Altmuehltal

On our neighbour's front step and in the middle of Bavaria lies the "Altmuehltal" Nature Park. The River Altmühl runs from its source near Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Kelheim, where it joins the Danube.

• Well-marked circular routes of between 5 and 30 kilometres in length invite you to go on day trips. We walk these single tours at the weekends.
• The Altmuehltal Panorama Trail runs 202 kilometres from Gunzenhausen to Kelheim. The route can be divided into 10 to 12 sections and extended by so-called "loop trails".
• The classic Altmuehltal cycle tour also leads from Gunzenhausen to Kelheim and can be extended to Regensburg. Here is a brief description:

• • The route leads through broad meadows and fields.
  • Alternatively, the Brombachsee lake can be included via Weißenburg (45 km).

• • Visit the Mayor Mueller Museum in Solnhofen to admire the archaeopteryx.
  • Behind Solnhofen, the rocks of the Twelve Apostles characterise the Altmuehltmal. They are eroded rock relics of the former Jurassic Sea
  • Dollnstein invites you to stop for lunch, then you pass a climbing rock.
  • The baroque town of Eichstaett is the seat of the bishopric and university, offers an intact historic centre at the Residenzplatz and has excellent restaurants.

• • A few kilometres beyond Eichstaett you reach the reconstructed Roman fort of Pfuenz.
  • A tip for fine dining is the Moierhof in Walting.
  • The route continues via the Gundoldinger Wacholderheide, Kipfenberg and Kinding to the "Kratzmuehle" recreation area.
  • In Beilngries, a tour leads along the town wall with its nine medieval towers.

• • The Main-Danube Canal joins the Altmuehl in the "Chinese carnival town" of Dietfurt.
  • Riedenburg is a "three-castle town" on the canal and has a falconry centre and a crystal museum.
  • The medieval Prunn Castle towers high above the Main-Danube Canal.
  • Europe's longest wooden bridge spans the canal at Essing.
  • In Kelheim, the beer garden of the Weißes Brauhaus invites you to stop for refreshments. The majestic Liberation Hall on the Michelsberg is a reminder of the wars against Napoleon.
  • A boat trip on the Danube breakthrough takes you to the Benedictine monastery of Weltenburg dating back to 617, the original Bavarian monastery par excellence. The beer garden under the chestnut trees is a dream.

• • After a rest in Weltenburg Monastery, the final, somewhat less attractive section awaits.
  • It leads to Bad Abbach, crosses the Danube and ends in the medieval centre of Regensburg.