Augustus Tours

Lake Constance - no other holiday destination in Europe symbolises such a classical bicycling region as the landscape surrounding the lake between Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A compact network of good quality and signposted cycle paths, along the lakeshore and the attractive surrounding countryside, promise visitors an enjoyable and undisturbed cycling experience. Enjoy at this unforgetable bike tour the magnificant landscape of the Lake Constance Cycle Route with its impressive alpine panorama!

This five-day self-guided short break is based around Dresden and Meissen. After time to explore Dresden's baroque old town, riders take the train to Bad Schandau for a day trip, cycling back through Saxon Switzerland's rock formations along the Elbe.

The route continues via Radebeul, with a narrow-gauge railway ride to the Moritzburg hunting lodge, before cycling on to the cathedral city of Meissen. The final day is a loop from Meissen through the village of Diesbar-Seußlitz and its castle to the pasta town of Riesa, returning to Meissen along the Elbe's left bank.

Highlights:

• Dresden's baroque old town, including the Zwinger and Semper Opera
• Saxon Switzerland's rock formations, reached via a Bad Schandau day trip
• Narrow-gauge railway ride to the Moritzburg hunting lodge of Augustus the Strong
• Meissen's cathedral and castle hill
• Diesbar-Seußlitz village and castle
• Riesa's famous pasta factory

Surface and terrain:
Flat, well-signed Elbe Cycle Path riding. Rated "easy" difficulty. Not suitable for riders with mobility impairments.

Suitable for:
Riders of easy fitness wanting a short, flat, self-guided break with daily distances of 35-52 km. Bookable from a single traveller.

This eight-day self-guided tour is the sportive version of the Hamburg-to-Dresden route, covering the same distance in six long riding days rather than eleven. Riders follow the Elbe through the Wendland's round villages and floodplains to Hitzacker, then via Wittenberge to the half-timbered round village of Havelberg.

The route continues past Tangermünde and the European water junction to Magdeburg, then across the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve to Bauhaus-era Dessau. A long stage through the Wörlitzer Park area leads to Torgau's Renaissance Hartenfels castle, before a final push through Meissen's wine villages to Dresden's baroque old town.

Highlights:

• The Wendland's distinctive round villages and Elbe floodplains near Hitzacker
• Havelberg's Romanesque cathedral and half-timbered old town
• Magdeburg's European water junction and modern art scene
• Bauhaus Dessau and the UNESCO-listed Wörlitzer Park
• Torgau's Renaissance Hartenfels castle
• Meissen's riverside wine villages en route to Dresden

Surface and terrain: Flat, well-signed Elbe Cycle Path riding throughout. Rated "demanding" difficulty, reflecting the long daily distances rather than terrain, with a "sportive tour, long-distance legs" tag. Not suitable for riders with mobility impairments.

Suitable for:
Fit, experienced cyclists wanting a fast-paced, self-guided tour with daily distances of 82-129 km. Bookable from a single traveller.

Beginning with the Untersee, you will start the shorter part of your bicycle tour visiting the Isle of Reichenau and the area west of the lake. After having seen the fort of Munot, the Rheinfall, the city of Diessenhofen and Schaffhausen, you will set on the longer part of your tour - the circular tour around the Lake Constance. As the individual day-tours are in average 30 kilometres long, you will have the time to thoroughly enjoy the cities on your way, such as Uhldingen, Meersburg or Bregenz, as well as the nature around. The entire circular bicycle tour ends its starting point - in Constance.

On this tour you will cycle all around the lake and thereby get to know three countries and four islands: Reichenau, Mainau, Lindau and Werd. The main highlights are the medieval towns of Constance, Stein, Meersburg and Lindau.

This 13-day self-guided tour covers the greater part of Germany's Elbe Cycle Path, over 800 km long, across eleven riding stages. From Hamburg, riders follow the Elbe through Lauenburg and the Elbe Floodplain UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to Hitzacker, then on through former border country to Wittenberge, Havelberg and Tangermünde, reaching Magdeburg via the "European water junction."

The route continues through the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve to Bauhaus-era Dessau, then to the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz and UNESCO-listed Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Riders press on to Torgau's Renaissance Schloss Hartenfels, then via Riesa's wine villages and Meissen's castle hill and porcelain factory to Dresden, the "Florence of the Elbe," with its Frauenkirche, Zwinger Palace and Brühl's Terrace.

The tour can also be ridden in reverse (Dresden to Hamburg), though Hamburg-start is recommended for prevailing winds; it can be extended to Cuxhaven or Bad Schandau.

Highlights:

• Elbe Floodplain and Middle Elbe UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, rich in birdlife
• Historic river towns Hitzacker, Havelberg, Tangermünde and Wittenberge
• Magdeburg's cathedral, Hundertwasser building and the European water junction
• Bauhaus Dessau and the UNESCO-listed Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz
• UNESCO-listed Lutherstadt Wittenberg and Torgau's Renaissance Schloss Hartenfels
• Meissen's castle hill and porcelain factory, finishing in Dresden's baroque old town

Surface and terrain:
Flat, well-signed Elbe Cycle Path riding throughout. Rated "average to demanding" difficulty, reflecting the tour's length. Not suitable for riders with mobility impairments.

Suitable for:
Riders of average to demanding fitness wanting a long, flat, self-guided end-to-end tour with daily distances of 38-84 km. Bookable from a single traveller.

This eight-day self-guided tour links Prague to Dresden along the Elbe (Labe) Cycle Path, mostly on paved paths with only light country-road riding. After two nights and a full sightseeing day in Prague, riders follow the Vltava to Mělník, in the heart of Bohemia's wine country, where the Vltava meets the Elbe.

