Some roads have a legendary status, and at just 40 miles long the B500 – or Schwarzwaldhochstrasse which translates to the Black Forest Highway – is one of them.
Running from Baden-Baden at its northern end to Freudenstadt in the south, it may seem strange to suggest that you ride a 975-mile loop from the Hook of Holland, just to ride the 40 miles of the B500, but that is what being a legend is all about.
Such a long trip can’t be all about the B500, so to get there we picked some excellent roads to enjoy. Sadly there is a little more motorway-mile-munching that we would have liked, but sometimes it is the only efficient way to navigate the major towns and cities in this part of Europe.
Day One takes you from the ferry at the Hook of Holland (Rotterdam) south-east past Dusseldorf and Cologne (Koln) to the town of Nurburg and home of the Nurburgring.
Day Two, assuming you don’t get distracted and put in a few laps of the Nurburgring, is a two hundred mile ride through stunning countryside, arriving at Baden-Baden and the start of the B500. The ride through the Palatinate Forest on the L504, is stunning.
Day Three starts with the 40 miles that are the B500 Schwarzwaldhochstrasse. Overall the day is 190 miles long, with only the last 30 miles using parts of the motorways around Frankfurt to end the day north of the city.
This is a long day. The scenery is stunning. The roads inspiring. However, the speed limits hamper your ability to cover the distance. You might want to consider exploring the B500 and the roads around it for a day and then use the Day Three Alternative route.
Day Four is a day of two halves. The first 120 miles meander through yet more glorious countryside before turning west at Dortmund and using the motorway to travel back to the Rotterdam for the evening ferry.
You can read a more detailed account of the trip here – Suzuki 1050XT and the B500
When importing GPX files, your GPS or Phone navigation app will recalulate the route based on your navigation preferences. We add waypoints to hopefully minimise any differences, but it is always worth double-checking.
If you have a route that you would like to share, get in touch and with the Editor, and we will do our best to include it. Download, ride and enjoy. What could possibly go wrong? All the motorcycle touring routes are GPX 1.1 version files.
All of the motorcycle touring routes are provided “as is” without guarantee, liability or any assurances. The lawyers said we had to include that sentence. All we can tell you is that we had an excellent time planning and riding them.
B500 Day One - Hook of Holland to Nurburg
B500 Day Two - Nurburg to Baden-Baden and the start of the B500
B500 Day Three - Baden-Baden to Weilmunster
B500 Day Four - Weilmunster to Hook of Holland
Hook of Holland to B500 as One Route. Divide as suits your touring style.
B500 Day Three - Baden-Baden to Weilmunster - Alternative
