I was able to take a few days and fly to Frankfurt, a major German city in the region known as Franken (Franconia). My mission was to ride the Mainradweg (Main River Bike Way), for 600km along the Main River in the heart of German wine country. After arriving in Frankfurt the tricky aspect, apart from prying myself away from this alluring city with great restaurants and night life, was getting to the bike shop to rent a trekking bike. My strategy was to ride to a different town along the Main each day, starting with Aschaffenburg and continuing to Wurtzburg and beyond. Accommodation was not planned a priori, and I found Air-BnB to be invaluable here along with my iPhone.
 |
| Frankfurt Haupbahnhof - Large Open & Victorian Look which reminded me of Liverpool |
 |
| Frankfurt Alt Opera Haus Where Strauss was playing in September. Very Charming Exterior |
For the first challenge: I found the DB bikes and registered for their system. This proved expensive in the end (30-40 Euro) but was invaluable for getting to the Bike shop, called
Fahrradstation North of the center of Frankfurt by a few kilometers. In hind site it would have been better to ride the street car system from the city Hbf to the stop just next to the Fahrradstation.
 |
| Expensive but useful, the Call-A-Bike service helped me get to the Bike Shop in Frankfurt from the train station. |
As soon as I found a good bike shop, the trip became much easier. I rented the bike with a 50 Euro deposit and 10 Euro a day. It was a sure footed Raleigh touring bike of a type I had never ridden before with integrated light (hub driven generator) and rear brake light. The shop attendant, Suzanna, was very friendly and helpful and got me setup with a rear bike basket, into which I put my 35L Marmot pack. The fit was perfect, and I was glad that I chose to travel light.
I rode directly to the Main river and began making my way towards Aschaffenburg, where the quaint castle Johannisburg awaited. I made it by twilight and in time to stroll along the Main, seeing the Castle as the sun began to set, and finding a warm rock wall covered in lizards. I also found evidence of previous years floods dating back to the 1700s marked upon a riverside wall leading to a road ascending to the castle.
 |
| Evidence of prior years' flooding |
 |
| Schloss Johannisburg - Aschaffenburg |
