Cycling day trip from Berching to Dietfurt

Roll out from Berching’s postcard-pretty old town, still wrapped in its medieval wall and towers, and head southeast through the Altmühl/Canal valley. It’s about 23 km with gentle ups and downs (around 100 m of climbing) and a slight net drop into Dietfurt, so it feels easygoing.

The ride mixes plenty of farm tracks and towpath-style gravel with quiet country roads. Roughly three quarters is paved, but expect long, smooth gravel stretches—wider tires are a plus. You’ll pass meadows, locks on the Main–Danube Canal, and sleepy villages where a beer garden stop is hard to resist.

Roll into Dietfurt, the “Stadt der sieben Täler” (City of Seven Valleys), also famous for its quirky “Bavarian China” carnival. Both towns sit on classic cycling territory, so signage is usually friendly and navigation straightforward, even without dedicated cycleways.

Tip: there’s little shade in parts along the water—sunblock and a spare bottle help on warm days.