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Summer 2020 was supposed to be miserable. We had to temporarily stop our round-the-world trip after one month in self-isolation in Colombia. Reluctantly we returned to Europe, unsure how things would turn out for us. Our motorbike and pretty much all our belongings were left behind in Bogota. But it wasn’t!!!
We had an amazing summer, doing something that I feel many of us travellers often overlook: discovering our home country!! The same is true for us. I had barely seen anything of Germany whilst my desire to explore foreign places on new continents seemed to be ever growing. Fiona also had many beautiful parts of the UK left to explore. This summer I finally had the opportunity to see my own country, introduce Fiona to it and, to top it all off, do it all on the Tiger 900 Rally Pro!
Trip Summary
In total we rode 3750 miles from the isle of Rügen, covering the Harz and Elbe Sandstone
mountains, all across Austria, exploring the best mountain passes in the Alps. On the way
home, we crossed the Black Forest with a few detours into the neighbouring countries. Here are our Top Travel Tips for all motorbike enthusiasts who are on the lookout for their next
travel destination in Europe:
1. Off-Road Adventure in Lossatal
Admittedly, an Enduro Park does not exactly count as a travel destination. But we just had to share this incredible experience with the ADV community out there! The Enduro Action Team organises a yearly “Adventure Ride Competition” (ARC). It is the largest Adventure Bike riding competition open to ALL BRANDS in the world!
The terrain is very varied and challenging with deep gravel and sand, single trails, steep hills and mud. It will certainly allow you to push yourself beyond your limits. Despite that, the ARC is open to participants of any skills level and offers training all year round.
During our travels, Fiona and I have had to cross countless rivers, ride through deep volcanic ash and rode countless miles off-road two up. Nonetheless, we were absolutely impressed by what the Enduro Action Team had to offer. What better way to start an epic road trip, than to push the bike to its (or better, and more honestly, said: my own) limits than during the ARC?
Despite its 900cc the Tiger 900 RALLY PRO is very light and has a lower centre
of gravity, which makes for much easier handling off road, especially during slow speed
manoeuvres. Its top-notch suspension ensures a smooth ride in any terrain. If you want to
experience the superb throttle response and balance of the Tiger 900 Rally Pro you can rent
it directly from the Enduro Action Team in Lossatal. Trust me, you won’t be left
disappointed! Anyone looking for their next off-road adventure, needs to look no further!
2. The Harz Mountains
In this part of Germany you will find windy roads through beautiful valleys with wild rivers, surrounded by dense forest. But what makes it particularly special are all the little, medieval villages scattered across with colourful, half-timbered houses and castles. They make for truly picturesque stops as you explore the area.
The Harz is the highest mountain range in Northern Germany and a great place to explore by bike, thanks to its many twisting roads. As soon as we arrived, I decided to put the Tiger 900 Rally Pro into sport modus and we had an absolute blast! Another feature I really loved was the quickshifter. It enabled quicker gear changes, faster acceleration and was particularly fun in the mountains.
Our favourite towns in The Harz region were Goslar, Wernigerode and Quedlingburg. We didn’t take the time to hike much as we were too busy enjoying the turns. But if you enjoy hiking you’ll no doubt be able to spend longer here, in order to make the most of this enticing area.
3. Elbe Sandstone Mountains (Saxon & Bohemian Switzerland)
Don’t let the name of this region confuse you, because Saxon Switzerland is actually part of Germany. From the Harz mountains we rode east, until just before the German-Czech border, into the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. On our way we rode along the river Elbe, passed many vineyards and some picturesque towns.
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains are hands down the most beautiful and impressive National Park in Germany! The landscape is truly breathtaking and unique. Here you can find rocks and ravines made of sandstone, surrounded by thick spruce forests. If you come to this region you MUST hike to the Bastei Bridge. It will reward you with dramatic views of the surrounding landscape.
