The cycle route from the sources to the mouth of the Main is around 600 kilometers long. A classic among cyclists that can be divided into several beautiful sections and only has a few inclines. Today we pick the last stage, which lies between the banking metropolis of Frankfurt and the Rhineland-Palatinate state capital of Mainz, where the Main flows into the Rhine. However, after Frankfurt we do not follow the official Main cycle path, which switches downstream to the right side of the Main at Höchst , but stay on the left bank of the Main. On the Rhine-Main regional park route we pass Kelsterbach, Rüsselsheim and Gustavsburg, see industrial culture and cover 40 kilometers. Which side is the more beautiful? If you don’t want to decide and have enough stamina and time, you can drive there and back and try out both options – the one on the right bank of the Rhine is very well signposted and cannot be missed. But then there won’t be as much time left to look at the city at your destination or at least stop off. If you follow today’s tip, you can still decide which direction you should go. Both Frankfurt and Mainz are worth a trip. We describe the route starting in Frankfurt and taking the train back from Mainz. The path is mostly asphalted. Depending on the direction and weather conditions, a strong tailwind or headwind can become a friend or an enemy. Wherever you start, it is important to remember that in both cities it is not easy to park for free for the duration of the tour if you arrive by car. Directions We start on the Frankfurt bank of the Main between Deutschherrn and Osthafenbrücke, because that’s where There are good parking options (1). Anyone who arrives at Frankfurt Central Station chooses the quickest route to the Holbeinsteg over the Main and begins the tour there. The Main cycle path leads along the bank and offers an unobstructed view of the city skyline. There are also pedestrians here, so be considerate. European Central Bank, Kaiserdom, Sachsenhausen, Museumsufer, Eiserner Steg, Holbeinsteg…On both sides of the Main, the city’s sights pass us like a string of pearls (2). Behind the Main-Neckar Bridge, in the Niederrad district, we pass the headland formed by the former Niederrad lock with the LiLu green area – Niederrad light and air bath (3). The barrage was built between 1883 and 1885. We continue along the bank, under the Europa Bridge, until we pass the Griesheim barrage, which was built in the 1930s (4). We drive under the Schwanheimer Bridge and now briefly leave the banks of the Main because the Höchst industrial park is in our way. The bypass to Kelsterbach is well signposted with the bicycle symbol. Behind the bridge we turn left and follow the cycle path parallel to the main road until we turn right into Kelsterbacher Weg, which runs along the Schwanheimer Düne (5). It was created around 10,000 years ago as a result of the last ice age and is now a nature reserve. We then overcome federal highway 40 in several places. First we cross Leunastraße, turn right and then left again and stay on the cycle path along Elisabeth-Kuhn -Street. We cross the B 40 and are then on the cycle path along the Höchst industrial park. Attention: We do not take the signposted cycle path over the factory bridge, but stay on the left side of the Main, turn left and drive through the underpass of the B 40 . Behind it we turn right and finally come back to the banks of the Main. We soon reach Kelsterbach, where the pretty Kelsterbar on the bank invites you to take a break between May and September (6). Now we cycle along the bike path close to the shore, always keeping an eye on the water on the right. We pass the ferry dock in Okriftel. Unfortunately, the once popular connection to the other side of the Main has been discontinued since 2022; According to recent reports, it could be resumed in the summer of 2025. As we continue, we pass the listed Eddersheim barrage (Bauhaus architecture) with the bird island in front of it (7). You can cross the lock – but this is not recommended with a heavy e-bike because of the stairs. Shortly afterwards we pass the renovated Mönchhof chapel with a small cemetery (8). A beautiful place to take a break on the banks of the Main – if you don’t mind the aircraft noise, which is omnipresent here near Frankfurt Airport. We are also on the site of the former Caltex refinery, which closed in 1982. Industrial monument: The barrage on the Main in Frankfurt-Griesheim was built in the 1930s.Lucas BäumlThe refinery gained sad notoriety when five people died in an explosion in 1966. The Caltex oil port and associated tank farm are still in operation. The cycle path leads over the spectacular oil harbor bridge (9), a steel construction with a roundel that is more of a sculpture than a bridge. We continue past the Raunheim boat harbor with graffiti art (10) and through a pretty avenue until we reach the Opel town of Rüsselsheim reach with the city park. The Opelvillen art and culture foundation with changing exhibitions and the 600-year-old Rüsselsheim fortress with museum invite you to visit (11). Worth noting is the “permanent parker” right on the bank in front of the city – a concrete sculpture of the cult car Opel Manta by the artist Matthias Braun (12). Further on we drive over the Opelsteg (13), which is 440 meters long along the sheet piling of the Opel harbor. On the opposite bank you can see the Rheingau vineyards. Shortly afterwards, the asphalted cycle path turns left and is now some distance from the bank. We ride under the arch of the monumental sandstone pillar of the Hochheim railway bridge (14) and soon pass the Kostheim barrage (15). Then we continue between the Main dam and the bank until we drive under the Main bridge. We turn left behind it, then right again and ride on the cycle path with a beautiful view of Mainz to the Mainz-Süd railway bridge (16).More on the topicIf you stop at the viewing platform at the beginning, you have a view of the Mainspitze, where the Main flows into the Rhine. We leave the bridge over a steep ramp behind the bridgehead and are at the Mainz winter harbor, in the area of which there are several beer gardens. There we go over a small swing bridge over the harbor entrance (17), past the Malakoff Terrace and over Dagobert and Holzhofstraße to Mainz-Süd train station/Roman Theater. From there you can start the journey back to Frankfurt – but, as much local patriotism must be allowed, first take a detour to my beautiful hometown of Mainz. Worth seeingDrags along the route: In Griesheim and Eddersheim, pedestrians are allowed to cross the footbridge, only tolerated in Kostheim.Schwanheim Dune: A boardwalk opens up the nature reserve, information steles along the path provide information about the special features of the sensitive fauna and flora.Mönchhof Chapel: The pilgrimage chapel was built in 1685 and can only be viewed from the outside.Opelvillen Cultural Foundation: Changing exhibitions , open Tuesday, Thursday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., www.opelvillen.deRüsselsheim Fortress with City and Industrial Museum: Tour of the fortress complex and museum, Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., www.museum-ruesselsheim.deGetting thereFrankfurt is connected via the A 66, A 67, A 661, A 5 and A 3 motorways, depending on the direction of travel. Then follow the signs to Sachsenhausen to get to the left bank of the Main. Numerous regional trains and S-Bahn trains from all directions stop at the main station. Stop at Café Rüsselsheimer Festung, Hauptmann-Scheuermann-Weg 4, Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Between October and March only until 5 p.m. Restaurant Opelvillen, Ludwig-Dörfler-Allee 9, Rüsselsheim, chic break area, also changing lunch menu, Tuesday to Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday warm food from 5:30 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m until 2:30 p.m. www.restaurant-opelvillen.deStrandbar Kelsterbar, Mainstrasse at the corner of Leinpfad, Kelsterbach, very relaxed place, only from May 1st to September 30th, www.kelsterbar.comLength: 40 kmCondition: mostly asphalted cycle pathElevation: 70 metersDifficulty: easy
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