Breakdown on the A9

From Ferch to Munich

The A9 begins at the Potsdam triangle, about 45 kilometres south-west of central Berlin near Ferch, where it branches off the Berlin ring (A10). It crosses Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Thuringia and Bavaria. Except for the main carriageway at the Hermsdorf interchange, the Nuremberg interchange, and the final stretch in Munich, it has at least three lanes per direction throughout. If you break down on the A9, it helps to tell us your direction of travel, the last junction, and the landscape you're in.

Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt: pine forest, the Fläming, the Elbe

The route starts amid extensive pine forests, passes the former Beelitz lung sanatorium grounds through the Baruth ice-age valley into the Fläming, a low, forested range of hills. Between Niemegk and the state border with Saxony-Anhalt, the route is winding and hilly. The listed Hagenbrücke, a fully brick-built arch bridge from the original construction period, crosses a small valley. Near Vockerode, the A9 crosses the Elbe, connects to Dessau, and bridges the Mulde. The dead-straight southbound section past Bitterfeld-Wolfen was already designed as a record-speed track in the 1930s. The driving feel remains: long straights, little room to manoeuvre.

Saxony: the Schkeuditz interchange and the Mitteldeutsche Schleife

At the Schkeuditz interchange, the A9 meets the A14, together forming, with the A38 and A143, a double motorway ring around Halle and Leipzig, the Mitteldeutsche Schleife. Leipzig/Halle Airport sits right next to the interchange. At the Rippachtal interchange, where the A38 connects, this ring section ends. More on the region is on our page Towing Service Leipzig.

Thuringia: the Holzland, the Hermsdorf interchange, the Slate Mountains

South of Weißenfels, the A9 leaves the North German Plain, crosses into Thuringia, and winds through the Thuringian Holzland near Eisenberg. The Hermsdorf interchange with the A4 is a major junction in Germany's motorway network. At the interchange, the A9's main carriageway still has four lanes, with the right-hand lane in each direction branching onto a parallel carriageway. Near Triptis, the route descends into the Orla valley, followed by the Thuringian Slate Mountains and, south of Schleiz, a winding, hilly stretch. At the Saale, the border between East and West Germany until 1990, the motorway crosses into Bavaria.

Frankenwald, the Münchberg plateau, Bayreuth

On the Bavarian side, the A9 climbs out of the Saale valley through numerous tight bends; the A72 branches east at the Bavarian Vogtland triangle. Near Münchberg follows a long straight through the Pulschnitz valley, then the Münchberg plateau between the Frankenwald and the Fichtelgebirge. Near Bad Berneck, a descent parallel to the steep Schiefe Ebene railway line leads into the valley of the White Main, crossed on a valley bridge more than a kilometre long. The A70 branches off at the Bayreuth/Kulmbach triangle. At the Bindlacher Berg, the motorway enters Bayreuth's city area, where widening to six lanes near Laineck created a noise-protection enclosure about 360 metres long. For a breakdown on a descent, see our guide Brakes failing.

The Fränkische Alb: climbs, hillside bridges, Schnaittach

South of Bayreuth follows a long climb onto the Fränkische Alb, crossing the Lindenhardt forest. Near Trockau begins the second, more winding part of the climb, close to the Kleiner Kulm, the highest point of Franconian Switzerland. Near Pegnitz, the route enters the Veldenstein forest. The main ridge of the Alb is crossed at about 560 metres above sea level. Past Hormersdorf, the descent into the Schnaittach valley begins at the Hienberg, with the carriageways running separately on opposite hillsides. The Schnaittach valley bridge is almost 1.3 kilometres long. Breaking down here can mean standing on a hillside bridge, which complicates rescue and towing. Tell us your direction of travel and the bridge's name if you know it.

Nuremberg: the Nuremberg interchange and Nuremberg-Ost

Near Lauf, the route crosses the Pegnitz, then comes the Nuremberg interchange with the A3. There, the main carriageway coming from the north joins the A3, which from this point forms the A9's route heading south. At the interchange, the A9 has only four lanes. It then runs through the Lorenzer Reichswald; the A6 crosses at the Nuremberg-Ost interchange, and the A73 joins at the Nuremberg/Feucht triangle.

Ingolstadt, the Holledau, Munich

Near Greding, the motorway reaches the Fränkische Alb ridge again. Near Kinding, after crossing the Altmühl, another climb begins. The Munich-bound carriageway, built later, runs on a hillside bridge, while the Nuremberg-bound carriageway uses the two original carriageways, with cars and trucks kept separate. Near Denkendorf lies the summit of the Fränkische Alb, followed by a descent through the Köschinger forest. Further junctions include the Holledau triangle and the Neufahrn interchange. At the end, the A9 leads into the Mittlerer Ring at the München-Schwabing exit, see Towing Service Munich.

What we do on the A9

We organise roadside assistance and towing: you describe your location, vehicle and problem, and we coordinate the callout. Faster is based in Antwerp, Belgium; partners on the ground drive out on the A9. We don't give a fixed arrival time, since it depends on the section, traffic and weather.

How to describe your location on the A9

• Direction of travel: towards Munich or Berlin, or towards Nuremberg.
• Last or next exit, interchange, triangle, or service station.
• Notable features: valley bridge, descent, enclosure, roadworks.
• The state, if you know it, for example "just past the Thuringia–Bavaria border".

All motorway pages: Breakdown help on the motorway (German). General steps: Breaking down on the motorway. Cities: Leipzig, Munich, Berlin.