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tour provided by: Andreas Lienhardt

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Tour

Round Bayreuth

Tour 1:

Along the CZECH border

This tour starts at HOF, but you can start this tour from everywhere. The tour takes you all along the CZECH-border south into a region with less cities and a lot of nature. From Hof take the B15 to RHEAU and on to SELB. Here you have the chance to go to AS (ASCH) and make a nice 32km ride to CHEB (EGER). [For Germans it's enough to have an ID Card; you don't need a passport; you should have your driver license and your papers with you].

From Selb a small road takes you along the border to SCHIRNDING. From here it’s 9km to CHEB. The small nice road takes you on, through forest, to WALDSASSEN (5km to Cheb). From Waldsassen the small road follows the border via NEUALBENREUTH to MÄHRING. From Mähring you will have ca. 20km to ride to MARIANSKE LAZNE (MARIENBAD), a very nice old Czech town (29km to Cheb). From Mähring the road goes down to BÄRNAU, the next border crossing.

The road takes its way along the border via FLOSSENBÜRG (I think here you can visit a former NS-concentration camp) to GEORGENBERG and on to WAIDHAUS the next border crossing-point. Here you find a road to PILZEN (PILSEN), the Czech beer town. The small roads are also take place inside the NATURPARK OPERPFÄLZER WALD. From Waidhaus you can follow the borderline to ESLARN, SCHÖNSEE, STADLERN to the crossing at SCHWARZACH. More down south along the border ride via TIEFENBACH, TREFFELSTEIN to WALDMÜNCHEN - HÖLL. This crossing I used last at my journey to BRNO (BRÜNN). Here is the beginning of the NATURPARK OBERER BAYRISCHER WALD. Here you will find the highest mountains in the region (GROßER ARBER, near BAYRISCH EISENSTEIN, 1456m). If you have time enough drive a bit around in the Area FURTH IM WALD, ZWIESEL, VIECHTACH, KÖTZTING, CHAM. But this should be an extra chapter in the tour-guide.

A fast way back from WALDMÜNCHEN takes you to RÖTZ, OBERVIECHTACH, and WEIDEN. From Weiden you can take a road to BAYREUTH or HOF. Also you can reach NÜRNBERG or REGENSBURG from this part of the border to CZECHOSLOVAKIA.

ERZGEBIRGE

This part is really new for me, because till 1989 it wasn’t allowed to go there and now I live ca. 500km away. An other way to ride along the CZECH-border is to go northeast. Take the way from HOF to PLAUEN (B173). You will meet the FEILEBACHSTAUSEE. At PIRK go right to OELSNITZ along the STAUSEE (= reservoir) PIRK. At Oelsnitz go down on the (B92/E49) to ADORF. You can reach Adorf shorter from Hof via REHAU, AS (ASCH); BAD ELSTER, but it could happen that you have to wait longer at the border. From ADORF it’s 32km down to CHEB.

Next take the B283 to KLINGENTHAL. Here you will find two border crossing points. Go on to RAUTENKRANZ and then right to CARLSFELD and JOHANN-GEORGENSTADT. Here is the next chance to reach CZECHOSLOVAKIA. From here via BREITENBRUNN and RITTERSGRÜN to OBERWIESENTHAL, a nice little down. Well known as winter-sport-city (FICHTELBERG 1214m). From here it's 28km to KARLOVY VARY (KARLSBAD), a very nice old Czech town and health resort.

From Oberwiesenthal the B95 follows direct the border to ANNABERG-BUCHHOLZ.

Here my description will end. Very interesting tours you may find in the OSTERZGEBIRGE, round DRESDEN and in the famous ELBSANDSTEINGEBIRGE. [Maybe someone who lives there will describe it!!].

Other nice roads you will find into the hills between PLAUEN and SCHLEIZ. A lot of small roads give you the chance to make several nice tours.

Tour 2

Start: Bayreuth

FICHTELGEBIRGE and FRANKENWALD

Leave Bayreuth on the B2 direction NÜRNBERG. After 9 km you will arrive at CREUSSEN. In the middle of the town you can go left to SPEICHERSDORF. It’s a nice small road without so much traffic. From Speichersdorf you should go to NEUSTADT and visit the RAUHER KULM. This is an old Vulcan that you can walk up to the top in 682 m. You will have a nice view up there. Then take the way to KEMNATH, IMMENREUTH, and KIRCHENPINGARTEN to WEIDENBERG. From Weidenberg a road with speed limit takes you straight into the FICHTELGEBIRGE up to WARMENSTEINACH. In Warmensteinach you can watch some glass manufactures. If you are at the top of that road you can use a PANORAMA road round the OCHSENKOPF (the 2^nd highest mountain 1024m).

The Panorama road takes you to NEUBAU and the FICHTELSEE, a nice lake in a forest with a little guesthouse. You also can play minigolf there and there is a camping. Then you come to the B303 and you have to go left, down to BISCHOFSGRÜN. Here you find a toboggan run in summer and a cable railway up to the top of the Ochsenkopf. Behind Bischofsgrün you have to go left again and you come to FLECKL where you can also get a toboggan run. Then you finished your turn round the Ochsenkopf.

