Hikes in Blindheim

The last stage of the premium hiking trail leads from Höchstädt to Schwenningen. Along the way, there is plenty of nature to explore. In particular, the Bruckmahd lakes invite you to linger.

Pure nature on Germany's flattest premium route - 60 kilometers with unique nature experiences and without major efforts

The 10th stage of the WolfgangWeg follows the DonAUwald trail from Dillingen always along the Danube to Gremheim.

From Höchstädt along the Danube and through the floodplain forest

​We’ll park at Höchstädt Castle, No. 1, which is one of the most important examples of late Renaissance architecture in Germany. Today, it houses several exhibition and meeting rooms, as well as the Museum of German Faience. For information on current guided tours of the Knights’ Hall and other rooms in the castle, visit the website www.schloss-hoechstaedt.de. At the small parking lot on the south side of the castle, we find an information board for the “DonAUwald” premium hiking trail (www.donauwald-wanderweg.de). Today, we’ll be following some sections of this long-distance hiking trail, which is about 60 km long. Please note: Bicycles are not permitted on the “DonAUwald” Premium Hiking Trail. Many of the paths it follows are, in fact, not suitable for bicycles!  Important: Please note that in addition to the “DonAUwald” premium hiking trail, there is another marked hiking trail called “Auwaldweg.” In some places, both trails follow the same route. Please don’t let the different markings confuse you! But now let’s get going… We’ll first hike south toward the “Infopoint Landwirtschaft,” but then we won’t go there—instead, we’ll continue straight ahead. Where the asphalt ends, we’ll see the first lake on our left. Soon after, the water of the next lake—which is great for swimming—will glisten on our right. At a sign reading “Höchstadt Barrage Premises—Enter at Your Own Risk,” we keep to the left and follow the signs to the “Flood Protection Information Point.” We walk along the little Egau River through the floodplain forest and arrive at the Höchstadt 2 barrage. We cross over the Danube, then turn left onto the embankment until we reach the road: We cross it and hike straight ahead for a long stretch, keeping a slight distance from the river. We are on the “Auwaldweg” trail, which is marked here and there. The landscape is tranquil, but unfortunately we have to walk on asphalt at first. Where the asphalt ends, this almost meditative walk straight ahead does not end yet.  It’s not until about 1.8 km past the road crossing that we reach the end of the straight stretch 3: At a “Restricted Access” sign, we turn left over the flood protection dam and down the meadow to the Danube bank, which we follow to the right. At approximately river kilometer 2528.2—marked by a green sign on the opposite bank—we veer slightly to the right away from the Danube, cross the small Glött River, and reach a wider path. We turn left and, shortly thereafter, look for a small white sign marked “DSchR14” 4 on a low post—there, we turn left and head up onto the flood protection embankment, following it to the right. At an information sign about the “LIFE Nature Project Swabian Danube Valley,” we take the road bridge over the Danube. Note the memorial stone at the bridge. Following the signs for the “Auwaldweg,” we walk a short distance north on the paved road until we come to a signpost for the “DonAUwald” long-distance trail 5. We turn left and, after just 200 m, arrive at the romantic swimming spot on the large Buckmahdsee 6. From here on, be sure to follow the “DonAUwald” trail markers as you hike along paths—some of which are quite adventurous—through the lake landscape. Please observe the nature reserve sign and behave considerately in this beautiful area! At a fenced-in property 7, we reach a wide path and follow the signposts toward Höchstadt. These continue to guide us a few meters further, where we leave the wide path to turn right onto a trail. The “DonAUwald” trail circles a pond and heads once again toward the flood protection dam.  We turn right and follow the edge of the forest, since Höchstadt is, as you know, our destination. At the “Viehweide Nord/Ulmenholz” sign 8, we leave the “DonAUwald” trail and hike toward Sonderheim. Through the Ulmenholz, then along a concrete-slab path past a large barn, and straight ahead at the “5 t” sign—this brings us to the swimming area at Sonderheimer See 9. From the swimming area, we walk into town, where—at least on weekends—we can have lunch at the “Zur alten Donau” inn. After our meal, we stroll west along the main street and turn left onto the street “Am Berg.” We cross the Klosterbach and follow it to the right. After about 1.6 km, we reach Bruckwörthweg 11 in Höchstädt and continue straight ahead.  We stay along the Klosterbach for another 700 m before turning left onto Eichenstraße. After about300 m, we come to the north end of Lindenallee. We follow the avenue its entire length and, at its south end, continue straight ahead into Untere Bäckergasse. We can’t miss Höchstädt Castle at number 1.

Von der Donaubrücke in Blindheim ausgehend an der Donau entlang. Dann den Damm hinab ins Vogelschutzgebiet zum Apfelwörthsee. Einmal rund um die Gewässer gelangt man ein Stückchen Donauaufwärts wieder zum Damm und auf diesem zurück zum Ausgangspunkt

Donaueschingen a Passau.