Gravel Biking in Hassberge Nature Park

“Gravel biking is a lifestyle,” Jürgen said even before the tour began. The mix of sport, enthusiasm for technology, high-quality equipment and enjoyment during and after cycling appeals especially to people “who are under pressure at work and enjoy switching off in nature”. Apparently, quite a lot of people feel that way. Alongside e-mountain bikes, gravel bikes are currently regarded as the biggest trend in the already booming cycling industry.

“You can see this at the very least in the long waiting times with new orders,” says Jürgen Bergmann. “It’s really taking off.” This is also because these bikes, with their narrow-profile tyres and special geometry, combine the best of two worlds: the off-road capability of mountain bikes and the high speed of road bikes.

These off-road racers feel at home on all surfaces, whether asphalt, farm tracks or fine gravel. Thanks to disc brakes, high-tech gearing and mounting options for handlebar bags, Sat Nav devices and more, gravel bikes are the decathletes of the cycling world. Jürgen puts it like this: “They do nothing perfectly, but they do everything very well.”

Mud Battles and Pub Stops

That is exactly what we want to test. Over several days. Because yes, that is also possible. For bikepacking – a modern term for cycling with light luggage – bags and bottles are simply mounted on the frame, handlebars and seat post. The latter option is known in German as an Arschrakete, which translates literally as “bum rocket,” and prevents dirt from spraying up onto shirts and helmets while gravel biking, especially since gravel riders do without kickstands, lights, luggage racks and mudguards.

“Perfect gravel terrain thanks to coarse gravel, wonderful views and zero traffic.”

Mud battles like those found in downhill riding are just as uncommon as clocking up endless kilometres on a road bike. Enjoyment plays a far more important role. The aim is not only to make it up the occasional hill, but also to come back down again during a visit to a traditional pub.

Of course, this combination can be experienced in many places. There are still only a few regions that actively cater to gravel bikers. The Hassberge, a low mountain range in northern Bavaria between Würzburg, Coburg and Bamberg, fill this gap with confidence. This is also due in part to Jürgen and his gravel-riding friends.

The German Gravel Pioneers

The architect from Hofheim was one of Germany’s gravel pioneers around twelve years ago. “In winter, a few friends and I would always switch from road bikes to cyclocross bikes. Instead of riding on the road, we were out in the forest.”

Conveniently, the group of friends, soon riding under the name “Hassberg Gravels,” were always well supplied with top-quality equipment thanks to connections with the nearby US-based company SRAM, a premium supplier of bicycle components.

This was followed by events such as the “K100 Hassberggravel” and similar formats, the creation of routes that were recommended to like-minded riders via the group’s own Facebook page or by email on request, and eventually official route suggestions from Hassberge Nature Park.

Today, the self-proclaimed “first gravel region in Germany” offers more than ten routes. These can be found, for example, on Komoot and are accessible to everyone.

Planning your own tour, however, also has its own appeal. No sooner said than done. In concrete terms, we set off from Hassfurt together with Susanne Volkheimer, Managing Director of Hassberge Tourismus, who accompanies us again and again along the way. But for the market square and the Ritterkapelle, rising more than 17 metres high, we barely spare them a glance at the moment. Our attention is focused entirely on the hire bikes and the equipment that comes with them, including jerseys, helmets and clip-in shoes. It makes you want to set off straight away!

Zeil am Main: First Stop on the Gravel Bike Tour

The flat route to Zeil am Main is ideal for getting into the groove when it comes to gravel biking. The bar ends! Gripping the tops saves you from constantly hunching over. The saddle! Firm and soft at the same time, very comfortable. The gearing! A quick tap shifts down a gear, a longer press shifts up – easy! There is only a single chainring at the front anyway. You also get used to the clip-in pedals quickly.

We only unclip again when we roll into the half-timbered town of Zeil am Main and marvel at the coexistence of beer and wine. Here the “Göller” brewery, one of Bavaria’s oldest, with beer garden and craft beer specialities, and there the well-known “Weinhaus Nüsslein.” It sources its grapes from the nearby Abt-Degen Valley, marketed under the name “Franconia’s young star in the wine firmament.”

Right on the edge of town, the vineyards climb uphill. We head through them – uff, why is there no e-gravel bike? – steeply uphill to the pilgrimage church of Zeiler Käppele. In front of it, or rather below it, the wide, sun-drenched landscape unfolds.

An 80-year-old man we strike up a conversation with points to the many gravel pit lakes. The Steigerwald. The Hassberge Nature Park. Josef grows nostalgic as he points to the disused, oversized sugar factory that he supplied with sugar beet for decades. “A lot has changed here,” he concludes.

Gravel Biking on the Rennweg Route

We swing back onto our gravel bikes, put on our tinted gravel glasses, click our cycling shoes into the pedals and roll off. Instead of taking the 71-kilometre-long “Abt-Degen-Weintal Loop,” one of ten designated gravel routes, we ride “freestyle” towards the Rennweg route.

