Germany: Sauerland Heartbeat Tour
A journey through the countryside on low mountain-range roads, past massive bales of hay, picturesque little villages, and along beautiful expanses of water - this is the tour through Sauerland, in the heart of Germany.
Facts & Information
In General
The Sauerland region is located in the southeastern sector of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) and in the midwestern part of Germany. The area has been an attraction for tourists, mostly hikers, for over 150 years. Today people come to enjoy the expansive forestland and the low mountain range with their invigorating air. If you want to avoid huge crowds, just take the small side roads marked yellow and green on the maps. In the summer you ride under a dense canopy of green leaves. The region receives plenty of rain, good for farming. Fields of grain and corn and deep green pastures for cattle abound. Sauerland has five nature reserves, encompassing the highest peaks, Kahler Asten (841 meters; 2,757 ft.) and Langenberg (843 meters; 2,764 ft.). On weekends the larger cities become quite busy, as do the areas along the water reservoirs. Internationally speaking, Sauerland is still a great trip. And closer to home, the region is held in high esteem, especially in winter, when people from the German Ruhrgebiet and the Netherlands routinely arrive to schuss the "white gold."
How to Get There
There is no direct access by Autobahn. Some twenty years ago political discussions were held about the construction of a fast, big highway through the area but the locals protested. They wanted to preserve their nature reserves and they prevailed. The easiest access is Autobahn A 45 (called "Sauerlandlinie"), which brings you close to the region. You have to cover the last kilometers on smaller roads, called Bundesstraßen. Good starting points for a tour are Attendorn or Lennestadt.
Climate
Sauerland is known for its rough, rainy weather. Best time for motorcycle tours is between May and September. The temperatures then range between 15 and 22 degrees Celsius (54 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit).