Best Cycling Events in Germany

Planning your cycling holiday to coincide with Germany’s race calendar or festival season adds a whole new dimension to the journey—whether you want to cheer from the roadside or join in the celebration yourself.

On race day, cities, valleys, and mountain circuits transform into buzzing arenas: pelotons sweep through Taunus climbs, crowds cheer along Berlin’s boulevards, and finish lines turn into open-air parties with music, food, and tradition. 

Even if you’re on a self-guided tour, the energy of German cycling culture has a way of spilling onto every road.

Germany hosts a rich mix of professional classics, mass-participation rides, and lively cultural festivals. Below, we’ve rounded up the races and events that can add unforgettable color to your cycling holiday.

Cycling Events in Germany

1. Deutschland Tour

Participation Type: Professionals (UCI ProSeries stage race)
When: August
Where: Routes vary annually, across different German regions

The Deutschland Tour is Germany’s national cycling stage race, showcasing the country’s landscapes from Alpine passes to northern plains. Routes change every year, but always highlight a mix of challenging climbs, city finishes, and cultural landmarks. It’s Germany’s biggest showcase of professional cycling, with side events and fan zones creating a lively atmosphere in every host town.

2. Cyclassics Hamburg

Participation Type: Professionals (WorldTour) + Amateurs (Jedermann)
When: August
Where: Hamburg and the surrounding northern countryside

The Cyclassics is Germany’s only WorldTour one-day race and a highlight of the northern cycling calendar. Professionals race through Hamburg’s port city streets and nearby countryside, while the Jedermann event opens the same roads to thousands of amateurs. The city turns into a cycling festival, with finish-line celebrations along the Binnenalster lake.

Pair a Northern Germany ride with the Cyclassics Hamburg, where the city transforms into a cycling festival. Pros battle for victory through the port streets while thousands of amateurs join the Jedermann event.

3. Velothon Berlin

Participation Type: Amateurs (open to all, mass-participation)
When: June
Where: Berlin city center

Velothon Berlin is one of Europe’s largest mass-participation rides, offering cyclists the rare chance to ride on completely closed city roads past landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate and Victory Column. Distances range from shorter family-friendly loops to challenging sport-level routes. The festival atmosphere makes it a favorite for locals and visitors alike.

Add the Velothon Berlin to your itinerary and experience the thrill of riding closed city streets past the Brandenburg Gate. From family-friendly loops to challenging distances, Berlin becomes a cycling stage for all.

4. Rad am Ring

Participation Type: Amateurs (24-hour endurance event)
When: July
Where: Nürburgring Motorsport Circuit, Rhineland-Palatinate

Held on the legendary Nürburgring race track, Rad am Ring is a unique blend of endurance cycling and festival spirit. Teams and solo riders take turns on the 24-hour course, cheered on by campers and spectators. It’s part race, part party, with the atmosphere carrying late into the night as the circuit stays alive with cyclists under the floodlights.

For something unique, line up at Rad am Ring after your Moselle Valley ride. A 24-hour cycling festival on the Nürburgring track, it’s part race, part party—spotlights, cheering campers, and non-stop action through the night.

Pedal into Celebration

After the thrill of race day, the country’s cultural festivals offer a different kind of energy, where riversides, vineyards, and city squares turn into open-air celebrations:

1. Oktoberfest, Munich

When: Late September – Early October
Where: Munich, Bavaria
For whom: Friends, couples, and anyone who loves Bavarian culture

The world’s most famous beer festival transforms Munich into a celebration of music, food, and tradition. Cyclists finishing a Bavarian ride can join locals in lively beer tents, sample classic dishes like pretzels and roast chicken, and enjoy the festive parades. It’s the perfect cultural finale to a cycling holiday in southern Germany.

End your Bavaria ride in Munich just as Oktoberfest begins. After mountain views and Alpine passes, swap cycling gear for a beer tent, where pretzels, brass bands, and Bavarian traditions create the perfect cultural finale.

2. Rhine in Flames, Koblenz & Rhine Valley

When: Summer dates (May–September, varying by town)
Where: Koblenz and Rhine Valley towns
For whom: Families, culture seekers, and evening cyclists

Rhine in Flames is a series of river festivals where illuminated boats, fireworks, and concerts bring the valley to life. Cyclists can ride the riverside paths by day and settle into riverside towns at night for the spectacle. The mix of medieval castles lit up against the sky makes it a truly atmospheric event.

Plan your Rhine Valley journey to coincide with Rhine in Flames, when castles and riverside towns glow under fireworks and illuminated boats. By day, you’ll ride quiet river paths; by night, the whole valley transforms into a festival stage.

3. Moselle Young Wine Festival

When: August – October
Where: Towns along the Moselle River, including Bernkastel-Kues
For whom: Wine lovers, couples, and leisurely riders

From late summer through autumn, towns in the Moselle Valley celebrate the harvest with tastings, parades, and music. Local Rieslings are poured in riverside squares while brass bands set the festive mood. Cycling the Moselle during this season means every town becomes a chance to stop, sip, and join in the tradition.

Cycling the Moselle Valley in late summer or autumn means riding straight into the heart of wine festival season. Every riverside town bursts with tastings, brass bands, and parades—an authentic way to celebrate the harvest between days on the bike.

4. Dresden Music Festival

When: May – June
Where: Dresden, Saxony
For whom: Culture enthusiasts, couples, and city explorers

This renowned festival fills Dresden with world-class performances, from classical concerts in the Semper Opera House to open-air shows in city squares. For cyclists on the Elbe route, it offers a cultural counterpoint to the natural beauty of Saxon Switzerland. The city’s baroque backdrop makes every evening event feel timeless.

If you’re cycling the Elbe River to Dresden in late spring, you can time your arrival with the Dresden Music Festival. Evenings fill with world-class concerts in baroque squares, turning your tour finale into a cultural highlight.

5. Lake Constance Wine Festivals

When: Late summer (August – September)
Where: Vineyards and towns around Lake Constance
For whom: Couples, leisure riders, and wine enthusiasts

The Lake Constance region celebrates the grape harvest with intimate wine festivals hosted by local vineyards. Tastings are paired with regional dishes, live music, and lake views. After a day of cycling the shoreline, these evenings offer a relaxed, convivial way to enjoy the local culture.

Riding the shores of Lake Constance in August or September means more than just sweeping lake views. Vineyards host intimate wine festivals where cyclists can sip local whites, enjoy regional dishes, and listen to live music as the sun sets over the water.

Why Plan Your Cycling Holiday Around Festivals & Races?

Lining your trip up with a festival or race adds an extra layer of energy and immersion to a cycling holiday. Roads are alive with cheering crowds, and mass-participation events give riders the thrill of joining thousands of others on closed roads.

Cultural festivals bring another side of discovery: wine tastings in vineyard towns, fireworks over river valleys, or evenings of music in historic squares. It’s a chance to combine cycling with celebration, turning every stop into more than just a rest break.

From roadside cheering to raising a glass at a local festival, planning around Germany’s event calendar means your journey becomes part of the spectacle.

Ride, Race, Celebrate

Germany blends cycling with some of Europe’s most iconic races and festivals, offering both sporting excitement and cultural immersion. Whether you’re chasing the buzz of a peloton or joining locals in a riverside wine festival, these events turn a cycling holiday into something unforgettable.

Get in touch with us and we’ll help you plan your trip around the races or festivals that inspire you most — and even assist with entry to amateur events so you can be part of the action.

Start here by choosing the tour that interests you most!