Despite the title, this is going to be a "real" tour, and we are building in interesting places and places where we have never been.

Given that we are still pretty much trying to get to Spain, it's not like we will wander off in the opposite direction, like up into Netherlands. I mention that because it's not like we didn't bat that around. We could have gone to Magdeburg on the Elbe, and followed the Elbe radweg to Hamburg, and thence to ... whatever. But no, we will somewhat sensibly strike out first toward the Rhine. The only thing, between Leipzig and the Rhine lies the Harz Mountain. "The Harz Mountains are a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart (hill forest)".

The way to get past the Harz is over it (north), or under (south) but certainly not through. The question is, in choosing north or south, how far is far enough? 

We had a fairly direct route in the south, but could not bring ourselves to trust it. So we opted to go quite far north.  Northern Germany is famously flat!

Once we reach Dusseldorf we are on the Rhine. It's familiar territory, but one that features Koln with its cathedral, the bridge at Remagen, the fabulous middle Rhine towns, castles on hills, Koblenz where the the Mosel joins in, the Lorelei,  and so much more!

Check the next page, to see us begin to spin in circles!