Cycling along Stages 1 and 2Württemberger Tälerradweg Cycle Trail

There are plenty of indulgence options along the six stages of the 273-kilometre long-distance cycle trail. These include those in the numerous towns, such as Crailsheim, the starting point of the trail and the finish in Schwäbisch Gmünd as well as those along the Kocher, Jagst, Brenz, Rems and Danube Rivers that accompany you along sections of your ride and those in the 12 valleys you cycle through.

Welcome to the Württemberger Tälerradweg Cycle Trail, one of the newest long-distance cycle trails in the Southwest Germany. Opened in 2023, it covers 273 kilometres from Crailsheim to Schwäbisch Gmünd, crossing a total of 12 valleys along the way. We joined friends Julia and Simone on stage two of their cycling adventure

“Don’t let go,” laughs Julia as she grabs a tight hold of her friend Simone’s hand. Carefully, she places one foot on the tree trunk in the middle of the wide Kocher Spring. She gently pushes her foot, first left, then right, and when nothing moves, she climbs onto the short trunk surrounded by shallow water. “Did it!” Julia says with a grin and balances away from the bank, her arms outstretched. In the little woodland by the spring, the air is pleasantly cool. The friends lie down and relax in the grass next to their bikes. Then they use an app to try and identify the water plants as they cool their feet in the cold water. They have plenty of time. Today’s route from Buch to Giengen an der Brenz should take them just under four hours. The remaining eight hours of sunshine are reserved for those lovely things you finally have time for on holiday.

The two friends cheer loudly as they reach their destination in Giengen an der Brenz in the evening. We made it! Although they are tired from today’s ride and all they have seen along the way, they are already looking forward to the next day.

This long-distance cycle trail is brand new. It was put together from sections of the Hohenlohe-Ostalb and Alb-Neckar Cycle Trails in 2023. The newly created route has been awarded four out of five stars by German cycling club ADFC.
The official route of the Württemberger Tälerradweg looks a bit like a spidery letter ‘J’ on the map and covers six stages from town to town. But Simone and Julia took a diversion as early as the first day of their ride. Instead of finishing the first stage in Aalen, they headed to Buch, as they fancied a dip in the 67-acre Bucher Stausee Reservoir. When planning their route, it was important to the two friends that water would play a key role. They are happy to take the odd diversion to springs that are not directly on the cycle trail itself.

Simone closes her eyes as the wind wafts gently through her hair. The breeze on her forehead and through her hair feels so good after wearing a helmet for so long. Julia sits across from Simone in the beer garden of the Talschenke Inn and sighs with satisfaction. Although there are only eight kilometres left until the end of today’s stage, they have decided to take a break in the pretty village of Eselsburg. The Brenz River flows gently by, glistening through the low-hanging branches and high grass on the riverbank. The river is wonderfully enchanting here in the Eselsburg Valley. It meanders in gentle curves through the juniper heaths, gurgles past meadow orchards, and is not distracted from its route by the impressive rock formations.

As the two friends enjoy their lunch of lentils, spaetzle and home-made Maultaschen (Swabian ravioli) in their idyllic spot in the garden, they think about what they have enjoyed the most on their tour so far. Simone’s favourite was the little town of Königsbronn with its baroque town hall and the blue-green lake at the source of the Brenz River. Julia loved the morning swim in the Bucher Stausee Reservoir and is looking forward to more chances to swim later on.

As the two friends push their bikes along the tarmac road after their long break, the light has changed. The green and beige tones of the summer landscape seem to have become warmer and softer. After a couple of bends in the road and a quick stop to watch cows eating in a pasture, they leave the village behind them and are once again surrounded by nature. A short time later, they arrive at the Steinerne Jungfrauen, literally the ‘stone virgins’, one of the highlights of the second stage of the cycle trial. These two pointed rock cones rise up towards the sky, right next to the cycle trail. Simone is fascinated by myths and legends and knows the grisly story about the rocks that the people of the valley have come up with. “They are supposed to be two of the maids of the former lady of Eselsburg Castle,” she explains. “The lady of the castle hated men and is said to have banned even her maids from having contact with any male beings. Unfortunately, the two young maids fell in love with two lads they met on their regular trips to gather water in the valley.” Simone gulps: “The lady of the castle is said to have turned them to stone as a punishment for their disobedience.”

Of course, we now know that the two rocks are probably not enchanted virgins from times gone by. The five-kilometre-long valley has been carved out over millions of years by the Brenz River around the Buigen Mountain Range. Parts of the rugged limestone of the Swabian Jura were washed away and others were exposed. Along the green, overgrown edges of the valley, Julia and Simone discover more and more rocks that have evidently withstood the flow of the Brenz.

But before they head off towards Ulm, they want to visit the Steiff Museum. Apollonia Margarete Steiff, the inventor of the world-famous teddy bears, was born in Giengen and built her cuddly toy factory here. In the museum, the Steiff animals are presented in different scenes, and you can also see some historic models, such as the ‘Elefäntle’, the very first Steiff animal, originally sold as a pincushion. Fortunately, it is only a three-hour ride. So Julia and Simone have plenty of time to spend the morning enjoying everything the Württemberger Tälerradweg Cycle Trail has to offer.