Following cycle paths and quiet roads, the Hessian Long-distance Cycle Route R2 takes you on a journey along rivers as they flow across the state of Hesse in the west of Germany. The trail, named after four rivers – the Lahn, Fulda, Lüder, and Lauter, also leads through the Rothaar Mountains and the Vogelsberg range. You pass through numerous typical Hessian half-timbered villages and cover many kilometers through extensive forests and meadows.

Around 80% of the R2 is paved and perfect for touring bikes, but you can ride on a road bike with a wider tread or gravel bike too. You should have a certain basic fitness level to enjoy the low mountain sections on stages 2 and 3. However, the climbs are never very steep.

Most of the time, you ride on cycle paths close to rivers or occasionally also on roads (towards the end of the southern part of the route). You pass train stations en route so you can easily ride sections of the entire route or combine it with other bike paths.

I have divided the 202-kilometer (125-mile) Tour into three daily stages, each of which ends in cities with various overnight stays. This makes it easy to enjoy a long weekend along the route. You can travel to the starting point Bad Laasphe by train from Marburg, among other places.

Hesse has an extensive network of bike paths, including nine different official long-distance bike routes. These numbered paths are linked together at various points so you can combine them together as you like. They also sometimes overlap with other bike paths.