Four Countries Rails to Trails E-Bike Tour

Day 1: Limburg
Day 2: Slenaken - Maastricht
Day 3: Epen - Aachen, Germany
Day 4: Aachen - Monschau
Day 5: Monschau - St. Vith, Belgium
Day 6: St Vith - Clervaux, Luxembourg
Day 7: Clervaux - Moselle area, Germany
Day 8: End of tour/ transfer to Metz if you are extending your tour on a bike and boat experience!

The average daily biking distance is 25 miles (40 km). All distances are approximate. The above-planned itinerary is subject to change, even on very short notice, due to changing wind and weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances.

Day 1: Limburg, Holland 
In the hills of Limburg, in an old village, Epen, close to the Belgium and German borders, you are welcomed to your little hotel. This will be your home for the first 3 nights and from here, you will bike and discover. But not today, today is your time to recover from your travels, have a nice drink on the terrace, and enjoy the scenery and the local hospitality. 

Day 2: Slenaken- Maastricht
Spanish and Roman ruins, elegant French and Belgian touches in the food, architecture, and manners. This is the exotic Dutch south. Your bike ride weaves through rolling countryside dotted with castles and breweries. After visiting the impressive Holland/American WWII cemetery in Margraten, you follow an easy route to the region’s capital city Maastricht, an ancient and important bridge crossing for getting food and grains from France to the Roman garrisons on the Rhine, the eastern frontier of the empire. Today, Maastricht is lively, international, and buzzing with university students. The Maastricht Treaty made the city known in our times as the birthplace of the European Union, European citizenship, and the Euro currency. Take time to explore the beautiful square surrounded by grand cafés, shops, museums, and a pair of magnificent churches. The cozy streets and alleys form a medieval labyrinth atop which Sint Pieter fortress crowns the city’s medieval defense system, linked via an underground network of tunnels. The best place to try spicy Indonesian food (outside of Sri Lanka) is in Holland thanks to their seafaring and spice trading routes in the East Indies. “Rijsttafel” (a selection of spicy dishes served with rice) is a must-try before leaving.

Day 3: Slenaken - Aachen, Germany
After a hearty Dutch breakfast, you "saddle up" and follow the emperor’s road to Aachen, Germany’s westernmost city and former Imperial Residence of the Carolingian Dynasty. It was the heart and soul of the medieval European world, the home of Charlemagne and his court in the 9th century. Both French and German cultures trace their beginnings back to him. For 600 years, 30 German Kings and 12 Queens were coronated in the cathedral Charlemagne built in 796, now a UNESCO world heritage site. His royal remains are interred here and it has been an important pilgrimage destination on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Aachen is also a famous German spa town. Roman legionnaires soaked their battle-weary bones in the 30 hot springs that bubble up, heated by volcanic activity not far beneath the earth’s crust. Medieval monks and kings all took the waters here. The modern-day spa is a top-notch bathing facility and is highly recommended. The gothic Rathouse (town hall) is also worth a visit with its 50 life-size rulers guarding the facade. If you stop for a coffee at Café zum Mohren, you’ll have historic views of centuries in one glance…the medieval cathedral and ancient Roman ruins, not to mention the best homemade ice cream cakes in all of Germany. Not to be missed!

Day 4: Aachen - Monschau 
Today you start the 127 km Fen-Railway bike path. This 1882 industrial line was built to transport iron ore and coal to the steelworks in Aachen. A hundred years later, it was converted to a rails-to-trails. Crossing viaducts and tunnels, you cycle alongside various rail signal installations and huge water pumps that once filled thirsty steam locomotives. What a thrill for historic train enthusiasts. We climb at a 2% grade through a forest you can imagine Hansel and Gretel would have played—and gotten lost. The air is piney fresh along the German-Belgian border through towns like Roentgen, the first town to be liberated by American troops at the end of WWII. You descend into a narrow forested valley to Monschau, arriving at our historic hotel, a half-timbered beauty brimming with flower boxes. Thanks to the river that flows through the center, mills generated cloth fabric in the 1700s and the town grew rich. This pretty German village looks too “Disney” to be real, but it is. Imagine meandering cobblestone streets, craggy cliffs, a 12th-century castle, and outdoor terraces overlooking the river. It’s like finding a treasure when you least expect it.

Day 5: Monschau - St. Vith, Belgium
You ride through the high fen (moor) straddling the Belgian-German border heading south. It is a mystical landscape, a place for poets, daydreamers, and cyclists. Due to a unique variety of grasses, heathers, and birdlife, this watery world of springs is not only a National Park but also a massive watershed for two major rivers including the Maas and the Rhine. Pedaling through the peaceful Belgian countryside into sleepy villages with steaming waffles, you will be tempted to stop. The views sweep across rolling green pastures as far as the eye can see with horse farms and grazing cattle. This is farm country at its best. If you happen to catch a whiff of bacon, it’s because the finest smoked meats are cured in the former railway station in Montenau along the route. St. Vith is home for the night. After centuries as a market town and then an important railway junction, you’ll notice the town appears new, and it is. On Christmas 1944, St Vith was obliterated during a battle between American and German forces in WW II. The town is located in a small area in eastern Belgium that speaks German. Find a café and order steamed mussels and local Belgian ale. You earned it.

Day 6: St Vith - Clervaux, Luxembourg
The morning ride promises a good chance of wild animal sightings…herons, field rabbits, falcons, red stags, and wild boar. Before you know it, you are already in Luxembourg, the world’s only Grand Duchy, a country half the size of Rhode Island. The language is a mélange of her two powerful neighbors French and Germany, resulting in a unique language called Luxembourgish. For the last leg of today’s journey, you board a train to our overnight destination in Clervaux overshadowed by a 12th-century castle and Benedictine abbey, both worth visiting. In the afternoon, you can relax or spend time in our 4-star hotel’s wellness center. There’s an optional side trip to visit the Battle of the Bulge War Museum in Bastogne, Belgium. To prepare for this trip, we recommend Monuments Men and the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers.

Day 7: Clervaux - Moselle area, Germany
Back on a morning train to Ettelbrück in Luxembourg, you then enjoy easy cycling along the Sauer River before reaching the vineyard-clad slopes of the lovely Moselle River. You pass Diekirch, home of the famous Luxemburg Beer, arriving for lunch in the precious town of Echternach, the oldest town of Luxembourg. The town developed around the Benedictine monastery which Willibrord, the Patron Saint of Luxembourg built in 698 AD. He is the only saint to be buried in this country and his remains lie here. The monastery was renowned for its Scriptorium, which produced priceless decorative manuscripts. Remnants of the largest Roman villa ruins north of the Alps are on display for us to investigate. Enjoy a leisurely lunch in the town square. By midday, we arrive at the German Mosel River, famous for Riesling wines, dramatic scenery, and Imperial Trier, the ancient Roman city where Constantine the Great ruled during the late Classical period.

Day 8: End of tour/ transfer to Metz if you are extending your tour on a bike and boat experience!

You can combine this tour with the Metz to Cochem tour to make it a 15-day 5 country tour! Ask us for pricing.

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You will be accommodated in 3 and 4-star hotels which are charming to the core. Many are historic and family-owned, and many smaller inns and bed and breakfasts with character. For those who will participate in the 5 Country combined tour, you will also be accommodated onboard the premium class vessel, the Iris.