The route continues via Roudnice and the fortified town of Terezín to Litoměřice's old town, then through Ústí nad Labem, past Střekov castle ruins, to Děčín. Crossing into Germany, riders enter the bizarre rock formations of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains en route to Bad Schandau or Pirna, before a final stage past Königstein fortress, the Bastei and Pillnitz Palace to Dresden, the "Florence of the Elbe."

The tour can also be ridden in reverse (Dresden to Prague).

Highlights:

• Full day exploring Prague, including the Old Town Square and Charles Bridge
• Mělník, where the Vltava meets the Elbe, in Bohemia's wine country
• Historic Litoměřice and the fortified town of Terezín
• Děčín's baroque castle, with views that once inspired Chopin
• The bizarre rock formations of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains
• Königstein fortress, the Bastei and Pillnitz Palace en route to Dresden

Surface and terrain:
Mostly paved cycle path, with occasional country roads carrying light to moderate traffic. Rated "easy to average" difficulty. Not suitable for riders with mobility impairments.

Suitable for:
Riders of easy to average fitness wanting a flat to gently rolling, self-guided point-to-point tour crossing two countries, with daily distances of 21-58 km. Bookable from a single traveller.

This seven-day self-guided tour follows the Elbe Cycle Path from Dresden to Lutherstadt Wittenberg. After time to explore Dresden's baroque old town, with an optional day trip by train to Bad Schandau and a ride back through Saxon Switzerland past the Bastei rock and Königstein fortress, riders head to Meissen, known for its castle hill and porcelain factory, then on through wine villages to Riesa.

The route continues to Torgau's Renaissance Schloss Hartenfels, then through the Elbe floodplains to Lutherstadt Wittenberg, a UNESCO World Heritage town where Martin Luther began the Reformation 500 years ago.

The tour can also be ridden in reverse (Wittenberg to Dresden), and extended to the UNESCO-listed Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz.

Highlights:

• Dresden's baroque old town, with an optional Saxon Switzerland rail-and-ride day via Bad Schandau
• Meissen's castle hill and porcelain factory, with vineyard riding en route
• Riesa's pasta production and picturesque wine villages
• Torgau's Renaissance Schloss Hartenfels
• UNESCO-listed Lutherstadt Wittenberg, tied to Martin Luther and the Reformation
• Optional extension to the UNESCO-listed Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz

Surface and terrain:
Flat, well-signed Elbe Cycle Path riding. Rated "easy to average" difficulty. No hills or off-road sections mentioned; not suitable for riders with mobility impairments.

Suitable for:
Riders of easy to average fitness wanting a flat, self-guided point-to-point tour with daily distances of 28-70 km. Bookable from a single traveller.

This eight-day self-guided tour begins and ends in Prague. After a morning sightseeing in the city, a shared transfer takes riders to Spindleruv Mlyn, the cycling start point near the Elbe's source. The route passes the Elbe Dam and Vrchlabí, "Gateway to the Giant Mountains," to Dvůr Králové, then via the fortress town of Josefov to the university city of Hradec Králové.

Riders continue past Kunětická Hora Castle to Pardubice or Přelouč, then via the UNESCO-listed National Stud at Kladruby nad Labem and the spa town of Poděbrady to Nymburk. The final stage follows the Elbe to Čelákovice before joining a dedicated cycle route into Prague's historic centre.

As sections between the source and Mělník run along country roads and unpaved field and forest tracks, this route is described as an insider tip among touring cyclists.

Highlights:

• Elbe Dam and Vrchlabí, the historic "Gateway to the Giant Mountains"
• Fortress town of Josefov and the university city of Hradec Králové
• Kunětická Hora Castle and the historic centre of Pardubice
• UNESCO-listed National Stud at Kladruby nad Labem, home of the Old Kladruber horse
• Spa town of Poděbrady and medieval Nymburk
• Optional hike to the source of the Elbe and detour to UNESCO-listed Kutná Hora

Surface and terrain:
Mixed surfaces, including country roads and unpaved field and forest tracks in the early stages, becoming smoother asphalt cycle paths closer to Prague. Rated "average to demanding" difficulty. Not suitable for riders with mobility impairments.

Suitable for:
Riders of average to demanding fitness comfortable with mixed surfaces and daily distances of 22-83 km. Bookable from 2 people (not solo).

This ten-day self-guided tour links Hamburg to Berlin along the Elbe and Havel rivers, passing tranquil floodplains, sleepy villages and half-timbered towns. Riders follow the Elbe on dykes through Lauenburg and the Elbe Floodplain UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to Hitzacker, then continue through former inner-German borderland to Wittenberge and on to Havelberg, with its Romanesque and Gothic cathedral.

From Havelberg the route joins the Havel River Cycle Path through the Westhavelland Nature Reserve to Rathenow, the "city of optics," then through island city Brandenburg and past Werder and Palace Caputh to Potsdam, home to Palace and Park Sanssouci.

The final stage crosses the Glienicke Bridge into Berlin, takes a ferry over the Wannsee, and follows the Spree Cycle Path into the city centre.

Highlights:

• Elbe dyke riding through Lauenburg's half-timbered old town
• Elbe Floodplain UNESCO Biosphere Reserve near Hitzacker
• Havelberg's red-brick Romanesque and Gothic cathedral
• Westhavelland Nature Reserve and Rathenow's Optics Museum
• Palace and Park Sanssouci in Potsdam
• Crossing into Berlin via the Glienicke Bridge, the Wannsee ferry and the Spree Cycle Path

Surface and terrain:
Flat, well-signed riverside cycle paths (dykes along the Elbe, then the Havel River Cycle Path). Rated "average" difficulty. No hills mentioned; not suitable for riders with mobility impairments.

Suitable for:
Riders of average fitness wanting a flat, self-guided point-to-point tour with daily distances of 38-75 km. Bookable from a single traveller.