The ancient route once led from Bamberg to Sulzfeld, 63 kilometres away, and as a courier route deliberately avoided settlements. Even today it runs along the ridge of the range and is – as we also discover the following day – perfect gravel terrain. Thanks to coarse gravel, wonderful views and zero traffic, apart from the occasional tractor.

The best part is that once you reach the top, the route flows gently up and down, following the “R” on a black background. This is also the case on the way to Gutshof Andres, where Bernd Andres has earned a Michelin mention for his cooking, with fish as his speciality. The winning formula is simple: trout plus Silvaner equals a perfect pairing. Especially when you can spend the night in the fairly new rooms just across the way.

Gravel Biking with a “Bum Rocket”

Did we get stay out in the sun too long the day before? That really looks like a wooden UFO! It is actually called that: UFO47. And it stands for Ungewöhnliches Ferienhaus Objekt (Unusual Holiday Home Object). Our kind of place! The same applies to what Susanne tells us about the host in Köslau. About the ecological construction of the modern apartment, the on-site brewery and the option of renting gravel bikes.

That really is a rarity! We suggest to Susanne, herself an enthusiastic gravel biker, that such offers should be expanded across the region. To tempt beginners. Currently, guests have to bring their own bikes, which means most choose a single base and then head out on day tours.

We, however, have our sights set on a new place to stay. To get there, we speed along the Rennweg until we reach one of the few connecting roads and then hurtle downhill towards Königsberg at speeds of over 60 kilometres per hour.

Königsberg: The Hidden Rothenburg

Attention, do not miss the turn-off to the castle ruins! Not only because of a thirst-quencher – of course: there is Radler (Shandy)! – but also because of the magnificent view of Königsberg, the “hidden Rothenburg.” In the Old Town, which is protected as a heritage site, every half-timbered house has its own story.

The story of the birthplace of the scholar Regiomontanus, who introduced Arabic numerals in the 15th century and refined the decimal system, is particularly interesting. Susanne’s stories make up for the visit to the exhibition, which is only open on Sundays.

Franconian Tuscany with Real Cypress Trees

Other towns also have beautiful stories to tell. One example is Hofheim in Unterfranken, first mentioned in documents as early as the 8th century and honoured with the European Village Renewal Award in 2020, where we finally meet Jürgen in person. Proudly, he shows us a few highlights, from the market square to the “Fränkischer Hof.” He really gets into his (gravel) stride, however, once we are beyond the town gates.

We cycle along roads and farm tracks at an easy pace through the afternoon. We pass the Längenbachtalsperre reservoir, which is popular with water lovers, along with orchards of traditional fruit trees and cypresses that fit perfectly into the idea of “Franconian Tuscany.”

A Night in a Shepherd’s Wagon

On some climbs, our pulse rate rises. Good for motivation: it never goes higher than 512 metres. Endless climbs and marathon hairpin bends like in the Alps? Not a chance! Instead, the route repeatedly leads through beautiful open landscapes, sometimes along rougher trails.

Admittedly, riding up and down over too many roots does affect the comfort of the ride. But Jürgen reassures us: “The gravel bike handles that easily. The rims are sturdy, and thanks to their greater width compared to a road bike, the treaded tyres offer surprisingly good grip.”

Romantic feelings arise at the small moated Kleinbardorf Palace. No wonder the water-surrounded setting, complete with sculpture garden, is a popular wedding venue.

Things are more rustic at the “1st Franconian-Bavarian Shepherd’s Wagon Hotel,” our overnight stop. The word “hotel” is somewhat misleading, though. True, there is a pool and breakfast in the “Jägerstube.”

But the former orchard, with nine shepherd’s wagons and three significantly more comfortable tree houses, all handcrafted by the owner Matthias Fahl, exudes pure camping flair. Fire pits and a self-service fridge stocked even with wild boar specialities add to the atmosphere.

Off-Roading into the Middle Ages

The following day, we really put the gravel bikes through their paces once again. Does the asphalt give way to loose gravel? Great! Just keep going! Does the gravel path turn into a carpet of roots? Brilliant, even more adventure! Time and again it becomes clear why the region is known as the “Land of Castles, Palaces and Ruins.”

Among the sights we encounter are Birkenfeld Palace, which also serves as a holiday retreat with the “charm of historic imperfection,” and the Altenstein Castle Ruins, which stand as the centrepiece of the “German Castle Corner” on a hilltop above the gentle Weisach Valley. At the Ganerbenburg, several families once lived at the same time – a rarity.

Fourteen experience stations at the Castle Information Centre convey all this and more. The “Burgdämonen” app appeals to digitally minded visitors and also provides information about neighbouring sites such as the Lichtenstein Castle Ruins, a highlight of German half-timbered romanticism, or Eyrichshof Palace, which also hosts large-scale events. Shortly before our tour in July, the German band The BossHoss performed there.

There is not much going on during our visit, but that is certainly not the case when we get ice cream at the “Eiscafé Alpi” in Ebern – no surprise with temperatures above 35 degrees. We adapt our break to the heat and order affogato, espresso with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. As Jürgen puts it: “Good coffee is as much a part of gravel biking as chain oil.”