Bavaria at its best
Biking Vacation along the Altmühl
Follow the fascinating course of the Altmühl and Danube Rivers by bike and explore the beauty of various landscapes. Join the night watchman for a nocturnal tour of the walled medieval city of Rothenburg, Germany’s best-preserved medieval town and a perennial tourist attraction. Experience the pristine water of the Altmühl while taking a swim in one of the few remaining river swimming pools in Germany. Enjoy an afternoon in the remarkable Baroque university town and bishop’s seat of Eichstätt. Stare in wonder at the 1200-year-old canal built by Charlemagne (Karl der Große) to connect the Main and the Danube. Watch the predator show of the falconers at the Rosenburg Castle, pass by boat through the rock walled gorge of the Danube on your way to the monastery Kloster Weltenburg and finally explore the historic town of Regensburg
Leisurely cycling
Some say the Altmühl is slow, others say lame or sluggish, because its gradient averages only 54 cm per kilometer. You can cycle along the river for 166 kilometers on the excellently developed and signposted Altmühl Cycle Path.
Half-timbered houses and fossils - bridges and castles
The half-timbered dream of Rothenburg can be circumnavigated once on the city wall and then stroll through the alleys. Those who think Rothenburg is romantic will be disabused of their notion in the crime museum. In Colmberg, the ascent to the castle, which is already visible from a distance, is definitely worthwhile. From Pappenheim Castle you can look down on the river and the valley. Willibaldsburg Castle towers just as upright over Eichstätt. Arnsberg Castle follows on the foot and finally Kipfenberg Castle. Besides defiant castles, there are also bridges worth seeing: You cycle over the Altmühl Bridge with six arches and Nepomuk statue in Ornbau. Cyclists love to relax at the Altmühl-Therme in Treuchtlingen. The world in stone can be experienced in Solnhofen in the Mayor Müller Museum: Petrified fossils from the Jurassic period, dinosaurs, reptiles, crabs and two originals of the prehistoric bird Archaeopteryx from Plattenkalk are on display. The city wall of Beilngries, the curious Chinese fountain in Dietfurt and at the end Weltenburg Monastery - there is a lot to see here in just a few kilometers.
Celebrations and festivals
Old town festivals, fishermen's festivals, hop picking festivals, folk festivals, historical festivals - there is always something going on in the Altmühltal. In addition, there are concerts, for example the Pappenheim Summer Evening Music, cabaret, poetry slam and music on the Gunzenhausen cabaret stage in the Falkengarten or organ music in the Church of the Redeemer in Eichstätt.
Bratwurst and beer "on" the cellar
Schneeballen, a Rothenburg specialty made of baked egg dough are dusted with white powdered sugar. There is no getting around it, just as there is no getting around the genuine Rothenburg beer. A pair of bratwursts is recommended to go with the naturally cloudy beer: The bratwurst is smoked and comes with sourdough bread and fresh horseradish (merrettich). You can find them everywhere, for example Ansbacher Bratwürste on Rösti with onion sauce and salad, served with a Spalter Pils. Or Trompetenpfanne, two original Franconian bratwursts on Krautschupfnudeln in Eichstätt.
In Franconia, by the way, people go "up" to the beer cellars because they are located at the top in caves or holes. "Auf" the Wettelsheimer Keller near Treuchtlingen one drinks a Märzen and enjoys a Zwickte, a bratwurst, pinched in the roll. The abundant beer gardens and beer cellars serve local beers and "Brotwerscht," liver loaf, Schäufele or Knöchle (knuckle of pork) with cabbage. In terms of snacks, cyclists are well served here.
Nature
The Altmühltal Nature Park is one of the largest nature parks in Germany, covering almost 3,000 square kilometers. The Celts once called the Altmühl Alkmuna: silent holy river. It meanders, loops and winds mightily, yet over its entire length of 225 km it has a gradient of only 100 meters. To the left and right of the river, bizarre Jura limestone rock formations stretch upwards: a highlight are the twelve apostles near Solnhofen, towering dolomite rocks.
