Dams of the Ruhr Valley

The dam breached in the 1943 Dambusters raid comes first, then a week later one of Europe’s most highly rated roads climbs through the Black Forest – eight nights combining wartime history with excellent riding.

From£1,995pp

Duration8 days

StyleGuided

Best suited toExperienced riders

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An independent Stradora pick. Details from the operator's published information, last checked 28 Oct 2026. Stradora DiscoveryChosen independently by our editors because we think it's worth the drive. We're not partnered with this operator: dates, prices and booking are handled by them, and we last checked their published details on 28 Oct 2026.

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8 nights through Germany

Eight nights retracing Operation Chastise, the 1943 raid by 617 Squadron on the Ruhr dams, with the Black Forest added on the way home. Own bike through the tunnel or a hired BMW.

The outward run crosses to Cambrai for lunch and the Ardennes for the welcome evening, then into the Ruhr valley and the Ennepe dam, with a riverside base. A loop day covers the Lister, the Sorpe and the Mohne, and the roads around these reservoirs are better riding than the history alone would suggest: tight, wooded and almost empty.

The Eder dam follows, with the night at Waldeck looking over the Edersee. The Mohne and the Eder were both breached on the night of 16 May 1943 by bouncing bombs dropped from sixty feet, and the floods that followed killed well over a thousand people, many of them forced labourers. Both dams were rebuilt within months.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber comes next, one of the most complete medieval towns in Germany, with a rest day for the walls and the cobbled streets. The Black Forest follows and the B500, the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, which is rated among the best roads in Europe and runs along the ridge for the better part of a hundred miles. The return crosses back into France with an optional stop at the Butte de Montsec memorial, and a final evening in the Ardennes. Hotels, breakfasts, three dinners, the crossing, maps and GPS routes are included, with fuel and other meals separate. The price is quoted per person.

Style

Guided

Duration

A week or so (7-10 nights)

Region

Europe

Vehicle provision

Bring your own vehicle

Departures

September

Starts/ends

Folkestone, United Kingdom