Merlijn’s romantic trip along wooden half-timbered houses and beer gardens
July 23 - 30 / 2025
Departure date: 23 july 2025
Average biking distance per day 40 to 55 km / Level: Easy
Highlights
This cruise offers you the most cruising and biking mileage of any trip Merlijn offers. Bike, Barge and Cruise along the charming Bavarian Main River. Be amazed by the metropolis that is Frankfurt, the meandering streets and alleyways of romantic Miltenberg, as well as Aschaffenburg and the beautiful baroque city of Würzburg. Bike along the river named ‘Main’, surrounded by mountains and vineyards. Designated bike paths will lead you through old city centres, restored half-timber houses, Gothic & Baroque buildings, and cosy little towns. Ending in Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy an included brewery tour and beer-tasting session at the famous ‘Faust” brewery.
Day-to-day itinerary
Day 1: Frankfurt – Overnight dock
Check in: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, Merlijn will set sail. Wave ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ to Frankfurt from the aft terrace, passing your first lock on the river Main. We’ll present you with a welcome drink and introduce the crew. We will also provide information on the tour, the ship, and offer you a safety briefing. You will enjoy your first dinner on board while cruising, afterwards we will dock for the night.
Day 2: Overnight dock – Aschaffenburg. Bike tour: 35-40 km
After a delicious breakfast and a bike safety talk, we will introduce you to your bike. When everyone is set, your first bike tour starts, taking you to Bürgel, Mühlheim and Hanau, the town where the famous Grimm brothers were born. Don’t forget to try a ‘currywurst-mit-brötchen”: a type of fine German pork sausage typically steamed and seasoned with curry ketchup! Via Steinheim, with its charming historic centre, and Klein-Krotzenburg along the river Main, we will head towards the small, romantic city of Seligenstadt with its meandering alleyways, half-timber houses and Basilica. After crossing the river Main on a small ferry, we will continue to our destination Aschaffenburg, where Merlijn awaits you.
Day 3: Aschaffenburg – Miltenberg. Bike tour: 40-45 km
Get on your bike in the morning. Following the river, we will pass lovely small towns and villages, such as Klingenberg and Groszheubach, both famous for their fine red wines. Our day ends in Miltenberg: a charming village with numerous alleyways, winding streets and old restored half-timber houses, as well as a historic market square and ‘Zum Riesen’, the oldest pub in Germany. After dinner, you will be offered a brewery tour and beer-tasting session at the famous ‘Faust’ brewery.
Day 4: Miltenberg - Karlstad. Bike tour: 50-55 km
While you enjoy your breakfast, the Merlijn will continue its journey, cruising the river Main upstreams and passing locks. After breakfast your ride of the day will start. You’ll pass by Wertheim, the confluence of the rivers Main and Tauber; a town that invites you to visit its historic centre and the mountain ruins. From here, you will cycle to Lohr, passing the half-timber castle Homburg, and biking through the ever-changing landscape of abundant vineyards and forested mountain slopes with bizarre rocks and historic monuments, such as the Triefenstein monastery. Further on, you will arrive at Lohr am Main and its Gothic and Baroque buildings. After visiting you board the Merlijn. Together, we’ll sail on to Karlstad. Dinner will be served on board, and afterwards, there will be time for a post-meal walk in Karlstad, where the streets are laid out much like a chessboard, but are not entirely straight, which was conceived for military purposes.
Day 5: Karlstad – Würzburg - Marktbreit. Bike tour: 40-45 km
Today, the bike tour will lead you further on along the river Main, leaving behind Karlstadt and its historic centre. The next port of call is Würzburg, which is a definite highlight of the trip. Explore this beautiful Baroque city and visit the ‘Würzburg Residence”, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Enjoy a guided tour of the Residence, after which you will make your way to the ship. Prepare yourself on one of Merlijn’s terraces for an afternoon cruise, after dinner we’ll reach Marktbreit where we stay overnight.
Day 6: Marktbreit - Schweinfurt. Bike tour: 50-55 km
We start cruising early morning, passing Kitzingen, famous for its leaning tower. Another day cycling along the ‘Main-Radweg’ today. The slogan the Germans use to describe this bike path is ‘cycle, marvel and enjoy’!
Further along the bike path we pass villages that are all very well known to wine connoisseurs like Sommerach, Nordheim and Volkach. Where the Main eddies like crazy, we head for a cultural highlight: the pilgrimage church ‘Maria im Weingarten’ and the famous ‘Madonna im Rosenkranz’ by Tilmann Riemenschneider. We will dock in the city of Schweinfurt, with its old centre full of cosy little spots, the town hall, the tower and the market place, amongst them all the artificial ‘Schweine’ (pigs).
