Why this ride
297 km from Alfter to Alfter, about 4 h 35 of riding. On the way it passes Cologne Cathedral, Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell, Duisburg-Werthausen and Xanten-Fürstenberg. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4 and Xanten-Fürstenberg
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 297 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 35
- 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
Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4 → Cologne Cathedral
Speed drops and stays down. Park rather than crawl through. 34 km through ground somebody thought worth listing. The road passes it rather than bypassing it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 34 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4
West of the Rhine, between Bonn and the low hills of the Vorgebirge, a broad belt of oak and beech woodland covers a plateau called the Kottenforst. For centuries it was a hunting preserve of the Electors of Cologne, who lived in Bonn, and the forest still carries the marks of that history. Long straight rides, called Schneisen, cut through the trees in star patterns, laid out so that riders and hounds could drive deer toward the hunters, and some of these old alleys are now cycle paths and walking tracks. The southern and northern parts of the woodland are now a nature park, shared with the Ville, part of the Rhineland's wider belt of forests.
Read the complete Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4 is where the day begins. Next is Cologne Cathedral.
2. 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
Cologne Cathedral comes up about 34 km into the recorded legs. Next is Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell.
3. Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell
The Rhine was the northern frontier of the Roman Empire for centuries, and the string of forts, towers and camps along its western bank is now recognised as the Lower Germanic Limes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021.
Read the complete Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 73 km into the recorded legs you reach Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell. Next is Duisburg-Werthausen.
4. 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, about halfway. Next is Xanten-Fürstenberg.
5. Xanten-Fürstenberg
The Fürstenberg is a low hill on the edge of the Lower Rhine plain, just south of Xanten, and two thousand years ago it was one of the most important military bases in the Roman Empire. Here the Romans built Vetera, a legionary fortress that housed up to two legions and served as a springboard for campaigns into Germania under Augustus. In AD 69 and 70, during the Batavian revolt, Vetera was besieged, starved into surrender and destroyed, and a new fortress was built nearby. The site on the Fürstenberg is part of the Lower German Limes, the Roman frontier along the Rhine from the Alps to the North Sea, which was added to the World Heritage list in 2021. On the ground there is little to see, mostly fields and woods, but the elevated position, with views over the river plain, explains why the Romans chose it.
Read the complete Xanten-Fürstenberg write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Xanten-Fürstenberg sits at 151 km, about halfway. Next is back through Duisburg-Werthausen.
6. 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 comes up about 191 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell.
7. back through Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 229 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell. Next is back through Cologne Cathedral.
8. back through Cologne Cathedral
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
back through Cologne Cathedral, late in the day. Next is Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4.
9. Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 297 km.
Leg by leg
Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4 to Cologne Cathedral
Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4 → Cologne Cathedral is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cologne Cathedral to Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell
Cologne Cathedral → Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell to Duisburg-Werthausen
Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell → Duisburg-Werthausen is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Duisburg-Werthausen to Xanten-Fürstenberg
Duisburg-Werthausen → Xanten-Fürstenberg is 40 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Xanten-Fürstenberg to back through Duisburg-Werthausen
Xanten-Fürstenberg → back through Duisburg-Werthausen is 40 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Duisburg-Werthausen to back through Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell
back through Duisburg-Werthausen → back through Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell to back through Cologne Cathedral
back through Neuss-Reckberg | Kleinkastell → back through Cologne Cathedral is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Cologne Cathedral to Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4
back through Cologne Cathedral → Kottenforst Nord | Domhecken 4 is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.