of Worms, Luther famously defied the Holy Roman Emperor in 1521, the tipping point of the Reformation.
A monument dedicated to Luther dominates a central square, while a museum exhibition charts his role in the Reformation, and Luther wine is readily available.
Together, Speyer, Worms and Mainz, the Rhineland’s capital, form the Schum cities – an acronym of their Hebrew spelled names, and the cradle of Judaism in Europe.
Take a stroll through the 11th Century Jewish cemetery on the outskirts of Worms or up Judengasse to the oldest synagogue in Germany.
The area is as rich in wine as it is in history and the route between Worms and Mainz takes cyclists into its terraced heartland, with plenty of opportunities for tasting.
However, I was mindful of the drinking advice, sculpted in relief on a bronze fountain, showing four wine glasses, each with a face, their expressions ranging from sober to hugely inebriated.
The more established Weinstrasse (wine route) took me to Deidesham. After freewheeling down an avenue of almond trees, I passed through Gimmeldingen, before heading into the timber-framed centre of Neustadt and a dinner in a traditional weinstube. Dishes included saumagen (think a German haggis) and an apple flan doused in calvados.
The next day, I reached Hambach castle, the home of German democracy and a fitting place to end my homage to Drais, whose invention did away with expensive horses and helped democratise travel.