This week on the Rhine river, while cruising on AmaWaterways’ AmaLucia, I chose to straddle a saddle on four excursions by bicycle. “It’s the best way to see a place,” our guide Monika said as we rolled through Strasbourg, one of Europe’s most bike-friendly cities. More than a dozen of us chose to cycle into the city center for an invigorating three-hour tour.

Indeed, we were doing as the locals do, riding our bikes on dedicated bike lanes and along narrow city walkways and streets. We covered a distance of about 11 miles, taking in the Alsatian city’s major attractions before arriving back at AmaLucia for a well-deserved lunch.

The day before, a similar-sized group pedaled through the Black Forest and back through the town of Breisach. We covered about 15 miles during our three-hour ride.

Today in Ludwigshafen, I was the only guest to pedal, but I did so in the company of Karan Hegiste, the affable wellness host on AmaLucia. An impressive Indian sprinter, Karan once ran 100 meters in 10.40 seconds, earning him a gold medal at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in 2019.

Karan assists all guided bike rides from AmaLucia. Our local guide was Mike, who led us through beautiful countryside along the Neckar river. Our halfway point on the 20-mile ride was Ladenburg, where Carl Benz was credited for inventing the automobile. Car enthusiasts will, of course, recognize the name in the company that became Mercedes-Benz.

I should add that our group of cyclists was absent today because the main excursion was to Heidelberg, a must-see for those who haven’t been there.

My last pedal on this cruise will be tomorrow morning in Rudesheim. AmaLucia is currently sailing the Rhine past Mainz, which puts us on schedule to arrive in Rudesheim before sunset. We’ll have a famous Rudesheimer coffee after dinner, as we step off AmaLucia into the charming village, and then it’s early to bed for me for one last glorious ride along the Rhine.