Used the time during a business trip in Frankfurt to visit the footbridge ‘Eiserner Steg’ (iron passage) with view to the financial district of Frankfurt again. Here are some impressions

Eiserner Steg, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany

Eiserner Steg and view of Financial District, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany

Eiserner Steg and view of Financial District, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany

Eiserner Steg and view of Financial District, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany

And here’s more meat on the bone regarding my trip to Odenwald. Gotthards church ruin, Siegfried water source, Abtei Amorbach. All looking good without the rain.

Abtei Amorbach, Bayern, Germany

Gotthardsruine, Amorbach, Bayern, Germany

Inside of Gotthards ruin, Amorbach, Bayern, Germany

Moss, Odenwald forest, Bavaria, Germany

Siegfriedquelle, Amorbach, Bayern, Germany

On my way to work in Frankfurt, I decided to take a little detour and actually profit from the many nature parks and regional sights the area has to offer. I have driven the route on the A5 interstate so often, it has really gotten boring, but I forgot how exciting it is to off-track a little bit and get to know the local attractions.

I got the book ‘Nature Parks’ of Germany for Christmas, and by adding in some bike tracks that are signposted, you can really turn this into a fun day, hitting some cool trails and taking in the sights as well. Here I started in Amorbach in Bavaria, close to the Main river, and entered some of the sagas from the ‘Song of the Nibelungs’ (Nibelungenlied) and even made it to the secret water source where Sigurd (Siegfried) was made invincible with the exception of that tiny spot between his shoulders. I don’t think I was turned invincible today, but the source certainly helped to clean off some of that dirt. The in-between downpours were a bit cumbersome, but the day was all the nicer when the sun came out.

Amorbach Am1 Biketrail, Bavaria, Germany

Another break waiting for the rain to clear, Amorbach Am1 Bike Trail, Bavaria, Germany

Dirt in my face

Dirt in my face at Siegfriedquelle famous water source, Bavaria, Germany

Whoever recommended to me that Kunkelspass mountain pass would be a nice mountain bike ride while sitting at Alp Maton – I am glad I tried (and erred) right away the same evening rather than planning this as a separate tour: You are so wrong! It is just a random road, a bit gravelly at times, with traffic even permitted and a set of restaurants and exhibit huts on top. The trail to Ringelspitzhütte is a bit nicer, and with the changing light and weather conditions the evening turned out quite nice still, but just don’t expect Kunkelspass to be a challenging or even flowing ride.

Doing a bit of research I understand you could take ride from Kunkelspass all the way to Ringelspitzhütte and take a quite demanding downhill trail through Lavoi valley down to Tamins. Sounds a lot better.

Rain falls onto Kunkelpass road during a thunderstorm, Tamina valley, Switzerland

View from Ringelspitz trail down into Tamina valley, Switzerland

Chapel at St. Martin Walser settlement, Calfeisen valley, Switzerland

View across Bad Ragaz to Falknishorn with Mazorakopf and the wall at Falknistürme, St. Luzisteig in front with Schnielskopf, St. Gallen, Switzerland

With a friend uphill from Bad Ragaz to Chimmispitz. It was a bit of a cow’s trail up to the lovely alpine hut at Alp Maton (thanks for leaving a cooler with drinks even when away!), a quick walk up to the peak of Chimmispitz. I liked the detail of the dry stone walls and the view to Pizol mountain across the valley, and then it was a long flow trail downhill to Mastrils and finally to Chur, where we hit an unexpected, exposed and interesting trail way above the Rhine river. Great first part of a long biking day.

Jumping at Chimmispitz, St. Gallen, Schweiz

Biking above the Rhine, Chur, Switzerland

Pano from Chimmispitz, St. Gallen, Schweiz

A friend took me on a walk from Basel along the Rhine into Huningue, Weil am Rhein and Basel itself – three countries in barely three hours, including drinks, ice creams and chasing water fountains.

Musée Historique und französischer Garten, Huningue, France

Place Abbatucci, Huningue, France

Passerelle des Trois Pays / Dreiländerbrücke

Details of the famous and the not so famous.

Astronomical clock, Prague, CZ

Beer menue, Prague, CZ

Food market, Prague, CZ

Food market, Prague, CZ

A morning bike ride along the crest of Born hill to the new timber viewing platform, then an evening ride to Geissflueh summit cross

View across Aare river to Aarberg Castle, Solothurn, Switzerland

Trimbach park view before sunset, Solothurn, Switzerland

Geissflueh summit cross, Jura mountains, Solothurn, Switzerland