Hikes in Wolnzach

A great experience for scouts, rangers, and nature enthusiastsThis tour offers insightful views of the hilly surroundings of Wolnzach and takes a wide circle through hop gardens, fields, forests, and small villages. The scenic highlight is certainly the four larger forest areas, which are crossed on wonderful hiking trails. But also the distant views into the Danube valley and to the Franconian Alb, several small chapels, and the remains of the medieval fortifications near Wolnzach leave a lasting impression along the way. And what actually makes this "adventure loop" so adventurous? Well, you definitely need a certain amount of connection to nature, terrain adaptability, and pioneering spirit to find the right route again and again over more than 25 km, often in great solitude, and to stay steady until the end – but if these conditions are met, an extraordinary tour awaits the hiker here in the heart of Hallertau.

Beautiful hop walk with a distant view of the Danube valleyNot only on Wolnzach's west side, where the hop educational trail offers interesting natural science lessons, but also on the east side there are opportunities for an informative ramble through the hill country. The route described here to Oberlauterbach and back is not a big venture, but entertaining and simply beautiful. The only small drawback on the way back is the noise of the A93 motorway. Ideally, the tour is combined with a visit to the Wolnzach Hop Museum and a visit to the market center with its picturesque townscape, the worth-seeing parish church of St. Laurentius, and the dining options around Marienplatz and Marktplatz.

Natural History Hill Tour on Idyllic Forest and Field PathsOn the "Hallertauer Lehrpfad Wolnzach," 26 display panels provide information about agriculture, landscape, and ecology, with a focus on hops and forest topics. Instead of the original route of the trail, which starts at a parking lot on the outskirts of Wolnzach and is only about 4 km long, more of a stroll than a hike, an altered and extended version is recommended here. It does not pass all the display panels but runs along additional scenic routes. With the starting and ending point in the middle of Wolnzach, the tour can beautifully conclude culturally and gastronomically, whether with a church or museum visit, coffee and cake, or in the beer garden of the Gasthof zur Post. Just as it should be for hikers who traditionally are neither art ignoramuses nor food despising!

Beautiful circular hike through the Ilm valley near GeisenfeldOn this tour, we gain insights into the completely flat landscape of the Ilm valley here, characterized by wide meadows, fields, hop gardens, but also wooded areas. This hike offers three special features: the Romanesque church of St. Ulrich with its impressive portal, the airfield of the Pfaffenhofen air sports club, from which flights often take place on weekends from spring to autumn, and above all the path along the Ilm, which allows for a kilometers-long walk along the river. As an alternative to the "wild" southern part of the Ilm path, a stroll through the beech forests of Handelberg is also possible. Those who are very lucky may even spot storks in the Ilm meadows.

Beautiful tour through the quiet hop countryWhere is the heart of the Hallertau? Maybe here, in the hills near Osseltshausen! Sunny ridges with probably the highest elevation of the entire Hallertau, deeply embedded valleys, hidden corners, magnificent forests and hop gardens – idyllic and sometimes almost otherworldly, the rolling land between the streams Wolnzach and Abens presents itself, in the triangle between Wolnzach, Au and Schweitenkirchen. It is fascinating to imagine with what closeness to nature, in what peace and under which starry sky, shielded from the noise and light pollution of the cities, the inhabitants of Reith, Gschwend and Holzjackl live here – and it is a pleasure for hikers to make their rounds in this landscape. When after 10 kilometers of walking and observing hunger and thirst gradually arise, only a hearty stop at the end is missing to put the cherry on top of this tour.

Magnificent Forest Walk with Bronze Age Burial GroundThis circular tour through Lauterbacher Holz is distinguished by two exceptional features that make it unique in the surrounding area: The Bronze Age burial ground located in the southwestern part of the forest consists of around 180 barrows, which appear as small, approximately one to two meters high mounds in the landscape and transport the wanderer's imagination to a distant past. Afterwards, there are outstandingly beautiful forest paths that come very close to the ideal concept of forest hiking. If you also make a detour to the nearby Romanesque Church of St. Ulrich and the Birnthaler Inn in Zell, you cannot help but call this excursion a "top tour."

