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Lahnradweg

· 6 reviews · Long Distance Cycling · Lahntal · Open
Responsible for this content
Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V. Verified partner  Explorers Choice 
  • Auf dem Lahnradweg durch Diez
    Auf dem Lahnradweg durch Diez
    Photo: Dominik Ketz, © Tourist-Information Diez
From the source of the Lahn near Feudingen to the mouth of the Lahn in the Rhine - the almost 250-kilometre-long Lahnradweg is a relaxed way to cycle through the romantic Lahn Valley.
Open
easy
Distance 249 km
17:40 h
288 m
836 m
612 m
62 m
From its source at the Lahnhof near Feudingen to its mouth in Lahnstein, the Lahn flows through a variety of landscapes. Nature at the source and in the upper Lahn valley is enchanted. In the middle Lahn Valley, the expanse of the alluvial landscapes is enthralling, and the wildly romantic lower Lahn Valley, where the river meanders deep between towering cliffs, has its own fans.

Away from car traffic and the hustle and bustle, the Lahnradweg lets you enjoy the Lahn Valley, mostly on asphalt paths and mostly right next to the river. In any case, you should plan plenty of time to stop and have a look around. Because along the way, noble castles, defiant fortresses, lively museums, picturesque half-timbered towns and elegant spas invite you to make a stop. The numerous riches of the Lahn Valley do not make the choice easy. Then there are the hospitable inns along the Lahn - and the same applies to these: they are actually too good for a quick rest.

Author’s recommendation

The Lahnradweg can be easily divided into daily stages, depending on your mood and physical fitness. Numerous overnight accommodation options and good rail connections make planning very flexible. 
Profile picture of Jörg Thamer
Author
Jörg Thamer 
Update: April 03, 2023
Difficulty
easy
Technique
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Highest point
Source of river Lahn near Feudingen, 612 m
Lowest point
Mouth of the Lahn in Lahnstein, 62 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Track types

Asphalt 72.60%Dirt road 9.13%Forested/wild trail 10.10%Path 0.71%Road 7.02%Unknown 0.40%
Asphalt
180.8 km
Dirt road
22.7 km
Forested/wild trail
25.2 km
Path
1.8 km
Road
17.5 km
Unknown
1 km
Show elevation profile

Rest stops

Hotel und Restaurant Orthwein
Daniels
Schönemühle Pastry Shop & Café
HOTEL & RESTAURANT heyligenstaedt
Zum Anker am Dutenhofener See
Landhotel Naunheimer Mühle
Pizza Da Enzo
Lahn-Café am Rosengärtchen
Palais Bar & Restaurant
Kaffee Danin
Bistro der Lebenshilfe
Eiscafé Ponte Vecchio
Restaurant Shiva
Ventura - Feinkost aus Spanien
Ristorante La Piazza
Ludwig´s Bar Restaurant
Café Born
Eiscafé Bacio am Schillerplatz
Restaurant Platia
Landgasthof Bei Kleins
Hotel Wilhelm von Nassau
Hotel-Restaurant Balduin
Gasthof zum Lahntal
Hotel "Am Goetheberg"
Landhotel Weinhaus Treis
Hotel - Restaurant Nassauer Löwen
Hotel Restaurant Lahnhof
Hotel Restaurant Adria
Pension Historisches Wirtshaus an der Lahn

Safety information

The current water levels of the Lahn serve as a guideline for possible flooding. As soon as the highest navigable water level of 3.60 m is clearly exceeded, local flooding of the riverside paths and floodplains must be expected. After the water levels have receded, the remains of the flooding, e.g. mud, earth, branches, must still be expected for a few days at the formerly flooded areas of the riverside paths.

Here you will find our information on step-free transfer at the stations in Marburg, Gießen, Limburg and Koblenz.

Tips and hints

The Lahnradweg    

The Lahntal onFacebook

 

The free information flyer "Cycling" and further information is available for downloading under Brochures and at the

 

Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.

Brückenstraße 2, 35576 Wetzlar

Tel. 06441-30998-0

Fax: 03212-1239508

 

www.daslahntal.de

info@daslahntal.de

Start

Source of river Lahn near Netphen (Forsthaus Lahnquelle, Lahnhof 1, 57250 Netphen) (606 m)
Coordinates:
DD
50.892396, 8.241392
DMS
50°53'32.6"N 8°14'29.0"E
UTM
32U 446646 5638133
w3w 
///humane.mink.kebab

Destination

Lahnstein-Niederlahnstein (then a short walk to Niederlahnstein railway station, Bahnhofstraße 1, 56112 Lahnstein).

Turn-by-turn directions

Even the first kilometres are a pleasure! From the source of the Lahn at the Lahnhof, you roll leisurely along the well-marked path down to Feudingen and enjoy the forest landscape along the still very young Lahn. Bad Laasphe, located on the southern side of the Rothaargebirge, soon awaits with its old town worth seeing and its pretty half-timbered facades.

In Biedenkopf, a trip to the landgrave's castle, which can be seen from afar high above the town, is worthwhile. Through wide meadows and fields, past inviting places such as Buchenau, Caldern, Lahntal or Cölbe, you can continue cycling along the Lahn without much effort. The university town of Marburg, with its ensemble of the old town and the castle, is undoubtedly a cultural and historical highlight. Via Niederweimar, Odenhausen, Ruttershausen and Lollar, you continue into the Gleiberg region, which is characterised by its striking castle ruins of Gleiberg and Vetzberg.

Near Wettenberg-Wißmar, the Wood + Technology Museum invites you to an informative and exciting visit. There is also a lot to experience in Gießen. Here, highlights such as the observation platform Gießen Weststadt or the Lahnfenster Hessen, through which the underwater world of the Lahn can be explored, as well as the new palace, the armoury and the botanical garden, all attract visitors. You can join in and experiment at the Mathematikum museum. Numerous places to stay and stop for refreshments as well as good rail connections make Gießen a popular stage stop on the Lahnradweg.

From Gießen you cycle on through the middle Lahn valley. Wide green meadows and idyllic little lakes lie along the way. And Wetzlar, the next lively half-timbered town, is already waiting. If you have time for a break, stop off at one of the many restaurants and cafés in the old town or simply enjoy the sun in one of the relaxing green spaces in the Goethe and optics town.

The route continues along the Lahn, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, via Solms, Leun and Löhnberg to Weilburg. The baroque castle complex of the residential town is definitely worth a visit. You should also take a look at the oldest and longest ship tunnel still navigable today. Weilburg has a lot to offer.

From Weilburg, the Lahn, and with it the Lahnradweg, make numerous twists and turns. This is precisely what makes the landscape so appealing. Here you often have the feeling of being isolated from the world. And around the next bend, another postcard view awaits. You glide tranquilly through pure nature and admire little gems like Villmar or Runkel. And before you know it, the famous Limburg Cathedral appears on the horizon high above the Lahn.

In Limburg, too, you should leave the Lahn for a short stroll through the town. In the medieval old town with its many lovingly restored half-timbered houses, small shops, cafés and restaurants invite you to linger. The cathedral is a must-see, also from the inside, of course, and the "Römer 2-4-6" is one of the oldest free-standing half-timbered houses in Germany.

The Lahnradweg now leads under the old Lahn bridge into the romantic lower Lahn valley. At Staffel, you leave Hesse and cycle through Rhineland-Palatinate, where you are immediately greeted by the picturesque Oranierstadt of Diez. Here you will find two castles worth seeing, Oranienstein Castle and the Count's Castle, both of which also house museums.

Picturesque is probably a fitting description for the landscape through which you now continue to roll. The Lahn meanders through wooded slopes and glistens in the sunlight. The village of Balduinstein appropriately completes the scenery and via Geilnau and two newly built bicycle and pedestrian bridges, the route continues in a relaxed manner always along the river Lahn.

With constant contact to the Lahn, the Lahnradweg also leads from Laurenburg to Obernhof. A place with a long wine-growing tradition. With a civic vineyard, this tradition has recently experienced a real renaissance. A bottle of Riesling or Spätburgunder will certainly fit in your saddle bag. The route continues through the nature park to Nassau with Nassau-Oranien Castle perched high on the hill. Here, too, it is worth taking a break in one of the lovely cafés in the lively town centre.

