Elster -Cycle Path - The Wild East calls: Along the White Elster, wildly romantic by hilly green with a lot of culture to experience!
Table of contents
Day 1: Aš (Asch) to Plauen - approx. 65 km
Day 2: Plauen to Gera - approx. 60 km
Day 3: Gera to Leipzig - approx. 82 km
Day 4: Leipzig to Halle (Saale) - approx. 32 km
Would you like to discover the wild east of Germany? Well then go on the bike and experience nature and people up close along the white Elster!
The beginning of the Elsterradweg is in Aš (Asch) in the Czech Republic. From here it is just under 13 km to the source of the Elster in stone green. From Asch it only goes briefly through the Czech Republic before the tour of the three federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt goes.
Once in Germany, the green and hilly Vogtland, the idyllic Thuringian slate mountains and later the level of Leipzig lowlands are enjoyed on the Elster cycle path. The tour has a length of 250 km and largely runs along the White Elster. The end of the Elsterradweg is in Halle an der Saale. If you only want to cycle in Germany, you can also just start in the spa town of Bad Elster.
The Elsterradweg has different ways of movement and occasionally leads you along calm country roads. The first section is mostly mountainous, which is a challenge for some inexperienced cyclists. If you want to take it easy, the 4 stages we proposed here can be halved again.
From Gera, the route is also suitable for very inexperienced cyclists and families with children. On this last section, the white Elster bike path has only a few small climbs. The Vogtlandbahn offers a very good infrastructure. Thus, the journey to Gera, or Bad Elster or Asch with the Vogtlandbahn is extremely practical. Since the ElsterRadweg largely leads along the railway line, the stage planning can also be made very flexible.
Total length of the route in Germany: Approx. 240 kilometers
Condition of the bike paths: Mostly paved, natural paths and hardly any traffic
Difficulty: Easy to medium
Suitable for: Beginners to advanced → families with children should choose the entry into Gera downstream. The tour is also possible with e-bikes.
Stages: 4 stages → However, these can be divided again depending on the performance level.
Day 1: Aš (Asch) to Plauen - approx. 65 km
The starting point of the Elsterradweg is the small town of Aš in the Czech Republic. The white magpie rises in the Elster Mountains near the village of Vyhledy, in German: Steingrün. In the Czech, the white magpie is called "Bely Halstrov".
It is only a stone's throw to the border and the first German place called Bad Elster. In this first part of the Elster cycle path it goes through small villages & lots of nature. There is an outdoor pool, spa park, swimming museum and a thermal bath in the spa town of Bad Elster.
The bike path usually always leads along the white magpie. It goes into the beautiful Vogtland with green juicy meadows to the first large district town of Oelsnitz. The Pirk dam invites you to swim and boat. If you want to divide this stage of approx. 65 km, Oelsnitz is good for this. After a refreshment in the dam, the route leads directly to the top town of Plauen. You should definitely take a stop here. The historic old town, the unique top museum, the Renaissance town hall and the Altmarkt invite you to stroll and eat ice cream.
There is also a dam at Plauen - as with Oelsnitz. Cooling in the water and good home cooking on the Elster cycle path is provided. The Pöhl dam, at Plauen you offer a 4 star campsite. The high ropes course at the dam is also worth a visit and fun for the whole family.
Day 2: Plauen to Gera - approx. 60 km
On the first section at this stage from Plauen to Greiz, there are many beautiful bridges to see. The landscape also captivates with a lot of green. The section from Greiz to Gera is advertised by many bike tourists as the most scenic part of the Elster cycle path. There are always wonderful views of the wild romantic river valley of the White Elster. This compensates for the steep climbs on the first stages.
A detour to the beautiful Elsterberg castle ruin or the beautiful Göltzschtalbrücke between Mylau and Netzschkau is particularly worthwhile. The Göltzschtal Bridge is the largest brick bridge in the world.
The small detour of approx. 6 km runs and offers a very impressive sight of the landmark of the Vogtland. The city of Greiz not only invites you as a possible place to stay, the summer palace and the Greizer Park are also worth a visit. Immediately after Greiz you can marvel at the peasant museum in Nitschareuth. There is fresh coffee and homemade cakes in the in -house museum café.
