Main Valley by Bike and Boat: Bamberg to Aschaffenburg in 8 Days

Day 1 - Bamberg (0 km)
Boarding from 2 pm. After the welcome from the captain, the crew and your tour leaders, go and look at the town. Bamberg, like Rome, is built on seven hills, and its old centre is UNESCO World Heritage. Little Venice, the row of seventeenth-century fishermen's houses along the water, is worth the walk. With eleven independent breweries in town, finding a good first beer is not difficult.

Day 2 - Hassfurt to Schweinfurt (30 km)
The ship carries you to Hassfurt while you have breakfast. The town has a fine historic centre and two striking churches, the late-Gothic Knights' Chapel and the parish church. From here you start riding, through Zeil am Main, which sits exactly on the border between Franconian wine country and beer country. The day ends at Schweinfurt, a former imperial city between two nature parks.

Day 3 - Stammheim to Kitzingen (32 km)
Today's destination is Kitzingen, a wine town. You can shorten the ride by staying on board as far as Stammheim, then cycle through vineyards as the valley widens. In Kitzingen, the Carnival Museum sits inside the Falterturm, whose leaning tower is the town's landmark. The old breweries here now make wine, but their historic cellars are still visible.

Day 4 - Kitzingen to Wurzburg (40 km)
A ride past farmland and old villages brings you to Wurzburg. Visit the UNESCO-listed Residenz and its gardens, take in the view from the Marienberg fortress, look into St Kilian's cathedral, and walk the Old Main Bridge between its statues of saints. Wurzburg is a lively student town, good for a drink in the evening.

Day 5 - Karlstadt to Lohr (30 km)
The ship moves early and reaches Karlstadt around 10.30 am. The old town is still ringed by towers, gates and walls dating from about 1200. From there you cycle to Lohr am Main, all half-timbered facades and turrets. Local legend says Snow White lived here, and the Kurzmainer Schloss does nothing to dispel the idea.

Day 6 - Wertheim to Freudenberg (30 km)
A morning cruise from Lohr to Wertheim, home to Wertheim Castle and a market square holding what is probably the narrowest house in Franconia. You start riding in Wertheim and finish at Freudenberg, where the ruins of the castle stand high above the river and the town, with a wide view over the wooded hills.

Day 7 - Freudenberg to Aschaffenburg (50 km)
The longest and, for many, the best ride. Miltenberg is the highlight, watched over by Mildenburg Castle since 1200. Between Erlenbach and Kleinwallstadt the Planeten-Radweg walks you through the solar system as you pedal, and the shaded floodplain forest between Niedernheim and Nilkheim is welcome on a warm day. The ship waits at Aschaffenburg, below the red sandstone Johannisburg Castle.

Day 8 - Aschaffenburg (0 km)
A last breakfast on board, then disembarkation by 9:30 am.

Distances above are the shorter option for each day. On some days a longer route is offered; on any day you may skip the ride and stay on board.