800 km by gravel bike from Vienna to Berlin, on the trail of history
Start: 23 August ’25
10:00 Vienna Floridsdorf
The key facts
Data, figures, facts
What awaits you at this Supergrevet?
Vienna–Berlin explained
The self-supported ride through Austria, Czechia and Germany revives the forgotten cycling classic, the Vienna–Berlin long-distance ride.
In 1893 the long-distance ride proved the capability of the bicycle system; winner Josef Fischer needed only 31 hours of riding time. This pioneering event of long-distance cycling took place before asphalt roads and was thus a gravel event avant la lettre. The Supergrevet Vienna–Berlin ties in with this pioneering passion — Original Long Distance Cycling.
On gravel roads along the original checkpoints
We have reconstructed the original route from historical documents and follow it on gravel roads, as far as possible along the original checkpoints.
New: for the ’25 edition we follow the route of 1898. While large parts of the original route have since given way to motorways and main roads, the flair of the original event is best experienced on the gravel roads. After all, in 1893 too people rode on unpaved paths.
You set the pace
Whether you want to break Josef Fischer’s record time down in the drops or simply enjoy the landscape and the people at a relaxed pace — the Supergrevet offers you every option. You are your own route boss. Experience the variety and challenges of the course at your own pace and choose your individual speed for an unforgettable day on the bike.
We recommend starting as early as possible to make the most of the daylight and to avoid being caught in the dark should anything unexpected happen. Depending on your level of exertion and the length of the stage, keep an eye on your mental alertness and concentration as well.
Take a (food) break in good time. On long routes eat continuously, before you get hungry, and drink before you are thirsty.
Become part of cycling history
Gravel cycling is not merely the latest fashion from the USA; it actually has a history over a hundred years old. This includes in particular the largely forgotten Vienna–Berlin long-distance ride. Our Supergrevet is therefore not just another random gravel loop through the local fields and meadows, but a cycling classic surrounded by many myths. The long-distance ride between the two imperial capitals of Vienna and Berlin proved for the first time the superiority of the bicycle over the horse and triggered a cycling boom in Austria and Germany at the time.
Finish-line photo of Josef Fischer in 1893 in front of the Tempelhof customs house
Photos of the Vienna–Berlin long-distance ride
Lovingly scouted: the stages
From the Austrian vineyards through the picturesque Bohemian villages and imposing castles to the endless pond and post-mining landscapes of Lusatia and the sweeping wind-turbine fields of the Mark — the Supergrevet offers impressive variety and always leads you over fast gravel tracks. New: for the ’25 edition we follow the route of 1898.
Start: Vienna Floridsdorf (A)
Vienna is an attractive starting point. When arriving, it’s best to plan an extra day and enjoy the Viennese coffee houses beforehand, explore the city by fiaker, or take a seat on Sigmund Freud’s red sofa at the famous Berggasse No. 19. On the start day the route then takes you from Floridsdorf across the Donauinsel and along hidden paths through the Danube meadows, quickly out of the city into the green.
E1 Weinviertel (A)
Austria’s largest wine-growing region is characterised by rolling hills and wide-open landscapes. The Weinviertel is famous for its picturesque cellar lanes and vineyards. Anyone who doesn’t stop here for a treat has only themselves to blame.
E2: Waldviertel: Thayatal and the Iron Curtain (A)
With its bizarre rock formations and steep hillside forests, the Thayatal is home to numerous castles and castle ruins. Particularly impressive: Hardegg Castle with its defensive towers and the Kaja ruin. Right behind Hardegg runs the border with Czechia. The preserved tank barriers, checkpoints and barbed-wire ramparts make the oppressive atmosphere of the Cold War tangible.
E3: Highlands (CZ)
Beyond the border with Czechia lies the Czech Národní park Podyjí. The Czech highlands are generally sparsely populated and shaped by agriculture. Here you can let your mind wander and simply let it roll.
E4: Central Bohemia (CZ)
Central Bohemia is characterised by a high density of castles and palaces just as much as by its large number of fast gravel roads.
E5: Liberec region (CZ)
Located in the tri-border area of Germany, Poland and Czechia, the Liberec region is shaped by mountains and volcanoes. Dreamlike panoramas alternate here with the culinary temptations of hearty Czech cuisine.
E6: Zittau Mountains (D)
Traditionally the climbing sections of the Vienna–Berlin long-distance ride are found here. Deep gorges, bizarre rock formations and breathtaking views are just as guaranteed here as quaint rest spots at natural springs and stopping places.
E7: Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape (D)
The numerous fish ponds in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Upper Lusatia are a gathering point for countless birds. On paths lined with swaying reeds and shimmering lakes you can watch the odd sea eagle and kingfisher, or listen to the trumpeting of the cranes. Giant prehistoric reptiles, on the other hand, are no longer native here, but the Dinosaurierpark Kleinwelka might nonetheless make quite a few people look back nostalgically on their GDR childhood.
E8: Lower Lusatian post-mining landscapes (D)
Shaped by centuries of coal mining, Lower Lusatia is now searching for its new role. Tunnels have been filled in, open-cast mines have turned into sprawling lake landscapes and rusty mining excavators look like dinosaurs from prehistoric times. But you also often come across signs reading “No entry. Danger of collapse”. In fact the future of Lusatia now seems to be green: perfect gravel tracks often run through large solar and wind-turbine fields.
E9: Wind turbines and pine monocultures (D)
Rolling out amid low sensory density. That’s how the final stage through Brandenburg could be summed up. Actually perfect for winding down, isn’t it?
