The best cycling routes around Saxler

Discovering the historical is always a highlight

A truly amazing experience for young and old. Turn on the lights – even though the tunnel is lit. And in hot weather, it's like riding through a "refrigerator."

A well-maintained cycle path runs around the maar, and beautiful views are guaranteed.

Maare-Mosel Cycle Route Family time on a bike tour along a disused railway line Almost no inclines, but plenty of adventure spots along the way – this Eifel bike tour from Daun to Bernkastel-Kues (58.5 km) is perfect for a family outing. Everyone cycles along at a leisurely pace, and even children can manage the route. The Maare-Mosel Cycle Route runs along a former railway line. Who'll be first to the top? A short race at the beginning leads up to the viaduct near Daun – the first and only challenge is mastered. With a stunning panoramic view of the Eifel, the little ones can catch their breath for a bit, then the next adventure awaits. There's great cheering at the "Großes Schlitzohr" (Great Slacker), as it's the second-longest bike tunnel in Germany – so turn on the lights and off we go. The bike tour continues at a relaxed pace through beech forests and past glittering maars. No car noise, just the gentle rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the laughter of children. From Bernkastel-Kues, a bike bus takes you back to the starting point. The return trip can be booked in advance. Text / Source: Eifel Tourismus (ET) GmbH, Kalvarienbergstraße, D-54595 Prüm https://www.eifel.info/a-maare-mosel-radweg

"Old Station" Schalkenmehren Passenger service between Daun and Wittlich was discontinued on November 1, 1981. Schalkenmehren. Approaching the Old Station in Schalkenmehren on the former railway line, today's Maare-Mosel cycle path, and seeing the station building, it's hard to believe that it was opened as a fourth-class railway station exactly 100 years ago. But how did it all begin 100 years ago? Surveying for the Daun-Wittlich railway line began as early as 1897. General preparatory work for the single-track line began in 1907. But it would take some time before the Daun-Schalkenmehren-Gillenfeld section opened on December 1, 1909, with the line running over the 28-meter-high Daun viaduct and through the 560-meter-long Schalkenmehren railway tunnel, "Großes Schlitzohr" (Great Sly Fox). The extension from Gillenfeld to Manderscheid to Pantenburg was completed on May 1, 1910, and the extension from Manderscheid-Pantenburg to Wittlich, signifying the completion of the entire line, was completed on July 1, 1910. The completion of the Daun-Wittlich railway line brought rapid development to the village of Schalkenmehren. In the first year of the line's existence (1910), 18,968 tickets were sold in Schalkenmehren, followed by 25,057 in 1913, 27,969 in 1919, and even 30,279 in 1922. In addition, Schalkenmehren station was designed for general cargo traffic and the receipt and dispatch of wagonloads. Text / Source: www.volksfreund.de/ https://www.volksfreund.de/region/vulkaneifel/ein-schmuckstueck-fuer-nostalgiker_aid-5712448

Old Railway Tunnel "Großes Schlitzohr" near Daun At the end of the first decade of the 20th century, the railway tunnel was driven 560 meters through the mountain. 80 years later, it was converted into a cycle path. The tunnel contains several niches with rounded arches, through which the water seeping in above is drained. The sound of this water has been a part of this place for almost 100 years. Text / Source: Institut Denkunternehmung, Hörscheider Straße 20, 54552 Darscheid https://denkunternehmung.de/alter-eisenbahntunnel-grosses-schlitzohr-bei-daun

To us, a mill pond like the one presented to the biker here may seem very ordinary, but in the fantasy world of someone like Otfried Preußler (1923 to 2013), who became famous with the children's books he wrote, things look very different: It is also the habitat of a water sprite family, and his book "The Little Water Sprite", which is still popular today, tells of the adventures that the family's offspring experience in the mill pond. The "Stiftung Lesen" reviews it: "The water sprite invited twenty-seven relatives - and twenty-six came. Twelve water sprites with their wives, a well man and the bridge woman from St. Nepomuk's Bridge! And they all accepted the invitation because they want to see the little water sprite that the water sprite dad is so proud of. And he can be - because the cheeky little shirt-faced boy can already swim, barely having been born. And he learns everything else faster than his worried parents would like. His friend, the cautious carp Cyprinus, can sometimes only wiggle his fins... The children's book classic from 1956 has already enchanted generations of readers, who can then pass on their own childhood memories as well as the fantastic adventures of the little water sprite when reading aloud to children aged around 5 and above." (Text source: Stiftung Lesen)

A real photo opportunity: The viaduct in Daun impresses with its imposing architecture and blends perfectly into the nature of the Volcanic Eifel. The view from below is particularly beautiful - ideal for a short break or a snapshot. If you take your time, you can enjoy the atmosphere. Perfect as a stopover for hikers and cyclists!