Rhine, Ruhr & Münsterland

This new tour leads through the northern Ruhr region and Münsterland, always along rivers and canals. Large industrial plants, which are now UNSECO World Heritage Sites, and renaturalised waterways show the successful conversion to a liveable region, many medieval towns and moated castles the long and rich history of the country. Well-maintained, mostly flat cycle paths enable even inexperienced cyclists to enjoy a great cycling holiday between the Rhine, Ruhr & Münsterland. Your tour starts in Cologne.
Here you can find details about your boat, the MS Quo Vadis.

Day 1 Arrival in Cologne
Embarkation starts at 4 pm, there is time for a walk through the old town before dinner.

Day 2 Cologne - Düsseldorf, approx. 48 km/30 mi
A full day of cycling lies between the place of origin of two very different types of popular beer - Kölsch and Alt Beer. Medieval towns and meadows border on industrial plants.

Day 3 Düsseldorf - Mülheim, approx. 50 km/31 mi
Today you follow the small river Anger and then an old railway line through the Niederbergische Land to Mülheim on Ruhr river. Castles, palaces, mills and beer gardens await you on the tour.

Day 4 Mülheim - Gelsenkirchen, approx. 50 km/31 mi
On Lake Baldeney you will find the impressive Villa Hügel, home of the Krupp family and now a museum. The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, illustrates the industrial past of the Ruhr region, which is now green and livable.

Day 5 Gelsenkirchen - Datteln, approx. 44 km/27 mi
Nature and industry in contrast: the Resser Mark with heath and forest landscape in contrast to the Recklinghausen II colliery and the Henrichenburg ship lift.

Day 6 Roundtrip to Hamm, 45-59 km/28-37 mi, + boat trip
Following the river Lippe, you cycle to medieval Werne and on to Maximilienpark in Hamm, Germany's first renaturalised coal mine site. You return to Datteln by boat.

Day 7 Lüdinghausen - Munster, approx. 61 km/38 mi, + boat trip
Today you have reached Münsterland, which means the best cycle paths, lots of greenery and countless moated castles and palaces. The cycling city of Munster is probably one of the most beautiful major German cities and the highlight of your tour.

Day 8 Departure
After breakfast your tour "Rhine, Ruhr & Münsterland" comes to an end.

• 7 nights aboard
• full board (7 x breakfast, 6 packed lunches, 6 x dinner, no dinner in Mülheim)
• cabins are cleaned daily
• bed linen and towels supplied
• on-board tour guide
• bike tours are introduced and discussed daily
• detailed travel documents in english
• GPS-tracks
• passenger-, harbour- and lock dutie
• optional rental bike
• optional return transfer incl. bike

• outside cabins, approx. 9 sqm (97 sq ft), with ensuite WC and shower
• level-access beds
• individually adjustable air conditioning
• non-opening portholes

Rental bicycles:

• We offer comfortable unisex-bikes with 7-speed gearboxes freewheel, equipped with a bike bag and a bike lock. We also offer e-bikes if desired.

Travel time 2022:

• Arrival on saturdays
  cancelled!
• Minimum number of participants: 12. This tour can be cancelled by the provider up to 3 weeks prior to its commencement.

•   999 EUR 2-bed cabin
• 1299 EUR 2-bed cabin, single occupancy

•     85 EUR rental bike
•   185 EUR e-bike
•   69 EUR return transfer incl. private bikes

• booking code "Rhine, Ruhr & Münsterland":
  RS-RKQ-7M
• how you can save some money
• costs of cancellation

The booking process

Arrival to the tour "Rhine, Ruhr & Münsterland":

• Arrival by car:
  Parking: Car park or multi-storey car park: for example Globus multi-storey car park (guarded, prior reservation needed), approx. 6 km from the Cologne jetty, costs approx. EUR 100,- to 120,- per week.

• Arrival by train:
  Cologne Main Station

• Arrival by plane:
  Airport Köln/Bonn

Return transfer:

• Under your own steam by train, every hour, duration approx. 2 h, normal fare approx. EUR 45. Optional return transfer by minibus incl. bike

Personal bikes:
In principle, you can bring your own bike along. However, please note that your bike will be loaded on and off the boat twice a day along with several others and therefore slight cosmetic damage to individual bikes cannot be ruled out, which is why we do not take responsibility or liability for such damage. We recommend reserving one the excellent rental bikes we offer.

Perfectly looked after:
During your tour, we are available between 8 am and 8 pm, 7 days a week. We are happy to help with any kind of problems you might be having. You will find this emergency number in your travel documents.

Please note:

• As is the case with all boat trips, changes in travel itineraries due to the weather, the rivers’ water levels or technical issues can be undertaken at any time.