Finish: Berlin Tempelhof (D)
The Vienna–Berlin long-distance ride has traditionally ended since 1893 at the customs house on the Tempelhofer Feld. The little house no longer stands, but with its disused airfield the Tempelhofer Feld remains a great finishing point. A lap of the field should therefore still be doable even when utterly exhausted.
The term gravel now has to stand in for all sorts of things. But with us, gravel really means gravel. You needn’t fear any bike & hike sections or detours onto the motorway here. Our carefully scouted routes prioritise fine gravel roads and surfaced forest tracks. We only switch to lightly trafficked roads for unavoidable connecting sections. That makes the route easy for you to plan and divide up. Our route is based on the free
CXB route planner. For this, the extensive toolkit of the open-source community was adapted specifically for gravel cycling: gravel roads are visually highlighted across Europe, so you can deliberately factor them into your planning. We tested the planner extensively around Berlin and, among other things, intensively while scouting Vienna–Berlin.
Directly in the tracks we also embed supply points such as supermarkets, petrol stations and shelters as POIs.
The elevation profile is comparatively relaxed; mostly you’ll be dealing with rolling hills. It gets steeper beyond the Austrian border and then again before the German border. Towards the end the challenge fades out in a gentle decrescendo.
Starting from Vienna Floridsdorf, the route runs through the Weinviertel and Waldviertel, on through central Czechia. Once the Zittau Mountains have been conquered, the descent into Upper and Lower Lusatia follows, finally reaching Berlin directly. As traditionally, the finish is the Tempelhofer Feld; on the final sprint the metres of descent will assist you.
For a comfortable and sporty ride on the route we recommend a well-maintained gravel, cyclocross or adventure bike. A hardtail MTB is fun too. A classic road bike with a maximum tyre width of 25 mm, however, is not suitable. In dry conditions an all-road bike will mostly be a good choice on this route; in rain and mud, on the other hand, you should make use of every available millimetre of tyre width. The route has various sections: wide forest tracks, fast descents on dusty paths and short gravel ramps that can be more coarsely gravelled towards the summits. With disc brakes you have sufficient braking power. Tyres between 35–45 mm wide and, depending on your off-road experience, a semi-slick or knobbly tyre are recommended — better safe than sorry. Anyone wanting more comfort chooses the wider tyres. The climbs are rather short but can be steep in places. We therefore recommend a 1:1 gear ratio.
The starting point is not far from the station Vienna Floridsdorf in the 21st district. It is easy to reach by regional trains, the S-Bahn and U-Bahn, as well as by bike from Vienna Central Station. Vienna itself is ideally connected from Berlin via the ÖBB (night) trains, as well as by long-distance coaches.
Long-distance coaches are also readily available at short notice, and taking a bike along is, in our experience, easily possible here. You can usually travel overnight and so arrive in Vienna in the blink of an eye.
Train & bike could be a dream couple, but in practice the sad rule is often: it’s complicated. In general you can travel, for example, with the ÖBB Nightjet (
https://www.nightjet.com) to travel. Booking directly with the ÖBB is usually cheaper than with the DB. In concrete terms it is
a) in our experience it is often easier to pack the bike in a special bag (e.g. tranZbag, Rinko Bag) — then it counts as a piece of luggage and no longer as a bike — than to snag one of the few bike spaces.
b) In the Nightjet you can reserve entire four-berth compartments relatively cheaply. There you fit quite comfortably with two people and two bikes.
The accommodation options in Vienna are countless.
On previous visits to Vienna we had very good experiences with the
Austro-Brazilian design hotel Rioca, and are happy to recommend it.
For the ’25 edition we as a team opted for the somewhat obscure option of staying right in the middle of the city at the
Campingplatz Neue Donau to stay overnight. On the very large site no reservation is expressly needed, so you can simply check in. The site is a little noisy but genuinely well located, with short, bike-friendly routes into the city centre and to the start. Since camping before the camp is a thoroughly authentic option, we can really recommend this choice.
The finish was around 1900 an old customs house on the Tempelhofer Feld. The little house no longer stands, but after a lap across the field you have every option to travel on by U-Bahn and S-Bahn to the central station.
The history of the legendary Vienna–Berlin long-distance ride 1893: A milestone in cycling
The legendary Vienna–Berlin long-distance ride in 1893 marked the beginning of a new era for road cycling in Germany and Austria. Inspired by the success of a long-distance horse ride between the two cities, on 29 June 1893 brave cyclists competed against one another over a 582.5-kilometre route. From Vienna to Berlin they crossed unpaved roads and were at the mercy of the forces of nature as much as of exhaustion.
Josef Fischer of Munich took the lead and was the first to triumph in Berlin, having covered the route in around 31 hours. The arrival of the winners sparked enthusiasm among thousands of spectators and impressively showed that the bicycle could overtake the horse in terms of speed and endurance. The ride not only proved the durability of the then-new pneumatic tyres but also awakened widespread enthusiasm for cycling as a sport and means of transport. Manufacturers such as Opel and Michelin used the success for advertising campaigns and donated prizes for the participants. The long-distance ride led to a cycling boom and is regarded as a pioneer of modern cycling culture.
Today the route is being revived in the form of annual gravel events. Since 2022, cycling enthusiasts have taken on the historic distance on gravel roads, reawakening the pioneering spirit — as a tribute to the pioneers of the past and their outstanding achievements.
Partners and support
Teamwork makes the dream work.
