The Ilm River doesn't flow through Erfurt, but we had caught glimpses of it on several rides. The Ilm starts in the same mountains as the Gera River, high up in the Thüringen Forest, and flows north and east to Weimar, then Jena, and Apolda and beyond. There is a bike path that follows the river for 120 kilometers called the Ilmtal-Radweg. Ron and I picked a section of the trail we hoped would be manageable, and once again we were off!
An early morning train from Erfurt brought us to Ilmenau. The air was cool and crisp, the path well maintained and marked, and the company exquisite!
I think I will never tire of the German countryside. Here a place to stop for a mid-morning snack.
There a perfectly preserved water pumping station.
Farm animals familiar and exotic. Two donkeys in the foreground, two llamas in the rear. An ostrich farm. Dairy cows.
Mother Nature shares the stage with mortals. Look closely at the well sitting on the edge of the town square - the sculpture adorning the top of the pump is in the image of the church steeple, just beyond the square.
If there are awards for neatest wood stacking, this home would definitely be in the running!
Another village sits in a valley. As we leave, we pass below an aqueduct high over head, the stone arches as natural as the trees and rivers they bridge.
It is almost as if the path senses our mood: time for lunch, and the perfect shelter appears, complete with a charcoal grill!
A curve in the path, and another village poses for a photo.
And another
And another. Notice the Moravian Star?
I am distracted by the apple trees, heavy with fruit, and we miss a sign for the bike path. No worries - just a kilometer or so added for the day, and a basket full of apples to take home!
Bike Talk
Radweg # 7
Ilmenau to Bad Berka
33.66 miles
54.2 km
Top Speed 24.7 mph
Average speed 8.9 mph
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