Biking on the Porcelain Route

At this point we recommend different supraregional sign posted biking tours of the ADFC Landesverband Bayern, which go through the part of the Porcelain Route of Upper Franconia. Detailed descriptions of these route suggestions can be found under: 
www.radtouren-oberfranken.de/

Tour 1: Burgenstraße
The Burgenstraße awaits you with numerous fortresses and castles or luxurious residences. The diversified bicycle route crosses Franconia from the south west to the north east. One section crosses the region of the Porcelain Route with the tradition rich towns such as Bamberg, Coburg, Bayreuth and Arzberg. 

Tour 2:  Die kurfürstliche Tour
A cultural historical circular 
The 200 kilometres long bicycle route starts and ends in Bamberg. Cultural treasures of the domination of the prince-bishops over 800 years are the highlights. The tour over 6 days goes through silent deciduous forests, idyllic valleys, towering rocks and picturesque villages in the Steinwald and the Fränkische Schweiz. 

Tour 3. Die Obermain-Frankenwald-Tour
Over wavy hills and along the main 
The circular route starts and ends in Bayreuth. Further stations of the tour are Kronach, the Lucas-Cranach-Town and the town of beer Kulmbach. The course follows the wavy hills of the Frankenwald and goes along the origins of the Main. For the route which is ca. 224 km long (1400 altitude difference) you need 3-5 days. The route is sign-posted and is trafficable in both directions. A single publication regarding the Main bicycle route is available under the address   www.bayern.by erhältlich.

Tour 4: Main-Coburg-Tour
Monasteries, castle and framework towns 
Start and end point of the tour is Bamberg. The route goes over 200 km in five stages across the Oberes Maintal-Coburger Land and the Franken- and Steigerwald. On the way the towns Kronach and Coburg with its fortresses, the framework town Seßlach, the monastery Banz and the basilica Vierzehnheiligen as well as the castles of Mitwitz, Rosenau and Callenberg are situated. We bike along the Maintal from Rodach and Itz to Bamberg. 

Tour 5: Siebensterntour
Circular route across the Fichtelgebirge 
For the 160 km long circular route (starting and ending point is Marktredwitz) four days should be planned.  Over the hills of the Fichtelgebirge the route passes the frontal flows of Main, Saale, Naab, Eger and numerous lakes. It connects the well-known porcelain towns Marktredwitz, Wunsiedel, Selb (Europäisches Industriemuseum für Porzellan und Keramik) and Hohenberg (Deutsches Porzellanmuseum).  

Tour 6: Durch Bayerns steinreiche Ecke
Discover the Fichtelgebirge and the  Frankenwald 
Start and end point of this route over 4 – 5 days is Hof (drivable in both directions). The 203 km long circular route goes along the Saale across the Frankenwald, up to the Fichtelgebirge and across the bayerische Vogtland with its numerous geological characteristics. Highlights are the picturesque Höllental or the Steinachklamm.  

In the Oberpfälzer Wald also a well-established bicycle route system can be found. Numerous long distance routes invite you to tours over several days. On our site a short overview can be seen. For detailed information visit the following homepages:
Oberpfälzer Wald & Bicycling 

Tour 1: Euregio Egrensis - long distance bicycle path Bavaria - Bohemia  
525 km long cross-border long distance bicycle path through the Oberpfälzer Wald, the Fichtelgebirge and parts of western Bohemia. A detailed guide with route guidance and information regarding the places and sites is available along the circular route. 

Tour 2: Bicycling on the green roof 
Discover the Bavarian and Czech border over 299 km. One part of the route goes through the region of the Porcelain Route. We recommend the route Hohenberg (Deutsches Porzellanmuseum), Kappel, Waldsassen (basilica) – to Neualbenreuth (Sibyllenbad, midpoint of Europe) – Bärnau (Deutsches Knopfmuseum) – Flossenbürg (concentration camp memorial, Staufer ruin) – Pleystein (pilgrimage church on the rose quartz rock in the Old Town) – Eslarn (point of intersection with changes with other bicycle routes). 

Tour 3: Bockl bicycle route  - the longest train path bicycle route of Bavaria  
Starting point of the 50 km long Bockl bicycle route is the plant gate of the lead crystal plant Nachtmann in the district town Neustadt a. d. Waldnaab. From here the route goes over the town of Floß and the hills of the landscape of Floß in the town Vohenstrauß, where beside the spacious town place with the Renaissance city hall, the castle of Friedrichsburg and the museum of local history invites you for a visit. The route goes in the course of the bicycle path to Pleystein with its 38 m high rose quartz rock in the middle of the Old Town with the monastery, over the border town Waidhaus it passes the once biggest artificial lake in Germany in the middle ages, the Pfrentschweiher and you reach the town Eslarn. The resort town Eslarn with many leisure activities was formerly the terminal stop of the railway and today it is the ending point of the Bockl bicycle path and cross-border point of intersection of bicycle paths. The Bockl bicycle path can be recommended also as a geological bicycle route.
On the Bockl bicycle route the Paneuropa bicycle route from Paris to Prague meets for a short time.  www.bocklweg.de und www.paneuropa-radweg.eu

Route: Neustadt a.d. Waldnaab - Floß 9,2 km - Vohenstrauß 16 km - Pleystein 7 km - Waidhaus 11 km - Eslarn 8 km.  

Waldnaabtal bicycle path 

The 77 km long Waldnaabtal bicycle path starts at the Silberhütte in the north of Flossenbürg and ends near Unterwildenau at the intersection of Haide- and Waldnaab. It goes from the Silberhütte, a popular hiking and ski touring centre, passes the spring of the Waldnaap and leads to the town of buttons Bärnau (button museum). Now you bike over the Porcelain Town Tirschenreuth (beautiful market place, Fischhofbrücke, fishing museum, Rosenthal factory outlet) to Falkenberg with its impressive fortress. Through the Waldnaabtal we get to Windischeschenbach/Neuhaus, the “Capital of the Zoigl Beer”. The valley of the Waldnaab is to be left until Neustadt a. d. Waldnaab is reached. From Neustadt a.d. Waldnaab (Town and Glass Museum, Lobkowitz-castles, demonstration glass factory) the bicycle path goes along the river over Weiden i.d. Opf.
Route: Silberhütte - Bärnau 8,2 km - Tirschenreuth 16,5 km - Falkenberg 10 km - Neuhaus 12,5 km - Neustadt a.d. Waldnaab 10 km - Weiden i.d. OPf. 7 km - Luhe-Wildenau 12 km 

Fichtelnaab bicycle path 
The approx. 67 km long Fichtelnaab bicycle path goes from Bayreuth to Fichtelberg in the Fichtelgebirge. From here it leads along the Fichtelnaab to Windischeschenbach/Neuhaus, where it ends in the Waldnaab bicycle path. From the start in Bayreuth to Fichtelberg (ca. 24 km) the route goes constantly uphill. Afterwards it passes the southern Fichtelgebirge, crosses Brand, the birthplace of the composer Max Reger. After that it leads through the fascinating Fichtelnaabtal, Ebnath and the former Eisenhämmern to Erbendorf. From the former mining town it leads on the ancient railway path to Krummennaab. Now it passes the former fortress of Trautenberg, the drilling tower KTB which can be seen over a long distance and the picturesquely situated Schweinmühle it ends in Windischeschenbach, the capitol of the Zoigl beer.
Length: ca. 67 km
Route: Bayreuth - Fichtelberg-Neubau 25 km - Neusorg 17 km - Erbendorf 14 km - Windischeschenbach 12 km