Epic Roadtrip 2020 – Reclaiming the Road

Introduction

It was July 2020, and the world was still in the grip of a pandemic, the first one in over a hundred years. Overnight the roads emptied, the calendar stopped meaning much, and the whole world seemed to be living through the same strange, quiet stretch of uncertainty. Freedom, something you never think to notice until it's gone, disappeared almost overnight. Strangers eyed each other with suspicion instead of indifference, and for a while it genuinely felt like living in a police state, checkpoints, curfews, rules enforced with fines. Masks appeared everywhere, queues formed outside supermarkets with people standing exactly 1.5 metres apart, and normal life became something you remembered rather than something you did. Our yearly roadtrip with the boys always happened in spring, and this year we had to cancel it, another casualty of rules none of us had ever imagined having to follow.

Then in August a window appeared, and we had to act fast. Borders that had been shut were open again, hotels and restaurants were trading, if you could call it that, with taped off tables and staff behind masks. It wasn't freedom exactly, more a cautious, closely monitored version of it. Masks on before every stop, distance kept in every lobby and fuel station, plans that could change overnight if a region's case numbers moved the wrong way. Strict, but liveable, and after a summer of nothing, that was enough. We made it work.

The plan was simple: drive. We set off as soon as conditions allowed, eager to escape the stagnation of lockdown life. This wasn't just a road trip, it was a reminder of what movement felt like.

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Day 1: Free at Last

The journey began at BP de Kroon, a fuel station on the A27 just south of Nieuwegein, a long overdue catch up over coffee and the usual final checks, oil levels, sunscreen. Engines came to life, and the trip was properly underway.

Heading southeast on the A2 and A67, we crossed into Germany for the first stop in Nettetal to refuel and reset before pressing on.

The A5 brought the first taste of unrestricted speed, cars stretching their legs on open road for the first time in months. The route continued towards Frankfurt, where a stop at Klassikstadt broke up the drive. Housed in the former Mayfarth agricultural machinery factory, a 16,000 square metre listed brick building converted in 2010, it's now home to more than 30 businesses tied to classic and sports cars, free to walk through. There are always beautiful cars stored there just to look at, alongside others genuinely for sale. Highly recommended if you're ever in the area.

From there, the A5 carried our group south past Darmstadt and Karlsruhe, fast and straightforward, before the road changed character entirely on the B294 after Pforzheim, winding down through Enzklösterle into the northern Black Forest towards Bad Wildbad. A stop along the way at the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald, a 1,250 metre treetop walkway opened in 2014, climbing to a 40 metre panorama tower with views reaching to Alsace and the Swiss Alps on a clear day, plus a 55 metre tunnel slide back down for anyone who fancied it.

The final leg continued on the B294 through Kaltenbronn before picking up the B28 towards Oppenau, 82 kilometres of proper mountain road, dropping past Allerheiligen, seven waterfalls cascading 83 metres through a gorge below the ruins of a 12th century abbey, before the final run into Lautenbach. Our stop for the night, Gasthof und Pension zum Kreuz, sits in the Renchtal valley at the foot of the Black Forest and describes itself, accurately, as a Boxenstopp for hikers, riders, and motorcyclists passing through. Schnitzels and beer were exactly what the day called for. High speed sprints, technical twists, and the simple joy of being back on the road, day one had delivered everything it promised. Engines cooling, glasses raised, our group looked ahead to tomorrow. The mountains were calling.

Route facts: Nieuwegein, Netherlands to Lautenbach, Germany · 710 km · Klassikstadt Frankfurt, Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald

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Day 2: Into the Alps

Morning light revealed a crisp Black Forest landscape as engines came back to life. Leaving Lautenbach on the B28, our group traced its way through winding forest roads, damp tarmac adding an edge to the drive, before picking up the Schwarzwaldhochstraße, the B500, which bid farewell with one last run of tight corners before opening onto the day's first fast stretches.

First on the list was Schauinsland, the legendary hillclimb circuit outside Freiburg. First raced in 1925, its 12 kilometres and roughly 170 corners saw drivers like Rudolf Caracciola, Hans Stuck, and Bernd Rosemeyer fight for the record, making it the longest and most winding hillclimb course Germany has ever had. A brief pause to take it in, then back to the road.

The Silvretta High Alpine Road was the real event of the day, 22 kilometres and 34 hairpins climbing to the Bielerhöhe summit at over 2,000 metres, built as a toll road to service a hydroelectric dam and still one of the most complete Alpine drives there is. Engines echoed off the valley walls the whole way up, and the summit view over the Silvretta reservoir and Piz Buin made every hairpin worth it.

The descent flowed into a scenic run through Todtmoos and Sankt Blasien, where our group paused for the cathedral, its dome one of the largest domed churches in Europe north of the Alps, oddly imposing for a town this size buried in the Black Forest. From there the route continued through Singen to Konstanz, crossing Lake Constance by ferry, then on through Meersburg, Friedrichshafen, Lindau, and Bregenz, picking up the Arlberg Pass road on the final approach into Austria.

The day's journey concluded at Gasthof Löwen in Pfronten-Steinach, a family run Allgäu guesthouse just over the border from Austria, where cars and drivers could finally cool down. The Alps had welcomed our group in the best way possible, unforgettable roads and the promise of more to come.

Route facts: Lautenbach, Germany to Pfronten, Germany · 470+ km recorded (GPX cuts short of Pfronten) · Schauinsland, Silvretta High Alpine Road, Sankt Blasien

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Day 3: Deep into Switzerland

Morning broke over the Allgäu, engines waking the valley as our group left Pfronten behind for another day of perfect tarmac. No lunch breaks today, the whole schedule was built around chasing mountain passes and carving through Switzerland's finest roads.

