Altmühltal Cycle Path, Rothenburg – Regensburg

The city is the embodiment of medieval city romance and was perpetuated from artists as Spitzweg and Richter. Let the night watchman guide you through the old town and learn from him about life in Rothenburg in earlier times.

You start in the Tauber Valley and it doesn't take long to reach the Altmühl. A beautiful but challenging alternative is the route via the nearby Altmühl spring (approx. 10 km longer). You pass the Zollernburg castle in Colmberg on the way to Ansbach.

Today you cycle leisurely through the Franconian Lake District. The Altmühlsee is the perfect place for a break! You then cycle to Gunzenhausen, which lies directly on the former border of the Roman Empire, the legendary Limes. Your destination today is either the small town of Treuchtlingen or its tranquil suburb of Wettelsheim.

On your today’s bike tour the valley gets narrower, river Altmühl cuts deeply into the Jura Mountain and you can marvel at the 12 Apostles, an impressive rock formation. Fortresses seem the way and Eichstätt presents itself as former bishop’s city in lovely baroque style.

Within a few kilometres you reach the reconstructed roman castle Vetoniana. You continue through a picturesque nature park which is coined through cedar heathland. Along imposing fortress Kipfenberg to the well-preserved medieval city Beilngries.

Today you will travel to Dietfurt, which marks your arrival at the Main-Danube Canal. Next, Prunn Castle presents itself to you on a hill, and shortly before Kelheim, it is worth taking a look at the Schulerloch stalactite cave. In Kelheim, you will reach the confluence of the Altmühl and Danube rivers. Visit the Liberation Hall on the Michelsberg and take a boat trip to the nearby Weltenburg Monastery.

Before you set off for Regensburg, you should gather your strength and cycle up to the Liberation Hall. From there, you have a magnificent view over the region. The route then continues at a leisurely pace to Regensburg, where you reach the northernmost point of the Danube. The city is considered the best-preserved major German city and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.