Why this ride
From Kalkar it runs 256 km to Kalkar; allow about 3 h 17 of riding. The stops in between: Duisburg-Werthausen, Cologne Cathedral and back through Duisburg-Werthausen. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Kalkar-Kalkarberg and Cologne Cathedral
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 256 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 17
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Kalkar-Kalkarberg → Duisburg-Werthausen
Speed drops and stays down. Park rather than crawl through. 61 km through ground somebody thought worth listing. The road passes it rather than bypassing it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 59 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Kalkar-Kalkarberg
Near the Dutch border, where the Rhine flows through wide meadows and dyked farmland, the small town of Kalkar holds a surprising amount of history. The Kalkarberg is a low rise near Altkalkar, and on it stood the Roman fort of Burginatium, one of the posts along the Lower German Limes, now part of the UNESCO-listed Frontiers of the Roman Empire. The rise would have given a valuable view over the river plain, and the fort controlled the road between Xanten and Nijmegen. Today it is fields and trees, but the shape of the land still hints at the old fortification.
Read the complete Kalkar-Kalkarberg write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Kalkar-Kalkarberg is where the day begins. Next is Duisburg-Werthausen.
2. Duisburg-Werthausen
Werthausen sits on the left bank of the Rhine in Duisburg, across the river from the steelworks, harbour cranes and bridges of one of Europe's great industrial cities. It is an unexpected place to look for Rome, but the Lower Rhine was the frontier of the Roman Empire for centuries, and the line of forts, fortlets and watch posts along it is now inscribed on the UNESCO list as the Frontiers of the Roman Empire, the Lower German Limes. The site at Werthausen is one of these components, part of the chain of military posts that watched the river between the legionary bases at Neuss and Xanten.
Read the complete Duisburg-Werthausen write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Duisburg-Werthausen comes up about 59 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cologne Cathedral.
3. Cologne Cathedral
Six hundred and thirty-two years. That is how long it took to finish Cologne Cathedral, from the laying of the foundation stone in 1248 to the completion of the spires in 1880, and when you stand at its foot by the main station it feels as though the building is still growing. The twin towers climb to around 157 metres, black with soot and weather, and for a few years after completion they made it the tallest building in the world.
Read the complete Cologne Cathedral write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 128 km into the recorded legs you reach Cologne Cathedral. Next is back through Duisburg-Werthausen.
4. back through Duisburg-Werthausen
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Duisburg-Werthausen write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Duisburg-Werthausen, late in the day. Next is Kalkar-Kalkarberg.
5. Kalkar-Kalkarberg
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Kalkar-Kalkarberg write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Kalkar-Kalkarberg. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Kalkar-Kalkarberg to Duisburg-Werthausen
Kalkar-Kalkarberg → Duisburg-Werthausen is 59 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Duisburg-Werthausen to Cologne Cathedral
Duisburg-Werthausen → Cologne Cathedral is 69 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Cologne Cathedral to back through Duisburg-Werthausen
Cologne Cathedral → back through Duisburg-Werthausen is 69 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Duisburg-Werthausen to Kalkar-Kalkarberg
back through Duisburg-Werthausen → Kalkar-Kalkarberg is 59 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.