Hikes in Mindelheim

Through stunning landscapes, we hike from Ostallgäu to Unterallgäu.

This Glücksweg (path of luck) lets you feel how beneficial is the abundance of nature that unfolds just above the city limits. Large golden Glückstaler (coins of luck) are laid out along the path, making it easy to orient yourself.

The route leads from the historic old town of Mindelheim through the Mindelheim city forest, to the districts of Katzenhirn and Dorschhausen, and through the spa park of Bad Wörishofen.

The Mindelburg is located on a ridge high above the town. Starting there, the circular route first leads into the Tiergarten, a forest area on the eastern slope of the castle complex. In the Tiergarten, the Mindelheim nature educational garden with numerous native flowers and herbs, as well as the newly constructed forest educational trail, are particularly worth seeing. Passing by the outdoor swimming pool, the hike now follows the Mindel River almost to the old town. For a stroll through the historic old town or a visit to one of the five museums, time should definitely be planned. Also worth seeing are the three chapels directly along the circular route. Via the high path on the western forest edge with a view into the Auerbach valley, you will reach the Mindelburg again, whose extensive complex you should definitely explore. In 2022, the Mindelburg was declared a monument of national significance, ranking just one level below the designation of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Three Stages on the Swabian-Allgäu Hiking TrailSince 1978, this trail connects Augsburg with Sonthofen, with a branch leading to the Kneipp town of Bad Wörishofen. It stretches for hours through extensive forests, the idyllic Anhauser Valley with its numerous fish ponds – one of the most beautiful valleys in the Augsburg Western Woods Nature Park – and along the forested upper edge of the Wertachleite. Benches with beautiful views are repeatedly found at forest edges – sometimes with a magnificent Alpine panorama during föhn winds. In Tussenhausen, we then leave the nature park and hike through the meadow and forest-rich gravel and old moraine landscape to the world-famous spa town of Bad Wörishofen.

Romantic Old Town, Mindelburg Castle, and the Nature Education Garden Mindelheim, first mentioned in 1046, experienced steady growth thanks to its location on the Salt Road from Munich via Landsberg to Memmingen and on to Lake Constance and Switzerland, and was granted city rights as early as 1250. Towering above the picturesque historic old town—with its churches, monasteries, townhouses, and remnants of the medieval city fortifications—stands the former seat of power, Mindelburg Castle. Its appearance was largely shaped by the Frundsberg family in the 15th and 16th centuries. Georg I of Frundsberg (1473–1528) also lived here; he is considered the the “Father of the Landsknechts”—foot soldiers who, in the late 15th and 16th centuries, were sought after for their progressive and disciplined fighting style but also feared as plunderers and marauders. When the last Frundsberg died childless in 1586, two-thirds of the Mindelheim domain, including Mindelburg, passed by inheritance to the Fuggers, who, however, lost it again in 1616 to the Bavarian Duke Max following protracted inheritance disputes. Today, the buildings house a publishing company, but the grounds are open to the public.

The walk leads through the Mindelheim mountain forest, an approximately two square kilometer mixed forest of beeches and spruces as well as occasional larches and maples. From the parking lot on Bergwaldstraße, the path leads west through the shady forest. Then it goes along the edge of the forest to the northern edge, where a beautiful view opens up over the valley and the district of Westernach. The return path passes by a small alley of Douglas firs, which were planted over 100 years ago and today reach a stately height of about 50 m. At the end of the hike, a detour to the Katharinenkapelle is recommended, where a wonderful view over Mindelheim opens up.

From Marktplatz Mindelheim through the old town to the hill above Mindelheim. Then to the castle and back through the forest to Mindelheim

​The starting and ending point of this family-friendly walk is the large parking lot 1 on Georgenstraße, not far from the outdoor pool. The prospect of visiting the outdoor pool after the hike motivates the children. But there’s also plenty to discover just by walking. From the parking lot, we cross a tributary of the Mindel River and follow the signpost reading “Mindelburg 15 min, Liebfrauenkapelle 15 min.” We walk north between the two bodies of water until we reach the bridge with the Marian column, erected in 1743. Now the Mindel flows to the right of the path. We follow the sidewalk on Georgstraße for a while, then turn left onto a footpath (marked in white and yellow). We walk along the Mindel to a large farmstead and reach a road behind it. An information sign explains that we are on the “Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail.” We turn left, passing the police buildings, and arrive at the charming Liebfrauen Chapel 2, the core of which dates from the mid-15th century. We must pass to the right of the chapel. Note the beautifully restored houses at Nos. 13 and 15! Beyond it, we follow the footpath on the left into Hermeleallee and walk uphill along the Way of the Cross in the shade of the 300-year-old trees lining the avenue. At the top stands the Herrgottsruh Chapel 3, a longitudinally oval structure from the early 18th century. At the Herrgottsruh Chapel, we cross the street and climb the steps up to the Katharinen Chapel 4. It was built in the early 17th century. Unfortunately, the nice view from the chapel hill is now obstructed by overgrown shrubs. We leave the chapel grounds via the access road heading northwest, pass a few houses, and turn left onto the road at the horse paddocks. On the other side of the road, we walk past the fenced-in water management area. We now stay on the wide gravel path for quite some time. Soon, the white-and-yellow-marked trail joins from the left, and we follow the markings straight ahead. Finally, we catch sight of Mindelburg Castle. We cross the state highway via a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, then keep to the left at the wayside cross and walk to the gate at Mindelburg 5. We enter the impressive complex through the castle gate; in the passageway on the left, we find a large information panel on the castle’s history, and on the right is the entrance to the castle restaurant. We follow the main path across the castle grounds to St. George’s Castle Chapel and the fountain. Through a passage in the wall to the right of the keep (which can be climbed), we reach the bastion and keep to the right at the cannon—this leads us to the lookout point, where another cannon stands. We stroll back to the first cannon and leave the castle grounds through the iron gate on the right.  Please note: Entry to Mindelburg Castle is prohibited at night. If the castle grounds are closed, please turn left in front of the castle gate. From Mindelburg, follow the signs for “Tiergarten via Aussichtspunkt” (not “Schwabenwiese / Freibad / Altstadt”). The paths split at a crossroads in the forest: Take the right path, marked with white and yellow, and descend the steps; keep to the right and walk on the right-hand side (!) past the pond at Beerengarten 6—there are also several benches there.  If you want to shorten the Mindelheim walk, you can take a shortcut to the left at several points. It’s better, however, to continue on to the beautiful nature education garden. To do this, follow the wooded slope for about one kilometer in a southerly direction. From the parking lot, where we turn left, it’s about 400 m to the entrance of the nature education garden 7. The garden, designed by the Mindelheim chapter of the Bund Naturschutz, is open year-round and free of charge. The nature education garden also features herb beds as well as an adventure and wilderness area for children. The garden is complemented by a forest nature trail designed by the state forestry office. We follow part of the nature trail back to the starting point of our hike: Our path leads north from the nature education garden along the Papierbach stream, which we cross near the outdoor pool 8. Tip: If you’re not going to the outdoor pool, you can cool off at the Kneipp basin near the bike racks.