Description
Three signposted mountain bike routes let you take on the Green Hell from the saddle. The flagship BULLS Hölle tour runs close to 24km around the outside of the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, climbing to Hohe Acht and passing famous trackside spots like Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten before dropping back through the Adenauer Forst. Two longer loops push out to 48km and 55km through the wider Hocheifel hills.
The Trails
- BULLS Hölle: around 24km with roughly 480m of climbing, starting at the B257/L10 junction by Radsport Breuer in Adenau. The route circles the outside of the Nordschleife, tackles a 27 percent climb to Hohe Acht, runs past Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten, then through the village of Nürburg before a fast descent through the Hatzenbach and Fuchsröhre back to the Adenauer Forst. It is rated difficult by the regional tourism board, with forest paths, roots and a genuinely tough climb, so it suits confident, fit riders over newcomers.
- BULLS Achterbahn: a bigger loop of around 55km rolling through the valleys and ridges of the Hocheifel, also starting in Adenau. It climbs and descends roughly 1,200m in total, starting gently before turning sportier and steeper after the first third, and is rated the same difficult grade as Hölle.
- BULLS Waterproof: around 48km from Hoffeld, also rated difficult, taking in the Dreimühlen waterfall and the ruins of Nürburg castle, with around 600m of climbing through stream valleys and forest and meadow landscapes.
All three routes make up the mountain bike arm of Radarena am Ring, the cycling network run by the regional tourism board Eifel Tourismus. They are waymarked on the ground and available as GPS tracks and roadbooks, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.
Guides, Shuttles and Hire
There is no lift or uplift here: riders bring their own bike, hire one locally, or join a guided ride. A handful of Eifel-based operators offer bike hire, guiding and multi-day trips that take in the Nürburgring routes.
- Bike Power E-Bike: e-bike hire, guided group tours and multi-day cycling trips, based in Wimbach, next to the Nürburgring.
- MTB Xpert: guided mountain bike tours, technical skills coaching and multi-day camps across the Vulkaneifel, including rides around the Nürburgring itself, based in Ulmen.
- Radsport Breuer: the bike shop at the BULLS Hölle and Achterbahn trailhead in Adenau, selling and servicing mountain bikes and e-mountainbikes, and a first stop for spares and repairs before a ride.
If you plan to hire from Radsport Breuer, contact the shop before you travel to check what is available.
Getting There from the UK
The Nürburgring sits in the Eifel, close to the Belgian and Luxembourg borders. The nearest airports are Frankfurt-Hahn and Cologne Bonn, both around an hour and a quarter from Adenau. Düsseldorf is a little further, around an hour and three quarters, and gives a wider choice of flights, while Frankfurt am Main, around two hours away, is worth checking too if you can't find a direct flight to the closer airports.
By rail, take the Eurostar to Brussels, then an ICE train on to Cologne, with regional trains from there towards Adenau and the Ahr valley. Bikes need planning on the fast legs: check Eurostar's current bike rules before you travel, and note that ICE services usually need a separate bike reservation. Regional trains generally take bikes without booking, space permitting.
Driving from Calais or the Channel Tunnel is around 460km, roughly five hours, through Belgium and past Liège into Germany. Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany charge no motorway toll for cars, so there is no vignette to buy for this trip. Riders starting from the north of England may find it easier to cross by ferry instead, from Hull or Harwich to Rotterdam or the Hook of Holland, then drive on from there.
Once off the motorway, Adenau sits just off the B257 and B258, with the Nürburgring circuit itself a few minutes further on. The BULLS Hölle and BULLS Achterbahn routes both start at the B257/L10 junction by Radsport Breuer in Adenau, where you can also get a bike serviced. BULLS Waterproof starts instead from Hoffeld. Public transport into this part of the Eifel is limited, so a car is the easiest way to reach any of the start points.
When to Go
The routes run on existing forest tracks and lanes rather than a lift, so there is no fixed season and no lift timetable to plan around. Spring through autumn, roughly April to October, gives the most reliable riding, since forest tracks can turn heavy and muddy after winter rain.
Rad am Ring, the 24-hour road-cycling festival held each July on the closed Nürburgring circuit itself, is a separate event from these touring routes and does not close them, but it fills Adenau and the circuit with traffic and visitors for the weekend, so it is worth avoiding if you would rather ride in peace.
The Eifel sits at modest altitude, so summers are generally mild and winters can bring snow and ice to the higher forest tracks around Hohe Acht. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible in summer, so check the forecast before setting out on a long loop like Achterbahn.
Where to Stay
Adenau, at the start of the BULLS Hölle and Achterbahn routes, is the natural base: it has the bike shop and trailhead in one place and sits close to the Nürburgring itself. Hoffeld, the start of BULLS Waterproof, and the surrounding villages of the Ahr and Ahbach valleys make quieter alternatives. Accommodation is mostly guesthouses, holiday apartments and campsites geared as much towards the area's motorsport visitors as its cyclists, so book ahead around race weekends at the circuit.
If you also want lift-served bike park riding while you are in Germany, our Bikepark Winterberg and Willingen Bike Park listings cover the Sauerland's two big parks, a few hours further north.
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