Day 7: Schweinfurt – Bamberg. Bike tour 50-55 km
We start the day with a sailing breakfast and disembark in Hassfurt, famous for its late Gothic Ritter chapel and late Gothic church in the market square. From here, we’ll cycle on to the town of Eltmann and continue following the River Main, passing the famous Maria Limbach pilgrimage church and several little towns filled with half-timber houses. We will then arrive in Bamberg, a very charming, historic bishops’ town, and home to Villa Concordia, the historic lock 100, water castle, baroque house on the bridge, and the former fishing settlement of Klein Venedig (Little Venice) - all emphasizing the close connection between town and river.
Merlijn will await you outside the city. After your visit in town, you ride your bike to the ship. Tonight a Captains dinner will be served on board.
Day 8: Bamberg.
After breakfast, it is time to say goodbye and continue your European trip or leave for the airport. If you wish to extend your holiday, Bamberg is the city we recommend for an extra day, there’s so much to see and visit! We do see the city on the previous day, however it’s just briefly which you can see as an introduction to this marvelous city.
Would you like to stay on board and travel longer on the Merlijn? This is an excellent trip to combine with the successive Bamberg - Passau Bike & Barge cruise> This combination means your tour will run from Frankfurt to Passau, and you will bike barge & cruise the full connection between the Rhine and Danube rivers.
Included in your tour:
- 7 nights onboard Merlijn
- Individual climate control and private bathroom with shower, sink and toilet in all cabins
- Supply of bedding, towels, facial tissues, hand soap, shampoo, sewing kit, vanity kit, bathrobe & slippers
- Full service of staff, daily cleaning of the cabins, manned bar (no self-service)
- Porterage of luggage upon arrival and departure
- Daily loading and unloading of your bicycle to and from the ship
- Use of lightweight state-of-the-art bicycle
- Use of a waterproof bike bag, universal sized helmet, towel and a personal water bottle
- English speaking-tour guide (experienced guide who knows the route like the back of their hand)
- Brochures of the area available on board
- Harbour, lock and canal fees
Included culinary care:
- Welcome drink with bubbles
- All day unlimited coffee, tea, hot chocolate and potable ice water (self-service)
- Extensive breakfast buffet daily with at least; 2 warm dishes, freshly baked croissants or similar pastries, various types of bread, toaster, yoghurt, cereals, fresh fruit and various beverages.
- Packed lunch prepared by the staff in a special lunch bag with at least a lavish sandwich, snack and drink.
- 6 three-course dinners
- Dinners are based on ‘plate service’, meals are served in the dining area.
- Meals are perceived by our guests as “luxurious” or even “gourmet style”.
Included beverages during bar opening hours:
- Several sodas served from a small bottle
- Wide variety of wines (also non-alcoholic wine)
- Beer on tap and various beers from the bottle (also non-alcoholic beer)
Included excursions:
- Ferry costs on the bicycle route
- Guided tour at Residence Würzburg
- Beer-tasting session at the famous brewery Faust
Not included in your tour:
- 1 dinner
- Excursions, entrance fees and guided tours other than mentioned
- Beverages other than those mentioned (such as spirits and cocktails)
- City maps, bike maps, etc. (we have a lot available however we can’t guarantee every destination)
- Inbound and outbound journeys, such as flights, trains, bus or other type of transfers
- Insurances
- Gratuities (cash only)
- Electronic payments of your onboard expenses (cash only)
For your comfort, we rent out electric bikes at € 30,- each per day, reservations in advance are advisable.
The Cancellation policy also applies to pre-booked and reserved use of e-bike or any other extra requested services.
The general terms and conditions of Merlijn de magie van water B.V. apply to all bookings, offers and agreements. Please find them on our website under ‘Terms & Conditions’.
Merlijn complies the General Data Protection Regulation to protect your privacy. Please find them on our website under ‘Privacy statement’.
We reserve the right to modify schedule and/or program. If (part of) the route is not navigable due to weather conditions and/or other nautical reasons and/or is closed off due to circumstances and/or for safety reasons, the operator and/or the captain has the right to change the schedule. This includes changing the location of departure and/or arrival and temporarily suspending departure. Nautical and/or meteorological reasons are understood to mean, among others, weather conditions, the tide, obstruction of waterways/shipping lanes, and the condition of the ship. Closed off due to circumstances and/or safety reasons are understood to mean, among others, terrorism, diseases, natural disasters. Changes in schedule and/or program do not give the customer the right on free cancellation.