Velo Europe and Cycling in Hamburg
Hamburg has a bicycle-friendly surrounding area in all directions and is a great starting point for many routes and stages in all directions.
Most cycling tours start at the Elbe. Alternatively, we always have the possibility to take the Hamburger S-Bahn from the city centre in all directions.
- from Hamburg we can reach the Danish as well as the Dutch capital.
- from Hamburg we can reach the North Sea, as well as the Baltic Sea in daily stages.
- from Hamburg we can reach the nature area Lüneburger Heide in the south of Hamburg in one day stage.
Velo Europe Hamburg Daily stages
1) Hamburg to Wedel, abt 23 km, abt 41 min train every 20 min connection stages to Glückstadt and Elmshorn
2) Hamburg to Lauenburg (Elbe), about 55 km, min 1 x hourly about 1:08- 1:45 and 1 x change, connection stages to Ratzeburg, Lüneburg and Hitzacker
3) Hamburg to Trittau, abt 38 km, train to Aumühle every 20 min , abt 30 min connection to Bad Oldesloe or Ratzeburg and further to Lübeck
4) Hamburg to Hamburg-Harburg R1 / R2 abt 19 / 16 km, connection many times per hr, abt 15 min
5) Hamburg-Harburg to Buchholz ( Heide ), ca 45 km, min 1-2 per hr, abt 11-15 min
6) Hamburg-Harburg nach Buxtehude, ca 33 km, train 2-3 per hr, abt 16-24 min, connection to Stade
7) Hamburg- Harburg nach Winsen(Luhe), ca 24 km, train ab 11-21 min, 2 x per hr, connection Lüneburg
Velo Europe Routes from Hamburg
Hamburg in the direction of Nordsee- Elbe downstream
This stage from the Hamburg city centre along the Elbe to Glückstadt is used by us for the following purposes
-on the one hand to continue to Brunsbüttel until the mouth of the river Elbe
-but also to cycle from Glückstadt either east through Schleswig Holstein along the Stör, or west to Bremerhaven to cycle the route to Amsterdam along the German North Sea coast.
Glückstadt ( Elbe ) to Fehmarn (Option Denmark-Copenhagen )
From the Elbe to the second largest German island we cross Holstein via Bad Segeberg and Plön.
In the first area of this route we drive parallel to the Stör from Glückstadt to Itzehoe or follow a signposted Mönchs-Radweg from Glückstadt, which also continues on the Danish side.
We reach the Baltic Sea coast at Grömitz.
Along the Baltic Sea coast and over the Fehmarnsund bridge to Fehmarn. From Fehmarn we cycle over the Danish islands Copenhagen (see options under Copenhagen).
Glückstadt ( Elbe ) to Amsterdam
We cross the Elbe at Glückstadt and drive west through the Geestland to Bremerhaven.
Here we cross the Weser at Nordenham and drive further west to the Jadebusen to Wilhelmshaven. Along the Ems-Jade-Canal to Emden we continue in western direction to the mouth of the river Ems and the city of Emden at the Ems Dollart.
Alternatively we can cycle around the Ems-Dollart area via Leer or take the ferry directly from Emden to Delfzijl.
Along the Dutch North Sea coast via small villages and towns in the Groningen and Friesland region to Harlingen.
From Harlingen over the dam of the Ijsselmeer. Then we leave the North Sea coast and cycle parallel to the Ijsselmeer to the south and via Enkhuizen and Hoorn to the Dutch capital which we reach from the east.
Hamburg to the Baltic Sea and Hamburg to Lübeck
On the one hand it is a good day stage from one Hanseatic city to the next Hanseatic city and on the other hand this stage connects Hamburg with the Baltic Sea cycle path, both in the direction of Denmark and in the direction of Poland or Mecklenburg Vorpommern.
From Hamburg we take the easterly direction and
We cycle Glinde first on an old railway line and later along the Trave to Lübeck.
From Lübeck it is only a few kilometres to Travemünde, where we come across the Baltic Sea Cycle Route.
The Baltic Sea Trail leads us eastwards via Wismar to Rostock and from Rostock we again have several options.
To the west/north west we cycle along the Baltic Sea coast through the Lübeck bay towards Grömitz to the Fehmarnsund bridge.
From there we continue to Fehmarn and Denmark if desired.
A day stage to Lübeck this old hanseatic city and return to Hamburg by train is also a recommendable tour in the region.
Hamburg to Berlin
From the second largest city of Germany at the Elbe to the capital of Germany at the Spree and Havel we have basically two different routes.
On the one hand it is the Elbe downstream or follow the signposted Elbe cycle path to Havelberg and then upstream along the Havel via Brandenburg and Potsdam to Berlin.
The alternative route starts as described above via Lübeck to Rostock.
From Rostock in southern direction through the mecklenburg-vorpommerische Seenplatte - Müritz. Then we follow the Havel downstream via Oranienburg to Berlin.
Alternatively we can cycle from Rostock along the Baltic Sea via Stralsund to Greifswald and then south via Prenzlau to the northeast of Berlin.
Hamburg to Hannover
From Hamburg to the capital of Lower Saxony we have different possibilities.
The first one starts at the Elbe and goes up the river to Lauenburg. There we leave the Elbe and drive along the Alte Salzstraße to Lüneburg.
From Lüneburg through the Lüneburger Heide to Soltau and on to the Steinhuder Meer to Neustadt am Rübenberge.
From there parallel to the Leine to the capital of Lower Saxony Hannover.
The second option already starts in Hamburg with an undercrossing of the Elbe at the landing bridges through a tunnel.
On the other side of the Elbe we first take a southern course through Hamburg Harburg and then drive directly into the Lüneburger Heide to Soltau.
