The Harz Forest in Germany is a labyrinth of beautiful roads of all types. Any easy motorway blast from the ferry at Rotterdam (Hook of Holland) or, as planned below, a two-day meander through the Dutch and German back roads.
Day One: The usual mix is motorway and fast N roads to get away from the docks and around the major towns. Linking the boring bits is a mix of roads that sometimes takes the long way around just to enjoy the scenery.
The overnight stop – as planned – is at the Hotel-Restaurant Gerold in Paderborn. Excellent people who offered to store the bikes overnight in their garage.
Day Two: A wandering route cross country, aiming at the southern end of the Harz National Park. The roads were chosen for their enjoyment, coupled with riding through the parts of the map shaded green. Once at Nordhausen, the route turns north through the heart of the Harz forest to Bad Grund.
The overnight(s) stop – as planned – is at the excellent Hotel Harmonie (Biker-Hotel-Harz.de)
Day Three: Time to start heading back towards the ferry at Rotterdam. The route stays away from the motorways as much as is practical, routing south of Hannover – north of Osnabruck and crossing back into the Netherlands at Hardenberg.
The nightstop – as planned – is at Hof van Dalfsen.
Day Four: All good things must come to an end, and from Dalfsen in the Netherlands, the ferry is a 115-mile ride. It is mostly motorway, the idea being that you can have a late breakfast and easily make the afternoon ferry back to Harwich.
Download – Ride – Enjoy. What could possibly go wrong? There is even a video to show you what to expect.
Harz Forest Day One
Getting Out of Rotterdam
Harz Forest Day Two
Southerly Arrival
Harz Forest Day Three
Heading Home
Harz Forest Day Four
Blast to the Boat
