Cycle tour through the pond landscape near Erlangen

There are 1,275 bicycle parking spaces as well as 122 double-decker and 20 in-line bicycle stands in the immediate vicinity of the station.

With the DB Rad+ app, kilometres cycled in the participating cities can be collected and then exchanged for discounts or rewards with exclusive partners.

The bike hire is only a 4-minute walk from the station.

At Freilauf, bikes can be hired from €10 and pedelecs from €35 per day. The shop also has a workshop.

From the railway station, you go through a subway to Wiesengrund, the eastern border of the Aischgrund carp region.

You cross the Main-Danube Canal at Alterlangen and soon reach the ponds of Dechsendorf. Ponds that are strung together like pearls on a necklace. The large Bischofsweiher is now a bathing lake. There is a campsite, refreshment facilities and boat hire.

Swans and grey geese can be observed in the Kleiner Bischofsweiher. At Röttenbach you cycle through a wooded area. The route continues to Höchstadt an der Aisch.

The town can look back on over 1,000 years of history. Historical buildings such as the castle, St George's Church and the old stone bridge over the Aisch bear witness to this. Brewing has also left its mark on the town. A special attraction is the Kellerberg.

The old vaults of the Kellerberg are often referred to as the "beer belly of Höchstadt". This can be explored on a guided tour. The street on the Kellerberg is lined with a total of 26 entrances. Countless tunnels and corridors lead off from these. The cellars were carved into the stone in several levels, one above the other. The total length of all the passages is over 2 kilometres. Most of the cellars were created by Höchstadt home-brewers, a smaller number by breweries. There are also 22 cellar houses on the Kellerberg, which were originally built as tool sheds. Today, most of them are owned by so-called cellar communities.

The guided tours of the vaults are conducted - by appointment only - by members of the non-profit Kellerbergverein Höchstadt. The association looks after the preservation of the centuries-old complex and also runs a museum on the historic hill. Everything there revolves around the production and storage of beer. Historical tools are also on display.

Kellerbergverein Höchstadt a.d. Aisch e.V. *1991*, Lucas-Cranach-Str. 9A, 91315 Höchstadt, Tel. 0176 80470988

As far as Voggendorf, the route runs along the winding Aisch and then turns off again into the lake landscape.

At Biengarten you reach a large interconnected area of ponds - the Mohrhof pond area. It comprises around 100 ponds and is a nature reserve. This idyllic place is perfect for a break or even several stops.

Various orchid species grow in the meadows between the ponds. Many migratory birds use the area as a resting place, including ospreys, black kites and black terns. Coots, black-necked grebes and purple herons breed in the reeds. And the reed warbler sings its song tirelessly.

The route continues through fields and forests to Untermembach. If you need a refreshment now, you can take a detour to the neighbouring Obermembach to the Gasthaus Gumbrecht (Obermembach 2, 91093 Heßdorf, Tel. 09135 3140) with its beautiful beer garden.

However, there is another refreshment stop at the next stage destination around 7 kilometres away. This is the Oberle fishery. The tradition of carp farming is still practised there today.

The Oberle family has been successfully fishing for 360 years. It is mainly stocked fish, including carp, pike, zander and perch, which are sold live after successful breeding and released into other waters by customers. The company manages a total of 40 ponds, around half of which are located around Kosbach. More than 20 years ago, a restaurant was added to the farm, which offers dishes with fish from its own breeding in the family's own listed farmhouse. Due to the closed season, carp is only available from September to April. But then in all variations: as blue carp, fried, smoked or baked. The beers served with the fish all come from the brewery, the Oberle family's latest project. Fresh and smoked fish is available to take away from the farm shop next to the restaurant.

On the way to Erlangen, you will pass a few ponds belonging to the Oberle fishery. One last look - then it's back to the starting point via Alterlangen.

TIP: If you still have some time and leisure, explore Erlangen's city centre. The baroque houses and squares are well preserved and well worth seeing as an ensemble