June 18, 2025, 8:40 am | Read time: 5 minutes

Which Cities in Germany Are Best for Cycling? Where Do Cyclists Feel Safe and What Problems Exist? The ADFC has conducted another Bicycle Climate Test. TRAVELBOOK presents the results.

The Survey

For this year’s 11th Bicycle Climate Test, the ADFC surveyed 213,000 people nationwide about their “satisfaction with bike paths and the sense of safety on the road.” A total of 1,047 locations met the required minimum number of votes, representing 65 percent of the population, according to the ADFC. The survey included 27 questions in categories such as safety and comfort while cycling, infrastructure, promotion of cycling, traffic climate, and subjective satisfaction while cycling, as stated by the ADFC in a release. The questions could be rated on a scale of six grades. The cities were divided into six groups based on size. The survey took place in fall 2024, and the results were published on June 17, 2025. The survey is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport.

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The Most Bicycle-Friendly City in Germany Is …

… Wettringen. The community in North Rhine-Westphalia’s Münsterland is not only the winner in the category of cities with up to 20,000 inhabitants, but it also received the best rating of all bicycle cities in Germany with 1.55 points. The city is located near Münster and the Dutch border. According to the ADFC, it is precisely the proximity to the Netherlands that characterizes the region, where cycling is an integral part of everyday life.

Special features in Wettringen for cyclists, according to the Bicycle Club, include the 62-kilometer Triangel bike path inaugurated in 2023, bicycle shelters, a bicycle service station, and various cycling education offerings.

Germany’s Most Bicycle-Friendly Cities by Size

Cities with More Than 500,000 Inhabitants

1. Frankfurt / Main (3.49 points)
2. Hanover (3.52 points)
3. Bremen (3.54 points)

Cities with 200,000 to 500,000 Inhabitants

1. Münster (2.97 points)
2. Freiburg im Breisgau (3.03 points)
3. Karlsruhe (3.05 points)
   
   In addition to these three winners in their group, the city of Aachen receives a special award for “coexistence in traffic.”

Cities with 100,000 to 200,000 Inhabitants

1. Erlangen (3.13 points)
2. Darmstadt (3.5 points)
3. Oldenburg (3.58 points)

Cities with 50,000 to 100,000 Inhabitants

1. Tübingen (2.77 points)
2. Nordhorn (2.83 points)
3. Bocholt (2.92 points)

Cities with 20,000 to 50,000 Inhabitants

1. Baunatal (2.53 points)
2. Meckenheim (2.66 points)
3. Ettlingen (2.76 points)

Cities with Up to 20,000 Inhabitants

1. Wettringen (1.55 points; best rating across all size categories)
2. Reken (1.6 points)
3. Olfen (2.4 points)

Additionally, according to the ADFC, cities like Nuremberg, Bochum, Siegen, Witten, Rheinbach, and Frankenberg/Eder have made significant strides in bicycle-friendliness.

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These Are Germany’s Best Bicycle Cities

Looking solely at the scores of individual cities regardless of their size, this is the ranking of the best cities in Germany for cyclists:

1. Wettringen (1.55 points)
2. Reken (1.6 points)
3. Olfen (2.4 points)
4. Baunatal (2.53 points)
5. Meckenheim (2.66 points)
6. Ettlingen (2.76 points)
7. Tübingen (2.77 points)
8. Nordhorn (2.83 points)
9. Bocholt (2.92 points)
10. Münster (2.97 points)
11. Freiburg im Breisgau (3.03 points)
12. Karlsruhe (3.05 points)
13. Erlangen (3.13 points)
14. Frankfurt / Main (3.49 points)
15. Darmstadt (3.5 points)
16. Hanover (3.52 points)
17. Bremen (3.54 points)
18. Oldenburg (3.58 points)

How Bicycle-Friendly Are Germany’s Metropolises?

Germany’s metropolises show significant differences. While many have improved over the past two years, some have become less comfortable for cyclists. Berlin tops the list of least bicycle-friendly cities, followed by Düsseldorf and Essen. In all three cities, cyclists’ criticism, according to the ADFC, is the same: “the lack of recent bicycle promotion.”

The metropolis with the most improvements is Nuremberg. According to the ADFC, the city scores with “good acceptance of cyclists in traffic, bicycle-friendly traffic light sequences, and the quality of new bike paths.” Leipzig’s strengths include more efficient enforcement against illegal parking and fewer obstacles on bike paths. In Frankfurt am Main, cyclists are pleased with numerous innovations, including many new bike paths, protected bike lanes, and bicycle streets.

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Germany’s Overall Bicycle Suitability Improved

The ADFC states in its release that the overall rating of the current Bicycle Climate Test is 3.92 points. This means Germany has improved its bicycle-friendliness by 0.04 points compared to the survey two years ago. Many small and large cities have invested in their bicycle-friendliness in recent years, with new bike paths, better signage, and facilities such as service stations, parking lots, washing stations, and others.

Continuing issues for cyclists in Germany include bike paths that are too narrow or blocked by parked cars. The interaction in traffic is also criticized by survey participants, as is the passing distance of cars.

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Frank Masurat, the national chairman of the ADFC, says in the release: “In almost all major cities, it is evident that investments in cycling–in wide, safe bike paths, bicycle bridges, and bike parking–immediately lead to more satisfaction among cyclists.” The issue of safety is particularly concerning for the ADFC: More than two-thirds of all surveyed cyclists reported feeling unsafe in traffic. This is mainly due to missing, too narrow, or blocked bike paths, often in conjunction with cars passing too closely.