A Bavarian Spring: From Rothenburg to the Danube, Germany

The Trip

Germany has a long-standing history of long-distance trails, the first of which was established in the early 19th century. One of them, the Altmühl Panorama Trail, was voted Germany’s Top Trail and is the focus of our trip.  It runs for about 130 miles through the scenic valley of the Altmühl River, a tributary of the Danube, in central Bavaria. There are no high mountains, but the landscape is dominated by gentle ridges that are dotted with limestone towers and cliffs. Green forests, meadows, pastures, and fruit orchards cover the lovely valleys and hillsides. Our hike connects quaint old villages and small towns, each of them with its own history reflected in castles, fortresses, market squares, and small streets.  Spring is prime time for flowers and trees in full blossom.

We spend the first two days of our journey exploring Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The medieval town lies on the Romantic Road, the famous scenic highway through Bavaria, and is close to the start of the trail. After hiking for four days, we have a layover day in the baroque city of Eichstätt, a former episcopal residence hosting a cathedral, several churches, and a castle. Our trek continues, with both short and long hiking options.

Our trip ends with a boat ride on the Danube from Kelheim, which is the trek’s endpoint, to Kloster Weltenburg. The Benedictine monastery in the deep gorge of the river was founded in 600 AD and is the site of Bavaria’s most famous brewery and pub.       

As a native German with a passion for hiking and his native country, the trip leader invites you to join him on this classic trek from Rothenberg ob der Tauber to the Danube.

Day 1: We meet late morning at the central railway station in downtown Nuremberg (Nürnberg).  From there we will take a 1.5-hour train ride to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where we will have the opportunity to walk around town and visit the museum of criminal history. 

Day 2: After breakfast we spend the morning on a guided sightseeing tour of the medieval town. In the afternoon we take a 1-hour train ride into Gunzenhausen, the starting point of the Altmühl Panorama Trail.

Day 3: Gunzenhausen – Spielberg – Gelber Berg – Wolfsbronn (13 miles).  Our trek begins.  Gently ascending through orchards and pastures, we pass the impressive 12th-century castle in Spielberg and the remnants of a Celtic fortified wall (Gelber Berg).

Day 4: Wolfsbronn  – Steinerne Rinne – Treuchtlingen (14 miles).  Our trail crosses a limestone plateau with typical karst formations before descending into the lovely city of Treuchtlingen.

Day 5: Treuchtlingen – Pappenheim – Solnhofen – Zwölf Apostel – Mörnsheim  (13 miles). Today’s hike has attractions in culture, natural history, and scenery.  We walk through the town of Pappenheim, which hosts another impressive 12th-century castle, then pass the limestone rock formation known as the Twelve Apostles (Zwölf Apostel) and reach the Solnhofen limestone quarry, the discovery site of spectacular Jurassic fossils.     

Day 6: Mörnsheim – Dollnstein – Eichstätt (8/18 miles).  Juniper bushes alternate with green beech forests. Those who want to take it easier can end the hike in Dollnstein and take the train from there to our destination, Eichstätt.

Day 7: We have a rest day in Eichstätt.  You have the option to visit the cathedral, the episcopal palace, and the Willibaldsburg castle, which hosts museums of natural history and archaeology.  In the afternoon, relax over a cup of coffee and cake in a bakery.

Day 8: Eichstätt – Gungolding (13 miles).  We leave Eichstätt, undulating up and down through pastures, meadows, and forests, and passing a cave and several small villages along the way.  

Day 9: Gungolding – Arnsberg – Kipfenberg – Kinding (11 miles). Another cultural highlight of our trek: We reach and briefly walk along the Limes, the fortification wall built by the Romans in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD through central Europe to protect the Empire from German tribes to the north. 

Day 10: Kinding – Torfelsen – Pfraundorf – Hirschberg – Beilngries (11 miles). The trail leads through the Arch Rock (Torfelsen), another limestone formation, and passes the rococo castle of Hirschberg on its way to the beautiful historic town square of Beilngries.

