2022 German Bike and Barge - Saturday, July 23 - Saturday, July 30


LSSC Members in Trier, Germany


After postponements due to CoVid, the Germany Bike and Barge Trip finally launched, transporting 23 LSSC members along the banks of the Saar, Mosel, and Rhine rivers in Germany.  After a myriad of flight delays, cancellations, and rebookings, the group miraculously arrived in Saarburg right on time to start our adventure. In Saarburg,, a lovely, picturesque town on the banks of the Saar River, we boarded the Merlijn, a handsome riverboat with very comfortable accommodations and very attentive staff.  Each day had us biking approximately 25 miles along the rivers passing scenic villages, medieval castles, and picturesque churches. Vineyards lined the sides of hills and mountains throughout our journey, with many of the grapevines at angles that seemingly defied gravity 

 We enjoyed various rest stops along the way where some of us enjoyed the cappuccinos, local beers and wines, including crémant ((a local specialty made from Riesling grapes), One of our surprise stops was riding our bikes on a small ferry to Luxemburg. Another fun moment on the boat occurred as we passed the Lorelei Rocks of the Rhine; we gathered and sang the song about the fabled boat captains that would crash their boats, thinking the rocks were really lovely Rhine maidens.

 And then there were the highly informative tours - one in Trier, the site of many World Heritage Site Roman ruins, and one in the Eltz castle- a magnificently preserved medieval castle. We also had a delicious wine-tasting in a family-owned vineyard.  In addition, our guide Lia was constantly shepherding us through the week- providing routes, supports for our bikes, and information on a wide range of topics while biking, resting, dining, and walking after dinner.  Lia introduced us to the concept of “cornering” on our bike rides, where successive members of the group would take turns directing the rest of the group on turns (and there were many of them). As the week progressed, “cornering” became automatic and a fun way of both working together and mixing up riders throughout the day.

Finally, we were blessed with perfect weather all week, and as if by magic, the rain arrived after our last bike ride. We were also fortunate that with the continued high statistics of CoVid in Germany, that we all completed the trip safe and sound.  Thank you, Andrew Kirby who had created this wonderful adventure for the Club.