On Saturday I went to the beautiful Ahrtal. You may remember, there was a terrible, heart-breaking tragedy in 2021, when the Ahr flooded the valley and lots of people lost their homes, work and even loved ones. Shortly after we went there for support and since then we came back quite often - most often to take part in the Ahrtal Weinwanderung. An event where you hike through the vineyards and taste some of that extraordinary wines of the Ahrtal valley - to financially support the region, talk to lots of people and spend a sunny day at the Ahr.
Now, I can't hike anymore so I took my bike with me and spend a lovely and lonely day on the southern part of the Ahr. Since this year, the Deutsche Bahn is offering trains into the valley again and it showed! The northern mountain slopes were crowded with people, many more than ever before. The southern part, however, was quiet and lonely - perfect for riding the mountainbike. There is still some damage, some trails are still broken or totally vanished. So it was a little bit of an adventure and at several occasions I had to unmount and partly carry my bike.
But it was great nonetheless! My legs were heavy after 30km with 500m elevation (hey, I am just coming back), but there were beautiful trails, all in the woods with lots of shade - not too hot. If you have the chance, there's a lot to discover for mtb enthusiasts.
Can't wait to return.