Via Dausenau, whose medieval town centre with its town wall and leaning tower lies on the opposite side of the Lahn, you now reach the sophisticated spa town of Bad Ems. Imperial spa, summer capital of Europe, world spa - and since 24.07.2021 now even a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Bad Ems is proud to have received this high international distinction. Strolling through the town, it quickly becomes clear that Bad Ems, with its elegant buildings, deservedly belongs to the "Great Spas of Europe".

Once again, the route continues along the Lahn. Until it finally flows into the Rhine in Lahnstein. The view of the Lahn, which has now matured into an adult river, the arrival at Father Rhine and the romantic castles of Lahneck and Stolzenfels make you reminisce about the various daily stages, into which you can divide the Lahnradweg sensibly and flexibly thanks to the many overnight accommodation options.

 

Waymarking

The Lahnradweg is marked throughout with its own square logo and signposted in accordance with the ADFC marking guidelines. Every turn has a full signpost. This is in red in North Rhine-Westphalia, otherwise in green.

Public transport

Public-transport-friendly

The public transport connection is excellent. Only the starting point Lahnquelle requires a taxi from Feudingen station.The following can be reached by train: Feudingen (nearest station to the source), Bad Laasphe, Biedenkopf, Marburg, Gießen, Wetzlar, Leun/Braunfels, Weilburg, Limburg, Diez, Nassau, Bad Ems, Lahnstein (Niederlahnstein). 

www.bahn.de or www.kurhessenbahn.de

Long-distance stations with ICE connections: Marburg, Gießen, Limburg-Süd, Koblenz

The Lahnradweg runs through three federal states. It is therefore also in the area of three transport associations that are responsible for local transport. The area from the source of the Lahn (Feudingen to Bad Laasphe-Niederlaasphe is in NRW (Zweckverband Personennahverkehr Westfalen-Süd). From Biedenkopf-Wallau to Limburg it runs in Hesse (Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund) and from Diez to Niederlahnstein / Koblenz finally in Rhineland-Palatinate (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Mosel). Price information on local transport tickets within the transport associations can be found on the respective homepages. DB fares apply when crossing state borders or using long-distance trains (www.bahn.de).

For groups of up to five people, there are various offers for longer journeys. On the one hand, there are the "Länder-Tickets" within a federal state. 

For train journeys beyond one federal state, the DB's Quer-durchs-Land ticket is an alternative. With this ticket, up to five people can travel on local transport throughout Germany on one day.

A note on the interchange stations for passengers with bicycles:

In Feudingen, the station closest to the source, the platform is directly at the station forecourt.

In Marburg Hbf and also in Gießen Hbf there are lifts at the platforms that are also suitable for bicycles. If you use the subway in Gießen, the lift at platform 11 will take you to the exit without any steps.

In Wetzlar there is a convenient ramp to the subway and lifts to the platforms, which are also suitable for bicycles.

All platforms in Limburg (Lahn) are accessible without steps via a convenient ramp. This starts at the north-east end of the platforms or next to the station building on the station forecourt.

In Balduinstein and Laurenburg (bypassing the steep section) as well as in Niederlahnstein and Koblenz Hbf, step-free access to the platforms is guaranteed.

You can find everything about the facilities at the stations, for example information about the various aspects of accessibility, parking spaces or services offered at the station, at www.bahnhof.de.

By road

A45 (AS-Siegen or AS-Olpe) to Lahnquelle or Feudingen

Directions to other towns on the Lahn (a selection)

A5 and B3 to Marburg, Gießen, Wetzlar

A5 or A3 plus B 49 to Weilburg

A3 to Limburg

A3 (AS Montabaur) plus B49 to Bad Ems

A3 or A61 plus A48 and B 42 to the mouth of the Lahn in Niederlahnstein

Coordinates

DD
50.892396, 8.241392
DMS
50°53'32.6"N 8°14'29.0"E
UTM
32U 446646 5638133
w3w 
///humane.mink.kebab
Arrival by train, car, foot or bike

Book recommendation by the author

Lahn-Radweg – Von der Quelle zum Rhein Maßstab 1:50.000 • bikeline Verlag Esterbauer • 15. überarb. Aufl. 2021 ISBN 978-3-85000-984-3 • 14,90 €

Author’s map recommendations

Esterbauer - Bikeline Radtourenbuch Lahntal-Radweg: 1:50.000, 12,80 €, ISBN: 978-3-58000-105-2

ADFC-Regionalkarte Lahntal , 1:75.000, 6,80 €, ISBN 9-783870-734138

 

Book recommendations for this region:

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Recommended maps for this region:

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Equipment


Questions and answers

Question from David Rodriguez · June 07, 2022 · Community
How is the status near Cramberg? Can one stay by the river? I read there were planning some construction works
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1 more reply
Question from Retep Nhoj · July 15, 2021 · Community
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Answered by Roland Kaus · July 15, 2021 · Community
7 more replies

Rating

3.3
(6)
Tomas Schmid
September 29, 2022 · Community
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Dieter Wingender
July 12, 2020 · Community
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When did you do this route? July 12, 2020
Jürgen Lorenz
July 07, 2019 · Community
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Show all reviews

Photos from others

+ 10

Status
Open
Reviews
Difficulty
easy
Distance
249 km
Duration
17:40 h
Ascent
288 m
Descent
836 m
Highest point
612 m
Lowest point
62 m
Public-transport-friendly Linear route Multi-stage route Scenic Geological highlights Refreshment stops available Family-friendly Cultural/historical interest

Statistics

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Features
2D 3D
Maps and trails
  • 8 Stages
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 1 Open
Distance 30.8 km
Duration 2:15 h
Ascent 90 m
Descent 420 m

Von der Lahnquelle nach Biedenkopf. Überwiegend bergab radelt man auf der Startetappe des Lahnradweges entspannt die noch junge Lahn entlang.

from Jörg Thamer,   Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 2 Open
Distance 35.8 km
Duration 2:30 h
Ascent 33 m
Descent 119 m

Wo die Landgrafen ihre Schlösser hatten - die zweite Etappe des Lahnradweges führt ganz gemütlich durch Wiesen und Felder von Biedenkopf nach Marburg.

from Jörg Thamer,   Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 3 Open
Distance 36.8 km
Duration 2:30 h
Ascent 13 m
Descent 35 m

Gaudiamus igitur! Fröhlich rollt man am Lahnwanderweg von einer Universitätsstadt zur anderen. Unterwegs lockt Badevergnügen aber auch Lehrreiches!

from Jörg Thamer,   Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 4 Open
Distance 17.7 km
Duration 1:10 h
Ascent 14 m
Descent 21 m

Ohne Steigungen lässt man es auf dem Lahnradweg durch die Lahnauen nach Wetzlar rollen - auf dieser kurzen Etappe kann man es ganz locker angehen ...

from Jörg Thamer,   Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
recommended route Difficulty moderate Stage 5 Open
Distance 31.5 km
Duration 2:15 h
Ascent 51 m
Descent 52 m

Bergbau, Schlösser, Optik und nicht zuletzt Goethe - die 5. Etappe des Lahnradweges besticht durch ihre Vielzahl an kulturhistorischen Highlights.

from Jörg Thamer,   Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
recommended route Difficulty moderate Stage 6 Open
Distance 46 km
Duration 3:15 h
Ascent 24 m
Descent 69 m

Die 6. Etappe des Lahnradweges führt im Einklang mit der Natur durch traumhafte Mittelgebirgslandschaft. Schlösser und Burgen gibt es als Zugabe.

from Jörg Thamer,   Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
recommended route Difficulty moderate Stage 7 Open
Distance 34.2 km
Duration 2:40 h
Ascent 64 m
Descent 93 m

Malerisch ist wohl die treffende Bezeichnung für die Landschaft auf der 7. Etappe des Lahnradweges. Vorbei an Felsen rollt man durch waldreiche ...

from Jörg Thamer,   Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
recommended route Difficulty easy Stage 8 Open
Distance 22.7 km
Duration 1:35 h
Ascent 27 m
Descent 33 m

Die 8. und damit letzte Etappe des Lahnradweges. Die Lahn muss in den Rhein! Aber vorher gibt es noch einiges zu sehen und zu erleben.

from Jörg Thamer,   Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
Distance  km
Duration : h
Ascent  m
Descent  m
Highest point  m
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