We were so impressed with Saxon Switzerland, that we also wanted to discover the region from the Czech side, the so-called Bohemian Switzerland. A merely half-hour drive down the road will take you to the Czech Republic. From here you will be able to hike to the Prebischtor. It’s the largest natural sandstone bridge in Europe! On your way back, you can hike through the Edmundsklamm gorge and then take a boat back up the stream to your original starting point. I highly recommend visiting Bohemian Switzerland too if you already find yourself in the Elbe Sandstone mountains.
4. Wachau an der Danube
Wachau on the Danube is one of the most beautiful river valleys in Europe and is a fantastic travel destination for bikers and wine lovers. Right along the river, and vineyards as far as the eye can reach, we even found a campsite with a view of the charming town Dürnstein.
Upon our arrival we were met by Matthias, whom we met a few weeks earlier at the ARC. He kindly offered to show us his home: the Kremstal! He showed us the best biker routes around, such as the winding „Weißenkirchen in der Wachau Straße“ with stunning views of the valley. On the way back, we visited gorgeous vineyards and lovely, little villages. And late afternoon, when the rain finally caught up with us, we found shelter in one of the numerous taverns.
The next few days were a little colder and rainy so we were grateful for the opportunity to try out the heated seats of our Tiger 900 Rally Pro. With Fiona being able to adjust the heat of her seat by herself, it goes without saying that this function was an absolute hit. Not only with me as the driver, but also for my pillion!
Don’t miss a day trip to Krumau
If you are travelling here from Bohemian Switzerland, it is definitely worth
visiting the fairy-tale town of Krumau on the Vlatva River in the Czech Republic on the
way. You can of course also explore Krumau as a daytrip from Wachau! It’s a little far and
requires an early start but you won’t regret the journey.
The best way to explore Krumau is to get lost in the many old alleys which somehow all lead past the castle and provide you with a magnificent view of the old town and the surrounding forests. The Vlatava flows directly through this delightful, little town. In the summer you can let yourself drift on a kayak right across the town if you need to cool off. Alternatively, just take in the views from one of the many, delightful restaurant terraces in the old town.
5. Styria
Our next destination was the south of Austria, which is very captivating and attracts significantly less tourists. If you are looking for some less known biking roads with fewer visitors, then Styria is the perfect place for you. We first rode through the Gutenstein Alps. Afterwards we took on the twisty turns of Hell Valley via Ochsattel and Rohrersattel. You will also find mesmerising views if you continue over the Niederalp and Preiner Gscheid Pass.
Next, we headed to the UNESCO heritage city of Graz. This charming old town has a truly great vibe and provides a perfect base to explore the surrounding area. One of our top highlights here was the Styrian Wine Road. I have had the pleasure of exploring many pretty wine routes around the world. But this was probably one of the most beautiful and jaw-dropping ones I have ever seen!
6. Carinthia
Next, we headed in the direction of Carinthia and stopped at the lake Wörthersee. The colours of the water are truly magnificent and the nature all around exquisite. We had a wonderful time in Carinthia, during which we also spent time at lake Ossiach and Millstädter. They are two significantly quieter options to the popular Wörthersee if you want to avoid the crowds.
There are quite a few noteworthy biker routes around here like the Gerlitzenstrasse. But our absolute favourite biker road was Nockalmstraße. It offers several challenging hairpins and I certainly felt it was a good practice run before taking on the mighty Großglockner. By now I had spent enough time on the Tiger 900 Rally Pro to really get to know it and lean into the corners, appreciating the state-of-the-art ergonomics of this bike. I strongly recommend riding popular biking roads first thing in the morning to avoid traffic, and ideally avoid weekends entirely. This enabled us to have the roads mostly to ourselves despite peak season. In addition to that, come afternoon, we were already back and relaxing at one of the many beautiful lakes.
7. Grosglockner
The absolute highlight of our road trip was of course the mighty Großglockner High Alpine Road: Austria’s highest mountain in the Hohe Tauern. It belongs to a group of Alps that
border on Salzburg, Tyrol and Carinthia. In order to be one of the first riders in the
morning, we strategically camped near Heiligenblut am Großglockner the night before. And it certainly paid off!
We shared the roads with very few riders but by 11am the traffic already started picking up. The Großglockner is after all the most famous panoramic road in Europe. It offers 36 tight bends, up to 12% incline and a pass height of 2500 meters.
