The Neckar Valley between Neckargemünd and Heidelberg offers one of the most pleasant flat river paths in the region — about 12 kilometres of well-maintained trail along the riverbank, suitable for walking or cycling. The route passes through woodland, farmland, and the riverside village of Ziegelhausen, with the wooded hillsides closing in overhead and occasional views of ruined castle towers on the heights.
In the other direction, upstream from Neckargemünd, the valley narrows and the cycling route passes through Neckarsteinach, which has four castles on the ridge above the town — more intact hilltop fortifications per kilometre than almost anywhere else in Germany. The Burgenweg (castle trail) connects these sites on a walking path through the forest above the river.