Not using the Panorama road takes you to FICHTELBERG. Here you can find a car museum. From Fichtelberg it’s nice to go via MEHLMEISEL, BRAND, NEUSORG to MARKTREDWITZ. The road is near to the NATURPARK STEINWALD. Also a nice landscape to watch. If you want you can go now to CZECHOSLOVAKIA via SCHIRNDING to CHEB (EGER).

On the B303 back to WUNSIEDEL. Here you can visit the NATURBÜHNE LUISENBURG. It’s an open-air theatre and you can walk through the rocks. (Not so good with Enduro-equipment). From Wunsiedel take the way to WEISSENSTADT and enjoy the little lake there. Then go on to GEFREES and take the small very curvy road to BAD BERNECK. If you want you can go back to Bayreuth here in 20 km.

From Bad Berneck go to KUPFERBERG and on to STADTSTEINACH. In Stadtsteinach you can find a small road up to the TORKEL which is or was used as racetrack. (One day in the year). Here you can find a lot of small roads that are all nice to ride. If you want you can look to HELMBRECHTS and SCHWARZENBACH. From Schwarzenbach go to GEROLDSGRÜN to arrive the KÖDELSTAUSEE, a nice lake with a dam. It’s all quite close to the former GDR-border. Go on that road and hit the B173 and arrive KRONACH.

From KRONACH take the B85 to KULMBACH. In Kulmbach you can find several beer-breweries. (The most in Europe). You even can visit the PLASSENBURG, an old castle with a tin soldiers museum. Try the "Bratwurst". Finally the B85 takes you back to Bayreuth.

Tour 3:

Start: BAYREUTH

FRÄNKISCHE SCHWEIZ

This is a very nice part of the region there I was born. You will find the FRÄNKISCHE SCHWEIZ between BAYREUTH; BAMBERG and NÜRNBERG. There are a lot of nice valleys, Castles, rivers and Curves. You can find a lot of different biketours through. I can’t describe all, but I tell you my favorite ones.

Leaving Bayreuth in direction HOLLFELD on the B22. After 5km you arrive at DONNDORF. Here you can watch my birthplace and a fine little castle with a nice park. Leaving ECKERSDORF and taking the next left takes you to MISTELGAU and GLASHÜTTEN. Now the curvy road takes you over a little hill into the heart of the fränkische Schweiz. Behind KIRCHAHORN a speed limit takes you down to 60km/h. Be careful, lot of police will control you with everything they have. (It’s because too much accidents).

If you want you can visit the SOPHIENHÖHLE, a nice cave and the castle BURG RABENSTEIN. The nice curvy road takes you down through a nice valley to BEHRINGERSMÜHLE. You can leave Behringersmühle in four different ways. One takes you to POTTENSTEIN, where you can visit the TEUFELSHÖHLE.( In the valley between Behringersmühle and Pottenstein you can find two Campsites.) The other one, the hill up, takes you to GÖßWEINSTEIN, where you can find a big pilgrimage church. The third one, if you go right and straight on, takes you to EBERMANNSTADT through the WIESENTTAL, also a very nice valley. Here you can visit the BINGHÖHLE at STREITBERG and castle FEUERSTEIN at Ebermannstadt. In summer it is also a good place to buy cherries direct from the trees near the street. The last tour from Behringersmühle, if you go two times right will bring you to DOOS, WAISCHENFELD and PLANKENFELS. On this way you can watch the VERSTURZHÖHLE RIESENBURG, an very nice building of rocks and little caves and the castle RABENECK. Sometimes you can watch some free-climbers at the rocks in the valley.

Before you arrive at Plankenfels you have to go left, and the next road left too. Then you will arrive at BREITENLESAU. A good place to stop and to taste the self-made dark beer and to make "Brotzeit" (eat a little bit like bread with ham or cheese, Schnitzel, Bratwurst or something). If you go on this road you will arrive at EBERMANNSTADT. It’s a nice, small curvy road. Going right into the street near the guesthouse takes you to HOCHSTAHL and AUFSEß. Before you arrive Aufseß you have to stop at HECKENHOF at KATHI BRÄU. This is also a biker meeting point and you have to taste the self-made beer. (!!Don't drink and drive!!).

Going right in Aufseß takes you to HOLLFELD. Straight on to HEILIGENSTADT, where you can visit castle GREIFENSTEIN. Going right again in Heiligenstadt and right the next possibility one takes you to TIEFENPÖLZ, where you can find a small road with serpentines. Also you can find a little guesthouse and a biker meeting point. Behind Tiefenpölz the small road takes you to SCHESSLITZ, near BAMBERG. You can take the B22 back to HOLLFELD. In Hollfeld take the way left direction KULMBACH, and go to SANSPAREIL on a small, very curvy road. After a while you will arrive THURNAU and go back to BAYREUTH.

Camping

Sights in the area