We reached the highest point, the Edelweißspitze in perfect timing for lunch with phenomenal views of the imposing, snow-covered mountains. The afternoon was spent in Zell am See, a nice, small town in the middle of the Alps. The lake offered a welcome cooling off after this exhilarating ride with mesmerising views of the Alps all around the lake. Alternatively, you can start the other way around and drive the Großglockner from the toll station in Ferleiten to Heiligenblut.
8. German Alpine Road
The German Alpine Road leads from Schönau am Königsee to Lindau am Bodensee. 280 miles leading along some of the most captivating parts of Germany await you here, including Königsee, Garmisch Partenkirchen and Füssen; an essential stop to visit one of the most visited castles in the world: the enchanting Neuschwanstein Castle.
We didn’t anticipate to get a camping spot with direct view of the castle but luck was obviously on our side. Füssen itself is a charming, old town with a total of three castles and a stunning lake. In addition, there are endless hiking trails so you can easily spend a few days here to explore the area, castles and all of its history.
Overall, the Austrian Alpine Roads are more breathtaking. However, the German Alpine Road is not only toll-free, but also offers really great stops along the way. Lake Constance is a great place to visit that you will reach at the end of the Alpine Road. Our favourite place at Lake Constance though was the beautiful small town of Meersburg. We loved the tiny, paved streets, old castle complexes and a stunning lake promenade lined with restaurants and cafes directly overlooking the lake. Meersburg is also surrounded by vineyards which can be easily explored by foot.
9. Alsace Wine Road
From Lake Constance we drove through the Black Forest past the Titisee to Freiburg. From here we couldn’t resist and had to make a little detour and explore the Alsace wine region! The vineyards themselves were perhaps not as impressive and beautiful compared to other wine routes we got to discover in Germany and Austria. But no other wine region led through such cute, picturesque, little towns in close proximity to each other as in Alsace. We particularly recommend visiting Eguisheim, Kayserberg and Riquewihr. From here we drove north via Obernai to Strasbourg, which, by the way, is also a lovely city that you should definitely explore if you are in the region. The wine route lies less than an hour’s drive south of Strasbourg!
10. Moselle Valley & Eltz Castle
In my opinion the Moselle valley has the most beautiful wine routes in Germany and is also one of my favourite biker routes! A paradise for curvy-eager Tigers and anyone in search of hairpin turns. The route between Bernkastel-Kues and Münstermaifeld, which leads past Bremmer-Calmont, the steepest vineyard in the world, is particularly worth mentioning.
If you want to lean into the corner with a 20% incline, it is best to take a detour to the Gravenburg ruins, which also offer one of the most beautiful panoramic views. If you want to experience the old „Hunsrücker Bergrennstraße“, an old racing road, you can ride it from Merl to Grenderich.
However, a visit to the striking Burg Eltz is an absolute MUST and shouldn’t be missed! There are many delightful hiking trails that lead to it, but you can also use the main car park which only requires a short, yet steep walk down to the castle with awe-inspiring views. The way back is a little longer, but flat, and leads through the forest. Even in motorcycle gear this hike is not challenging at all but there is always the option of a shuttle bus as well.
A fantastic roadtrip on my favourite Adventure Bike
After all these highlights, the Tiger 900 Rally Pro has proven to be an excellent travel
companion. Apart from its tremendous off-road capabilities, it’s also super fun to ride hairpins in
the Alps with. It comes with a lot of high spec extras as a standard and offers an enormous
level of comfort both off-road or for longer road trips on asphalt, whilst being such a light
and agile bike.
The all-new engine offers more power and torque and you feel, and will fall in love with, this power when riding. I had a fantastic time on it this summer and hope that this guide may provide some travel inspiration for your next road trip. Click here if you want to find out more about the Tiger 900 Rally Pro and why I fell in love with it.
Tiger 900 Rally Pro: Is it the best middleweight Adventure Bike on the market right now?
Have you been to any of these places? Which one would you like to visit? Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Please let me know below – I’d love to hear from you 🙂
