KMII
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Fun with the Autobahn pt. 1 - Kasseler Berge on the A7 🇩🇪
In addition to the mountain roads and the odd road trip to a fun country, that I have occasionally posted on over the last months, there’s also the motorway. Now we often spend a lot more time on it than chasing up and down mountain passes and often it’s a fairly anodyne, downright boring experience. Traffic, speed limits, etc. make it so - and in the meantime semi-automated driving is probably the feature many of us appreciate highly in cars to escape the tedium.
Still, not all highways were made the same and there are still a handful that can be a lot of fun under the right circumstances. I will start with Germany. The birthplace of the autobahn, with still quite some sections without a speed limit, it’s often to he stuff of (equally often) misplaced dreams and hopes. Many sections are in moderately good or poor shape and traffic is almost omnipresent.
So what are some exceptions? Let’s start with the famous section of the A7 going South to North through most of the country, and more specifically with a section called Kasseler Berge (Kassel hills). While by definition the road goes from around Fulda (of the Cold War Fulda Gap fame) to Göttingen (still the university with the second highest number of Nobel laureates), the fun section ends more or less shortly after Kassel.
The much loved sign of no speed limits is fortunately much in place here, meaning one can navigate the road at a fair lick - only a handful of sections being limited. But this is something that the road shares with many others in Germany. What makes the road special is the original task, set when first constructed in 1933. Namely to add some natural beauty and lovely scenery to lighten up the tedium of driving.
This means that instead of placing it in the flat surroundings, the road goes through the Kassel hills, with plenty of curves and elevation changes as a consequence - the steepest sections being at 8% for instance. In the 50s politicians blasted the stupidity of the planners, as especially in winter the road was a real challenge for trucks, in the meantime we all benefit from the decision 😉
The surface is somewhat variable, with badly pockmarked sections alternating with those with completely smooth asphalt, so a certain amount of care is obviously welcome.
Apart from that it’s a wonderfully fluid three dimensional experience, with perpetual changes in direction and elevation, giving you a good upper body workout, if you attempt to travel it at speed.
In addition to that it’s a place of democratic fun. Sure - with a highly powered car you can average over 200kmh and the few straights will allow speeds considerably above but as long as the car can get to around 160kmh (100mph) you will have plenty of fun, and there’s all kinds of vehicles being driven in a spirited fashion, as long as the traffic is not too heavy.
As the curves are quite tight, one needs to build in the reserves of being able to brake should an obstacle suddenly appear, without the rear breaking loose. Generally plenty of rubber (in line with the Schwarz, Breit, Stark Marketing slogan of the local tire manufacturer there) is very helpful, as is a long wheelbase, adding stability through the fast long sweepers. All wheel drive obviously also helps but is not a must.
Do it in a hot hatch and it’s an exciting ride at 230, in an S-Class you will hardly feel anything at 250 🤷🏻♂️
In the end it’s a bit of a poor man’s Nordschleiffe, without the narrower chicanes. No need to pay entry, no expensive insurance and no need to go all out for plenty of fun. And very much a run what you brung type of place, offering fun for almost all 😁🏁
So if you find yourselves in the middle of Germany and want some fun on the Autobahn, it’s definitely a good place to start 👍🏻
Fun with the Autobahn pt. 1 - Kasseler Berge on the A7 🇩🇪
In addition to the mountain roads and the odd road trip to a fun country, that I have occasionally posted on over the last months, there’s also the motorway. Now we often spend a lot more time on it than chasing up and down mountain passes and often it’s ...
So amusing to see this strip of Autobahn mentioned here...
... as I know it very well. Lived in Göttingen for 12 years. Teached at university in Kassel for some years. And my girlfriend (now wife) studied and lived in Kassel. I often stayed the night in Kassel and then drove to work in Göttingen over the A7. Had ...
Sounds like a blast with that car 👍🏻🏁
And I can well imagine this being one of the better work commutes 😉👌🏻
My favourite section is south of Ulm heading towards Kempten.
As I explain to visitors, you can only drive as fast as the car ahead of you.
Oh yes, in the best possible way! 👍🏻
One is not even considered particularly naughty doing it, since all (still) legal 😁
during the 90ies I killed many tires between Kassel and Frankfurt...
nowadays the connection is just too busy with trucks and slow movers...
If one partakes fully…
The local tire dealer will certainly be happy as a Cheshire Cat 😁 Early mornings one can still thoroughly enjoy the route, or else one needs a bit of luck 🍀
Go for it 🦾
Will be fun in the Smart and the Cooper both. Top speed is not the point, weaving at what the car will manage is what’s it about 😁👍🏻
Go for it
Not all our roads are this boring ... I too have some memories of racing around in Germany compared to the many hours of plodding along on American highways. ...
Actually now that you mention it…
Was just chatting to a friend, whether to do a US coast to coast. Technically feasible on four days according to Google maps (San Francisco to New York) 🧐🤷🏻♂️ Would you recommend it? And if yes, which route and what season?
I’ve only done it twice, but I have friends
Who drive from New Jersey to Calif 2-3 times a year, every trip a different route. I’ll ask them which they think is the best route (he’s French and loves to drive). They’re scheduled back here in about a week.
Oh great - thanks so much 🙏🏻
No hurry, not something that will happen imminently 😁 But it’s getting on the list of options for the next road trips (need to gather additional material for these posts 😂)👍🏻
Sorry to pester you…
Did you manage to ask? ���� Another alternative currently being discussed is Vancouver (or Seattle) to Juneau (Anchorage is just that tiny bit too far) in November.
Alaska run requires serious prep, much is off-road, and frankly not always enjoyable (ruts and holes)
And November might find parts of the road impassible. I would stick to the coast to coast drive, NY to LA or similar. You have some turnpikes, toll roads, serious mountain climbing, boring stretches, Route 66 and so on. Twenty or so years ago I drove solo...
Thanks again for the spectacular pictures 👌🏻👍🏻
Unfortunately no rental agency offers a 2CV �� The online resources claim the Alaskan Highway should not be an issue throughout winter ����♂️ Worse than your Laponian raid in your opinion?
My guess is it would be easier than Lapland
I was thinking back about who I know that has done the whole trip, and it was Grant, the delivery driver from my last job. But he did it on a bicycle and now I remember that’s why he said it was a trip from hell. We have a Russian friend who grew up in Si...
That would be fantastic 👍🏻🙏🏻
Have done quite some driving in Siberia, the Russian Far East, the Urals and the Caucasus, as well as the European far North in winter so it would not be the first rodeo on ice and snow ❄️ The only thing I fear is that the rentals might not ...
Here’s some input
Friends of ours who have been on the road for 9 years spent 2 months going up there and back - you can read about it in their blog. BTW from San Diego they went almost 12,000 miles round trip! Living in Beauty by Jim & Carmen Philosophy Approach the entir...
If you’re lucky with the traffic…
It’s only three hours away from where you live 😁 And definitely worthwhile to try it once 👌🏻 As for South, I understand that only too well - still, some variety never harms 😁
Great post !
Last time I was in Germany was 2023. My wife didn't want me to take the Clio so we took the mini RS6 ;-) Having tested the top speed with te Clio several times , 240 on the clock=225-230 real speed. The car stays hyper stable and feels glued to the road, ...
I know the warning signals 😂😉
In our case there’s a visual warning from the passenger side seat at around 210 and an acoustic one at 230 😂 The issue with the S-Class is that you get practically no feedback as to how close to the limit the car is 🤷🏻♂️ And as for fuel, the simple alter...