Day 11: Beilngries – Dietfurt – Meihern – Untereggesberg – Riedenburg (11/20 miles). The valley of the Altmühl River becomes more and more scenic as it becomes more and more narrow. You can end the hike after 11 miles and ride the bus or boat. The faithful Altmühl Panorama Trail thru-hikers among us, who are not deterred by the long distance, will continue on foot and be rewarded by outstanding scenery. Both groups meet up in Riedenburg, a town that is surrounded by three castles.

Day 12: Riedenburg – Schloss Prunn – Essing – Kelheim (14 miles). The undisputed highlight of the last day on the trek is Schloss Prunn, one of Germany’s most beautiful and best preserved castles. Continuing on both sides of the river, we get to see several karst springs and limestone caves before reaching the terminus of the Altmühl Panorama Trail in Kelheim, where the Altmühl merges into the Danube.

Day 13: After breakfast we take a walk through town and ascend to the Befreiungshalle (Liberation Hall), an impressive monument built by King Ludwig I of Bavaria that commemorates the German people’s fight against Napoleon’s occupation. We then board the boat to Kloster Weltenburg. You have the chance to visit the monastery before having lunch and, of course, a beer in the brewpub. We take the boat back to Kelheim, and a short bus ride brings us to the train station. From there it is about a two-hour train ride back to Nuremberg, where our trip ends. Participants who wish to do so have the option of boarding a train to Munich instead, which takes about the same amount of time.

Please note that unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather or unavailability of accommodations might necessitate some adjustments to the planned agenda. Participants need to be flexible.

Getting There

Our trip starts at the central railway station in Nuremberg, Germany, in the late morning of the first day.  It ends there in the late afternoon on the last day.  Nuremberg’s airport can be reached from most major U.S. cities with one stopover at Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, or Paris. It can also be easily reached by a 1- to 2-hour train ride from Frankfurt or Munich.  Nuremberg has abundant sightseeing opportunities, and the leader is happy to make suggestions and give recommendations on hotels. 

Participants need to arrange their travel so that they arrive in Germany at least one day before the trip starts and depart no earlier than the morning of the day after the trip ends.  Transportation to the starting and ending point is the responsibility of each participant.  Please note that accommodations before the first day and after day 12 are not included in the trip price. Participants who wish can depart on the last day from the train station in Kelheim to Munich, but they will need to do so at their own cost. 

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Our accommodations each night will be in B&B inns, guesthouses, and small country hotels. The rooms are simple but comfortable, all equipped with shower and bathroom and double occupancy. Each day our luggage will be transported by our hosts to the accommodation where we will stay that night. Single supplements are available for participants who are willing to pay the additional cost, which is about $300. Please contact the leader well in advance to guarantee availability.  It also should be mentioned that in some of the places we are staying the shared beds can be quite narrow for American standards.  Participants who are light sleepers or otherwise uncomfortable with this might want to consider the single supplement option.

Typical breakfast selections in the hotels and B&B inns include coffee, tea, fruit juice, homemade rolls and bread, butter, fruit preserves or jams, muesli, yogurt, cheese, and soft or hard boiled eggs.  For dinners we can expect to sample the typical Bavarian cuisine.  Popular dishes are roasted or braised pork and beef (sauerbraten), occasionally also veal, poultry and game, potato dumplings, potato salad, hearty sauces and soups, sauerkraut, and, of course beer. The nature of the fare can make it difficult to accommodate certain special dietary needs. Participants with food restrictions should check with the leader to make sure their dietary requests can be met.

All breakfasts, dinner meals, and tips on the trip are included in the price.  Our first meal will be dinner on the evening of day 1 and our last meal will be breakfast on the morning of day 13. 

Participants pay for all their own lunches, snacks, and drinks. On most days we have lunch picnic-style on the trail. You can take out a lunch package in the morning at our hotels or inns or purchase food in local supermarkets or delis. Occasionally we might also stop and eat lunch at a restaurant or bakery somewhere along the way.