​Today we’re in for a wonderful hike through forests and hop gardens. While the trail to the hamlet of Holzjackl is fairly easy, we’ll need to keep a closer eye out once we’re in the forest beyond that. For a short stretch, we’ll hike through a secluded forest with almost no trail. Afterward, we can treat ourselves to a stop at the Landgasthof Siebler. The highlight at the end of the tour—after a detour to the small, hidden chapel—is the lovely rest area and magnificent view from the highest point in the Hallertau region, at an elevation of 534 meters. > We start at the parking lot by the playground 01 in Osseltshausen and first continue along the dirt road past the hop field. Immediately after that, we turn left onto the road connecting Osseltshausen and Au. We follow it to the right for a good five minutes until just before Kleintonhof. Then we take a field and forest path that leads us to the right into the woods. We walk for ten minutes through a small forest, then, shortly after leaving the woods, we come to a huge hunting blind 02. We turn right and walk along a hop field. A short while later, just before the next forest, the route leads us to the left onto a dirt road. We follow it for five minutes through the hop fields, then a beautiful sunken path 03 branches off to the right. This path also leads us through the hop fields. We continue straight ahead until we come to a cross path with a bench and a wayside shrine 04. A right-then-left turn takes us back into the woods. We hike through beautiful woods for the next ten minutes, then along the edge of the woods, and finally to a road. Here we turn right; at the fork in the road, we go left immediately and then right again, heading up to the Holzjackl Horse Farm 05. Right in front of the farm, at the wayside shrine with a bench, we continue straight ahead, back into the forest via a beautiful dirt path. The next kilometer requires extra attention, as a few paths are barely discernible. First, we follow the still-nice, wide path straight into the forest. Just under two hundred meters later, we keep left at the fork at the edge of the forest. We now continue straight ahead on this path. Upon entering the forest, we continue straight ahead, walk through the woods for just a few minutes, and then emerge into a meadow. We follow it straight ahead along the forest edge and eventually re-enter the forest at 06. We continue straight ahead on a barely discernible, quite overgrown path through a sparse section of woods. After about 75 meters, the forest grows darker again; we keep to the right and take a more clearly visible path that leads us uphill to just before the edge of the forest. To our right, a hop field glimmers in the distance. We continue along this now much clearer path, soon rounding a bend to the right and then heading steadily straight down through the woods. Upon exiting the woods, we cross the narrow ditch of the Gschwender Bächlein, then turn right onto the beautiful, wide forest path. It brings us to the road just before Reit, where we follow it to the left toward Egg. In the little village, we keep to the right. Shortly afterward, we pass the Landgasthof Siebler 07. It’s worth taking a break—the beer garden is great! The little road soon turns into a dirt path and leads us out of the village. At the fork at the edge of the forest, we take a detour to the left to a pretty little chapel 08. Then we return to the fork and head down a beautiful path into the forest. After a while, we emerge from the forest, pass a few hop fields, and shortly thereafter arrive at the Osseltshausen Cross 09. We’ve reached the highest point in the Hallertau and enjoy the sweeping views down into the valley. The trail takes us steeply downhill and straight back to Osseltshausen. At the Holledauer Wirtshaus, there’s another opportunity for a coffee or a snack, then we stroll along the valley road back to the parking lot at the playground 01.

​Our beautiful, long tour takes us today from the historic market town of Wolnzach through idyllic little villages in the heart of the rolling hop-growing region. In addition to the picturesque forests and hop gardens, the historic village churches in the surrounding area are certainly a highlight of this important Bavarian hop-growing town. > We start at Marienplatz 01 in Wolnzach. First, we walk down a small alley from the parking lot directly across from the Marian Column. We cross the fairgrounds and cross the street at the traffic lights. Then we follow the sidewalk along Schlossstraße. The street curves to the right fairly quickly, then crosses the railroad tracks. A few meters later, we turn left onto Gabelsbergerstraße. It takes us uphill and out of town. At a stone cross 02 with a bench, we come to a meadow path. It leads us to a paved road, which we follow to the left. A few minutes later, we’re on the Hopfenlehrpfad 03 and continue straight ahead, following the hiking sign. Soon, the paved path turns into a dirt road and leads us to a three-way intersection, where we keep to the left, toward Kemnathen. We stay on the main path, which soon takes us around a left-hand curve and then climbs gently uphill. Along the way, we catch wonderful glimpses of the scenery between the forest and the fields. At the hamlet of Schermbach 04, we cross a road straight ahead. Immediately after that, we walk through the hop gardens. After the first hop field, we turn left and continue straight ahead on a meadow path, passing the hop plantations as we head toward the highway. We come to a somewhat firmer sandy path. It leads us to the left, then to the right, passing under the highway. From here, we continue on a well-defined meadow path, soon passing hop fields again. The path is barely marked, but it soon leads us to a firmer trail. We follow it to the left, soon onto a paved road. Just a few minutes later, the route takes a sharp right turn onto a tarred road that joins it. We walk uphill between the forest and the fields. At the top, we continue straight ahead. To the left below, sprawling pastures stretch out. The dirt road now leads us back toward the highway, past pastures and hop fields. Shortly before the A93, our path curves to the left and leads us down alongside the hop fields to a cross path. Here we turn left once more and walk through the Haunerhof 05. Immediately afterward, the gravel path continues straight ahead, past a paddock and into the forest. After twenty minutes, we reach the hamlet of Siegertszell. Here, we continue on a small road; after the houses, we turn right, then follow the road as it curves left past a chapel 06, and turn right again at the fork in the road. At the country road, we turn left, briefly follow the bike and walking path, and cross the road a short while later near a small chapel. We continue on a farm road, following the green hiking sign. At the next fork, we keep to the left, and just a few minutes later, our route takes a sharp left turn before climbing steadily again. From the hilltop, a great view of Jebertshausen 07 and the surrounding hop fields opens up before us. A little later, we come to the street “Zur Ebene” in Jebertshausen. We walk straight ahead to Auerbergstraße, then turn left. 150 meters later, we follow the bike and walking path to the right and now walk parallel to the country road for about 20 minutes. In Gebrontshausen 08, we turn left at the volunteer fire department, pass the Maria auf dem Weißen Berg church, and then head diagonally right across the main street. We walk past old houses and farmsteads as we leave the village. At the fork in the path near the last barn, we keep to the left; a few minutes later, at the next fork, we follow the hiking signs to the right. After a while, the paved path turns into a dirt road. We now follow this path steadily past hop fields and finally under the highway. After the underpass, the path takes a left turn. We walk downhill, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the edge of the forest, until, a quarter of an hour later, we reach a paved path at a Marian chapel 09 with a bench. We turn right and, after a few minutes, follow the trail signs straight ahead down toward the orchard meadows 10. Just before the country road, the hiking signs direct us to turn left and head back uphill. At the outskirts of Wolnzach, we keep to the right and walk along Rosenstraße to Kellerstraße. We follow it to the left as far as the green-painted “Haus des Hopfens” and turn right just before the crosswalk, then immediately left again toward the German Hop Museum. From there, we walk straight ahead along the main street for a short distance and then turn right again toward Marienplatz 01.