If you want to cycle to Gera, there are good campsites and accommodations to choose from. Gera scores with a beautiful architecture, historical town hall and the Höhlermuseum. The underground tunnel and basement system of the Höhler Museum is worth seeing and amazed thanks to competent guidance. The city of Gera also has something to offer for nature and animal lovers: the zoo in the city forest. It is the largest forest zoo in East Thuringia. From Gera, the route is also suitable for very inexperienced and families with children.
Do you still need pack bags or backpacks for your trip on the Elsterradweg? Then like to look around in the shop :)
Day 3: Gera to Leipzig - approx. 82 km
After a beautiful visit to the city of Gera, all beer lovers now get their money's worth: in Bad Köstritz you can pause in the visitor center of the Köstritzer brewery and enjoy the well -known Köstritzer Schwarzbier. The beautiful outdoor pool ensures a cooling after the first two steep stages. You can also climb the viewing platform Todage Proven in Bad Köstritz.
Shortly before Leipzig - in Knautnaundorf, the Belantis amusement park offers a lot of fun for young and old. The city of Leipzig is the stage of this section. There is something for everyone here: nightlife, beautiful old buildings and a lot of culture. In addition to a stroll through the city, many parks and meadows invite you to relax. It can also be feasted in the numerous beer gardens: be it beef roulade with red cabbage and green dumplings or a sweet specialty, such as the Leipzig lark. You should also have tried the original Leipzig Gose.
This stage on the Elster cycle path can also be divided very well. For this purpose, Zeitz is an early stage. Here the Zeitzer Dom, the former Franciscan monastery and the Moritzburg Castle Museum can be visited.
Day 4: Leipzig to Halle (Saale) - approx. 32 km
Halle an der Saale is the end point of the beautiful Elster bike path. In Halle, the Capital of Culture in Saxony-Anhalt, you can also linger another day. Guaranteed many beautiful views you have in the mountain zoo from Halle. It is characterized by its location on the 130 meter high Reilsberg. A ship tour on the Saale is also recommended. A visit to the two powerful castles is ideal for cultural lovers: Giebichenstein Castle and Moritzburg.
If you want to keep it up from here, you can cycle further in Halle, where the white magpie flows into the Saale, on the Saaleradweg. The Saaleradweg is one of the most demanding river cycle paths in Germany. From Halle it goes to the Elbe on this cycle path to Barby.
Conclusion
We can highly recommend this beautiful - even if at the beginning somewhat mountainous Elster cycle path. Cooling in the Elster, in dams, nature, culture and good home cooking is guaranteed for the whole family. We also find the practical arrival and departure on this bike tour along the White Elster very helpful. If you do not want to start in the Czech Republic directly at the source of the White Elster, you can choose the Bad Elster spa in Germany as the starting point.
Have you ever driven the Elsterradweg and want to share other helpful information with us? Or do you have another beautiful bike path in Germany you can recommend? Then we look forward to your comment!
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FAQ on the topic of bike tour on the Elsterradweg
Who is the Elsterradweg suitable for?
The ElsterRadweg is suitable for beginners to advanced. Very inexperienced cyclists and families with children should choose to get started in Gera. There are steep climbs, especially in the first two stages. The entire tour is also possible with e-bikes.
Can I run the Elsterradweg as a beginner?
In our opinion, you can drive the Elster cycle path as a beginner. If you already have a few kilometers of bike tour experience, that's not a problem. The first two, somewhat steep stages can also be divided.
What are the overnight stays on the Elsterradweg?
There are a variety of accommodation options on the Elsterradweg. From wild tents, to campsites to inexpensive and expensive accommodations.
Are there other subdivisions of the Elsterradweg stages?
The stages listed here in 4 days can all be divided again. On each intermediate section there are cities and places where you can spend a night to recharge your batteries.
What is the arrival and departure along the bike path?
The arrival and departure along the cycle path is optimal and you are therefore very flexible when planning your stage. The route leads mostly along the railway line. With the Deutsche Bahn or Vogtlandbahn you can practically arrive and depart.
Which city is particularly beautiful on the White Elster bike path?
It is not so easy to answer which city is particularly beautiful. Gera is nice and has a lot to offer. Leipzig too, but the city is very large. But the beautiful city of Halle should also be mentioned here.
Which section is the most beautiful on this bike tour?
The most beautiful section of this bike tour is relatively at the beginning of the route. It is the section of Greiz to Gera. There are always wonderful views of the wild romantic river valley of the White Elster.