Here is a looped bicycle route between France and Germany, which allows you to discover the Rhine jungle. It is the loop Alsace à vélo BL976 “Jungle rhénane”. It is not always known, but the Rhine has many arms that have remained wild. I had discovered it during a previous French-German bike ride from Strasbourg and was eager to continue exploring it.
The walk starts in Boofzheim, a village just before Rhinau. We are here in the Alsatian Ried I have already talked about it several times: the ried is an area located in the plain of Alsace and hosting an important biodiversity. From Boofzheim, we go to Rhinau where there is… a ferry to Germany! The Rhinau ferry crosses the Rhine every 15 minutes, all year round. It can be used by car, by bike, on foot… And it’s free!
The walk continues on the German side by beautiful paths in the heart of nature: we walk in the Rhine jungle, it is really pretty. We then move away from the banks of the Rhine to cross small villages before returning to the Rhine, where there is a marina. Pay attention to the edges of the road you are driving along just before you get back to the shore: there are some very nice wooden sculptures installed all along! It is at the edge of the Rhine that I chose to make a small pause, there is a small snack with terrace on the Rhine where it is pleasant to stop.
A bridge then gives access to theisland of Rhinau, which hosts a National Nature Reserve on 250 hectares. Unfortunately, the bike ride does not allow you to discover this place, one of the most representative of the Rhine jungle, because the bike path runs along it. A huge straight line along the Rhine is waiting for you, it’s nice too but you’ll have to come back to Rhinau another time to walk around the island!
Back on the French side of the river, the route then takes small roads to reach Boofzheim, passing through Alsatian villages. The signposting is perfect at the beginning, in Germany, but then becomes very approximate for the last part in France. Take the GPX track, it’s easier 😉
I liked
- Easy walk (all flat)
- Discovery of beautiful nature spots
- A nice break on the Rhine
- Passing from one country to another, by the Rhinau ferry and then by bridges
I liked less
- Markup at the end
My pictures of the French-German bike ride “Jungle Rhine
Practical information
Departure and arrival
In Boofzheim, you are bound to find a place to park in the area.
Features
- Distance: 42 km
- Duration: about 2h50, including photo breaks (but no snack break!)
Map and GPX track
Go to the Alsace à vélo website to see the map and download the GPX track.
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