Geisenfeld is a little gem nestled in the heart of the Hallertau hop-growing region. One of its highlights is the historic town center: In addition to the former Benedictine convent, we’ll find extraordinary buildings and picturesque squares, such as Stadtplatz and Marienplatz. Right on the outskirts of this small town, the Ilm Valley awaits us with its magnificent floodplain landscape. But the surrounding forests also offer us a cozy hiking experience on trails that are, in some places, very secluded. > We start at Geisenfeld’s town square 01. Directly across the street, we follow Augsburger Straße for a few meters, then turn left onto Fuchsbüchlerkellerstraße. This leads us down into the “Ilmgrund,” where we come to Geisenfeld’s large sports complex 02. We walk along a bike and pedestrian path between the tennis courts and soccer fields and immediately cross the fairgrounds. Then we follow Jahnstraße to the right. The road curves to the right; we cross the next street straight ahead. Passing a school and walking through the residential area, we reach the outskirts of Geisenfeld after a few minutes. On a wide gravel path, then along a small road, we reach Holzleiten 03. We pass through the village and keep to the right just before the end of the village. Immediately afterward, the road takes a sharp right turn—we leave it here and continue straight ahead. After a few meters, we keep to the left at the fork onto a narrow paved path. It leads us out into the hop fields. After half an hour—we are now in the middle of the hop gardens—we reach a nice bench, a brick wayside shrine, and a wayside shrine 04. Here we turn right onto a dirt field path—after rain, the path can sometimes be flooded. We walk straight ahead on a clearly marked forest trail into the woods. It ends at a wide gravel path. We turn left, and just a few minutes later, the path forks almost imperceptibly. We keep to the left onto an unremarkable forest trail 05. It now leads us steadily straight ahead. Along the way, we pass a few trail signs, but we ignore them. A few minutes after passing a small memorial cross on our right, the trail climbs quite steeply up a small slope in the forest. At the top, we continue straight ahead past a small, cleared clearing. Shortly afterward, we look out for a low, white boundary marker 06: Here there is a fork in the trail where we must keep to the right. The forest trail takes us in five minutes to a forest trail intersection with a “No Cars or Motorcycles” sign. We turn left and let the path lead us gently downhill to the edge of the forest 07. Here we switch to a wider path that soon takes us to the right, past a few hop fields. At the paved road, we keep to the left and head downhill. Soon the paved road forks. We take the right path and reach a road a short while later. It leads us to the center of Fahlenbach in a few minutes. Directly behind the volunteer fire department is Artesian Spring 08. The block, approximately 1.4 m high and made of Malm reef dolomite, comes from the Eichstätt area. It was drilled through and placed above the Artesian Spring for decorative purposes. We continue along the main street to the edge of town. Just past the bridge over the Ilm, we keep to the left toward Königsfeld. At the next set of houses, we turn left again toward Geisenfeld. We walk a bit further along the outskirts of town, then reach the wide meadows of the Ilm floodplains 09. A lovely gravel path leads us for three-quarters of an hour through the beautiful floodplain landscape, always parallel to the Ilm. Finally, we reach the river itself and continue walking along the banks of the Ilm 10. We stroll leisurely for twenty minutes, then, just before a small bridge, we follow a gravel path to the right. A short while later, we arrive at the parish church of St. Ulrich 11 in Ainau. The Romanesque building was likely once the chapel of a medieval castle. The little church houses a wealth of sculptural ornamentation and features an elaborately designed portal. Just before Ainau, we turn left. Here, after a few meters, we have the option of taking a detour to the right to the Birnthaler restaurant. Otherwise, we walk along the outskirts of the village until we reach the main road. We then follow it for the last quarter of an hour back to Geisenfeld’s town square ( 01).