Trip Difficulty

As is obvious from the itinerary, this is a hiking-oriented outing.  We will be hiking for nine days, covering 10-14 miles every day with one layover in between.  On some days the energetic among us have the option to extend the hikes to up to 20 miles.  On a typical day, we will have breakfast between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m., be on the trail by 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. and hike till late afternoon.  This makes it a moderate-strenuous trip, appealing to seasoned hikers and trekkers who are interested in sampling the rich cultural and natural history of Germany. 

All hiking is on marked and maintained trails. Daily elevation gains and losses are between 1,000 and 3,000 feet with mostly moderate grades.  Steeper ascents or descents happen occasionally, but they will be brief. You need to be prepared to encounter muddy sections, especially after prolonged rainfall.

To enjoy this outing, all participants need to be fit, in good physical condition and health, and be accustomed to hikes that last a full day, during possibly inclement weather. You should be able to comfortably walk at a pace of 2+ miles per hour and sustain this pace over the course of at least six hours without getting fatigued. Please check your abilities accordingly before considering this trip and contact the leader with any questions or concerns.

Equipment and Clothing

Germany has a typical northern climate. Weather in late April-early May is quite unpredictable, comparable to places such as the Pacific Northwest, New England, or southern Canada.  Temperatures during the day can range from the 40s to the low 70s. Due to the length of our trip we can expect to experience both warm and cool days and sunshine as well as rain, which can be prolonged and heavy. Good raingear and layered clothing are mandatory.

For the hikes you will only need to carry a daypack that fits your lunches, snacks, water, and raingear. You will not have to carry a tent, sleeping bag, mattress, or cooking gear on this trip.

All participants need to wear sturdy, leather-type hiking boots with good ankle support, which have been well broken-in before the trip. We also strongly recommend the use of collapsible hiking poles, especially if you have experienced problems with your knees.

A detailed clothing and equipment list will be provided to all signed up and approved participants before the tip.

References

Websites: 

• The best English language reference about the Altmühl area is the official website: http://international.naturpark-altmuehltal.de/en/. 
• A good source for Rothenburg is the Wiki voyage site: http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber    

Guidebooks:

• Articles on Rothenburg ob der Tauber can be found in many standard travel guides for Germany, e.g. Rick Steves' or Lonely Planet. 
• Excellent detailed guidebooks about the Altmühl Panorama Trail are available in German:
  • Altmühltal-Panoramaweg, Hikeline Guidebook and Maps, ISBN 978-3-85000-500-5, www.esterbauer.com.
  • Altmühltal-Panoramaweg, Magenta 4, GmbH, ISBN 3-9807585-5-9, www.magenta4.com/verlag/

Maps:

• Altmühltal-Panoramaweg, PUBLICPRESS  - Die Karten mit der Sonne, 1:50,000, ISBN 978-3-89920-445-2, www.publicpress.de, shows the whole trek.

Conservation

Since its founding in 1892, the Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

One focus of conservation talks on our trip will be the use of natural resources, especially renewable energies, comparing Germany with the U.S. and other countries.

Germany was ridded of any wilderness area during the Middle Ages. The forests were almost entirely logged and the native beech, oak, and pine trees were replanted with non-native spruce trees.  In many places this led to mineral deprivation of the soil and made the forests prone to beetles and other diseases. In the 1980s the forest service finally started realizing the unhealthy consequences of this monoculture foresting and since then has gradually reintroduced the native trees and plants.

The last two days of the Altmühl Panorama Trail run along the Rhine – Main – Danube Canal, an ambitious project to connect the two largest rivers in central Europe and thus create a navigable connection between the North Sea and the Black Sea. The first plans trace back to Charles the Great in the 8th century, and the Canal was finally completed in 1992 under heavy objection of many local conservationists and most environmental organizations because of its negative impact on the natural habitat. We will discuss these issues during the trip.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.