To Fulda

May 16, 2025

Our first hills

The skies had clouded over last night and the temperature was cooler this morning. Our host provided a large breakfast of farm fresh eggs from his chickens as well as a cheese, meat and vegetable plate to give us plenty of fuel to start the day. We were the only guests at Fraenkischer Hof and our host continued to entertain and look after us very well. It was a great place for us to stay!

As we were loading up our bikes for our ride to Fulda the church bells were ringing ten times. The sun was also making an appearance. On the map our ride today seemed quite straight forward but it did include some climbing over the first few kilometres. We turned left on the main road running through Zeitlofs and after a kilometre or so easily found the nearby cyclepath. A cool wind was blowing so an additional layer and gloves were helpful to stay warm.

At the fifteen kilometre mark we reached the forecasted climb and there was a fairly consistent 7% grade over the next couple of kms that reminded us of what touring can offer. After reaching the top, the trend line was pretty much downhill through farming country and small rural villages for the rest of the day.

Our host in Zeitlofs really took great care of us.

Heading out of town along a stretch of quiet highway before turning on to a cycle path just beyond the elevated rail line.

Another look at the engineering necessary for high speed rail. This elevated section is between tunnels at both ends.

Our ride today was mainly through rural landscapes.

and rolling green hills. Quite enjoyable but a bit cooler than the previous days and we needed an extra layer to protect us from the strong wind blowing down the valley.

One last view of a small town. They were very quiet for the most part as we passed with only the occasional tractor moving about.

Scott`s Garmin lets him know when we have reached the top of the hill.

A beautiful old tractor. The operator stopped and wanted to tell us all about it but he spoke only German. From an internet search it looks to be built sometime between 1959 to 1965. It was well loved and in very nice shape considering its age.

Sounds easy -just follow the signs to Fulda. But there were many many twists and turns!

Our coffee stop at the 30 KM mark. The owner of the restaurant was just opening up for the day and called us in. She was very nice and spoke perfect English. She explained that her daughter is in Canada right now.

With the hills far behind us, straight through the fields we went.

Our lunch stop. The benches and tables along the paths are really very nice. It is good to pack a sandwich as it can be rare to find places to pick up things on route.

When planning our route and places to stop, overnighting in Fulda was a natural pick based on the distance between stops and the size of the town. However, we think that there may be a convention in town as the few hotels available were full and any rooms on Booking.com were quite a bit above normal rates. We settled on staying in an apartment in the older main part of the town. It is a significant town with lots to see. An enchanting baroque quarter with an impressive cathedral, city palace and park as well as the historic centre with beautiful medieval buildings. One quick afternoon and early evening stroll barely does it justice. But with limited time and limited energy, that is all we could do.

Outside our apartment as Pat looks up the key code.

Inside we could spread out but Scott did need to carry the bikes up a few floors.

Mittelstraße - a shopping street in Fulda.

Pouring Czech pilsner at Tondas barbecue restaurant in Fulda. We had a very tasty dinner here.

The end of our day as the cathedral towers were shining in the setting sun.

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Today's ride: 54 km (34 miles)
Total: 309 km (192 miles)

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