but a voyage around the world that would last over half a century. That’s exactly what German adventurer Heinz Stücke did. In 1962, at just 22 years old, he left his hometown of Niederkassel with little money, no major travel experience, and a deep yearning to see the world. Selling everything he owned, he set off with a simple bicycle and never looked back—returning home more than 50 years later.
Over the decades, Heinz pedaled across every continent, visiting more than 195 countries—many of which didn’t even exist on political maps when he began. He endured extreme conditions: he caught malaria in Africa, was arrested in several countries, and survived a serious crash with a truck in South America. Still, he never gave up. He slept in a small tent by the roadside, cooked his own meals, and funded his journey by selling self-made postcards and photo catalogs of his travels.
By the time he returned to Germany in the 2010s, Heinz had cycled nearly 650,000 kilometers, filled 20 passports, and earned a place in the Guinness World Records for the longest bicycle journey in history. More than a traveler, Heinz Stücke became a living legend—proof that the real borders are not on maps, but in our minds, and that one man and a bicycle can embrace the entire planet.
On the tribulations of an expatriate in Europe
Monday, August 04, 2025
Imagine setting off on a bicycle journey...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment