Cycle tour through autumnal vineyards
Not long after that, it was time to get started. Our dedicated colleagues from the Eurobike Station Palatinate were busy preparing 89 bicycles for the entire team and would be joining us on our slightly rainy cycling adventure along the renowned German Wine Road. As we pedaled past golden vineyards and through quaint, peaceful villages, we covered a distance of roughly twenty kilometers on our way to Neustadt and thus the last stage of our cycle tour Speyer - Heidelberg - Worms. By late afternoon, we had arrived at our overnight lodging, the Panorama Hotel am Rosengarten. Thanks to a luggage transport, our luggage had already been arranged in front of the inviting hotel. Following a quick refresh, we took the elevator up to the 8th floor.
Rounding off the evening at the Panorama Hotel
Absolutely delightful not to have to leave the hotel on this rainy day. Upon arriving up top, we were greeted with a champagne reception and a fantastic view of the lights that adorn the entire city. After a brief address from our management team, Verena and Thomas, the aroma of the delicious buffet featuring typical Rhineland delicacies wafted towards us, prompting us to eagerly rush for it after a round of applause. Our French colleagues from Espace Randonnée also got to meet many people in person for the first time and celebrated our successful season ending together. And thus, our first day in the Pfalz came to a close as we celebrated together well into the night.

Hiking on the Rheinsteig
In the morning, we kicked off our day under slightly overcast skies with a hearty breakfast buffet. By 9:00 am, our transportation was already parked in front of the hotel, ready to take us on the 100-kilometer journey to Assmannshausen. As we neared the district of Rüdesheim, we couldn't help but look to our left, where the majestic Rhine River would be our constant companion for the entire trip.
Following a quick snack, we readied our backpacks and laced up our hiking boots in anticipation of exploring the Rheinsteig trail. We hike the first stage of our hiking tour on the Rheinsteig in the opposite direction. We left the initial stretch of the trail behind us, with the sun casting its warm glow through the open woods ahead. The dramatic cloud cover gradually retreated, revealing a series of unique viewpoints amidst the autumnal vineyards along the Rheinsteig. It was about halfway through our hike that we were treated to the striking sight of the elegant Niederwalddenkmal – a grand monument that serves as a significant landmark.

Descent to Rüdesheim
In single file, we descended the steps to Rüdesheim am Rhein. After this scenic hike, we treated ourselves to a glass of typical "Federweißer" at the "Weinkeller Terrasse" before arriving at our hotel. The weather invited us for a brief exploration of the Rüdesheim city center. A little later, our colleagues went their separate ways because with 89 people, we exceeded the room capacity of the Altdeutsche Weinstube. The other half stayed at the small and charming Hotel Trapp just around the corner.

Boat trip on the Rhine
After a brief rest at the hotel, we set off together to Pier 12, where the ship was already waiting to take us on a cruise along the Rhine for the entire evening. Castles, ruins, vineyards, towns, and villages adorned the beauty of the Rhine Valley in the romantic evening ambiance.
The boat ride provided us with a few pleasant hours, including an interesting year-end review presented by our management team, Verena Sonnenberg and Thomas Schmid, Product Manager Andreas Schintlmeister, and Michael Kröll, our Head of the new Project Management & IT department.
The banks of the Rhine grew darker, and the lights on the ship grew brighter. Just as on the previous evening, we enjoyed regional Pfälzer delicacies and celebrated at a nearby Scottish Pub enjoying the company of all our colleagues well into the early morning hours.





Journey back to Obertrum
At around 9:00 in the morning, our buses fired up their engines, marking the start of our journey back. A few unforgettable, and most importantly, fun days came to an end around 6:00 in the evening, just as they had begun, in the forecourt of our Eurofun offices in Obertrum. We are already looking forward to the next exciting journey to one of Eurohike and Eurobike's most popular active travel destinations and are curious to see where the journey will take us.