Version VersionThe 2011 tandem meeting will take place in Aachen. Aachen is situated in the border region with Belgium and The Netherlands (Meuse-Rhine Euroregion), at the northern edge of the Eifel and the Rhenish Massif respectively. The Eifel (recently designated National Park) and the High Fens to the south, the vast plains of the lower Rhine and Meuse regions to the east and north, and the Ardennes to the west are bordering Aachen. Major cities nearby are Cologne, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Bonn, Mönchengladbach, Krefeld and Leverkusen in Germany, Liege in Belgium, and the Dutch cities of Maastricht, Heerlen and Roermond.
In 1890, Aachen's population reached 100,000 and became Germany's most westerly metropolis. It is now one of North Rhine Westphalia's urban conurbations of more than 250,000 residents. The town's history stretches back to the Neolithic period, with the resulting rich cultural and architectonic heritage. Notable contemporary events are the international horse tournament CHIO and the granting of the international Charlemagne Prize.
The Dome, landmark of Aachen, and the dome treasure were the first cultural monument in Germany, and the only the second world wide, to be given World Heritage Site status by the UNESCO. Aachen is a diocesan town, and home to the renowned technical university RWTH.
The border triangle allows us to run "international" tandem rides. Currently planned are:
There will be hilly as well as flat, cultural as well as wild rides. Let yourself be surprised. As in recent years, we will try to offer a family ride, a medium and a longer and faster ride. In addition, we will offer a ride through the Eifel incl. guided tour of the former Ordensburg Vogelsang. This Sunday ride includes unmade roads and is not really suitable for road bikes.
We have booked accommodation in the Aachen youth hostel.
Please do not contact them directly!
The youth hostel is situated in the south of Aachen, a popular residential area, just 2km from the dome. This makes it convenient for the cultural forays into Aachen, and for the rides into Belgium and the Netherlands.
We have made a reservation for 60 beds, in eight twin rooms, four 3-bed rooms and eight 4-bed rooms. There are no facilities for campers or caravans.
Please note: all rooms are booked (08/02/2011)!
Alternativ look here (Touristiformation Aachen) to book a hotel.
As usual, we will order meals suitable for cyclists, including a vegetarian option.
Aachen has a main line train station, just a few km from the youth hostel. Please use the rail travel planner.
Arrival day is Wednesday, an evening meal will be served from 7pm. Departure is on the Sunday after breakfast. The optional Sunday ride will start at 9.30 in Simmerath, approx. 30mins by car from the youth hostel.
The three daily rides will take us along minor roads and cycle paths as much as possible. There will be a short, medium and long ride each, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
GPS files and route maps in pdf-format will be available for all rides. Some rides will be run as guided tours.
Care will be taken to ensure suitability for families and children:
Distance and speed of these rides will be somewhere between the family and long rides. They are therefore suitable for the faster families, and adult teams taking it a bit easier.
There will be three rides covering a distance of about 55 miles, averaging 12 - 14 mls/hr. Additional food will be bought from bakeries along the way, we will also stop at interesting points en route. After all, we will be on holiday, not on the run.
We will also prepare a list of suggestions for short rides in the immediate neighbourhood. Destinations could be the zoo, dome, town hall, a lake or the Dreiländereck. These suggestions can then be used individually (in case of very poor weather, having slept in, for families with very small children etc.).
Cost for four nights in 4-bed, 3-bed or family room including the above-mentioned catering:
| * ECF = | European Cyclists Federation (ADFC, CTC, Fietserbond, IG Velo ...) | |
| List of all member organisations |
Surcharge for four nights in 2-bed room: 22 EUR/person
Cost includes bed linen, towels are not included. There will be no refund if you bring your own bed linen. Please bring your own towels.
Please note: all rooms are booked (08/02/2011)!
Further information is available from:
|
ADFC Infoladen Jörg D. Kummetz Bierstr. 6 49074 Osnabrück or joerg.kummetz(at)adfc-osnabrueck.de |
Following your booking, you will receive a confirmation giving you the actual cost and the payment details. The booking will become valid after payment has been received. Closing date for bookings is 15. March 2011.
Same-day visitors are welcome to join the rides (organisational contribution: 6 EUR/ride/tandem, 3 EUR/ride/tandem for Tandem Club or CTC members).