The route led westward into Switzerland, where the roads instantly transformed into an engineering marvel, silky smooth, perfectly banked, framed by towering peaks.

The Pragelpass provided the first real challenge, a narrow, steep route topping out at 18 percent that tests both skill and patience. Then came the Sustenpass, a dramatic ascent flanked by glaciers and waterfalls, one of 25 tunnels and 25 bridges built specifically for cars when it opened in 1946, followed by the Brünigpass, sweeping curves and panoramic vistas over Lake Brienz.

The journey continued over Glaubenbielenpass and Glaubenbergpass, their less travelled routes offering a raw, unfiltered Alpine experience, before a return over the Brünigpass set up the day's final stretch.

The last major segment took our group over the Grimsel Pass, a high altitude route built in 1895 and lined with reservoirs and jagged peaks, before climbing to the grand finale, the Furka Pass. A stop at the landmark Hotel Belvédère, its Belle Époque silhouette famous from the James Bond film Goldfinger, gave our group a chance to see the Rhône Glacier up close and step into the ice grotto, a genuine 100 metre tunnel cut fresh into the ice with chainsaws and ice picks every spring, a job that takes about four weeks and has been done annually since at least 1894, because the glacier moves 30 to 40 metres a year and melts enough each summer that the old tunnel won't hold. An odd contradiction: walking past fleece blankets laid over the ice to slow the melting, then stepping into a tunnel someone had just spent a month chainsawing into that same glacier. Trying to save it and carve it up at once, and somehow neither impulse cancels the other out.

As the day wound down, our group made its way to Hotel Tiefenbach, perched at 2,109 metres on the Uri side of the Furka Pass, stories of the drive shared over dinner. The roads had delivered yet again, another chapter in an unforgettable journey through the heart of the Alps.

Route facts: Pfronten, Germany to Hotel Tiefenbach, Switzerland · 457+ km recorded (GPX starts short of Pfronten) · Pragelpass, Sustenpass, Grimsel Pass, Furka Pass, Rhône Glacier

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Day 4: More Mountain Passes

Dawn broke over Hotel Tiefenbach, Alpine air carrying the scent of mountain pine as engines fired up for another day. Our group rolled back out onto the Furka Pass, retracing its legendary curves in the early morning light.

From there, the route took our group through some of the most renowned Alpine passes in Switzerland. The Tremola, the old cobbled section of the Gotthard Pass, offered a raw connection to the past, its granite setts unchanged since the road was widened between 1818 and 1836. Passing through the town of Airolo at the foot of the pass, the journey continued toward the San Bernardino Pass, first opened to wheeled traffic in 1770, smooth tarmac and scenic hairpins delivering a perfect blend of pace and beauty.

Next came the Splügen Pass, tight twisting hairpins descending into Chiavenna, a brief dip into Italy. Climbing back into Switzerland, our group tackled the Maloja Pass, 24 kilometres of sweeping curves and sections up to 11 percent guiding them toward the elegance of Sankt Moritz. The Albula Pass came next, familiar from the previous day but no less exhilarating the second time around.

From there the drive continued north through Liechtenstein and into Vorarlberg, the final leg winding through Zwischenwasser and up the Furxstraße to a place of real historical weight, the original Peterhof. As the last guests to stay there before its demolition, our group caught the tail end of an era. Built in 1954, burned down and rebuilt in the 1970s, it had grown into a proper 20 room hotel by the time it closed. In its place today stands the new Peterhof Furx, ten architect designed chalets that opened a few years after our visit, offering the same breathtaking Alpine views the old building always had.

Route facts: Hotel Tiefenbach, Switzerland to Zwischenwasser (Furx), Austria · 405 km · Tremola/Gotthard Pass, San Bernardino Pass, Splügen Pass, Maloja Pass, Albula Pass

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Day 5: The Home Stretch

Our group said goodbye to Furx and set off toward the day's first challenge, the Furkajoch, a lesser known gem of tight switchbacks and stunning mountain views. The descent led into Damüls, a picturesque Alpine village, before winding through the valleys toward Andelsbuch and Oberreutte.

From here the Autobahn called, one last chance to stretch the legs of the machines before Motorworld Region Stuttgart in Böblingen. Nestled in the listed halls of the former Württemberg State Airport, 50,000 square metres of automotive history, this made for a memorable break among historic and exotic cars.

The journey continued toward Solitude, where a detour led our group onto the legendary Solitude Rennstrecke. This road race circuit hosted motorcycle and car races from 1903 through the 1960s, including non championship Formula 1 races in the early sixties with names like Jim Clark and Jack Brabham on the entry list. Today it's simply public road again, a 60 kilometre an hour limit where a Grand Prix once ran, the perfect spot for a quick lap and an unforgettable Glemseck photo.

Next was Motorworld Köln Rheinland, a petrolhead's paradise on the grounds of the former Butzweilerhof Airport, its 1930s aviation architecture now home to another 50,000 square metres of historic and exotic cars, including the Michael Schumacher private collection. With time slipping away, the final leg led north to a crucial fuel stop in Nettetal, the same location where the adventure had begun, and a good moment to reflect on five days of pure driving bliss.

Tanks full, engines cooling, the journey was officially over. But as every road trip proves, the best roads never truly end. They simply wait for the next adventure to begin.

Route facts: Zwischenwasser (Furx), Austria to Nettetal, Germany · 755 km · Motorworld Region Stuttgart, Solitude Rennstrecke, Motorworld Köln Rheinland

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