Circular hike Beuron

We go from the parking lot up to the Abbey Church of St. Martin, which was built in the early 18th century in the Baroque style and replaced a dilapidated Romanesque predecessor building. After the visit, we walk back to the street, follow it to the right, and walk along the monastery buildings. After crossing the bridge over the railway line, we follow a small street turning left and take the left onto the hiking trail that leads into the forest and up the hill. We now follow the red triangle sign, first walking straight ahead and then climbing the hill on a path to the right. At first, we hike diagonally up the slope, then via switchbacks, with two wide views of the Danube valley and Bronnen castle in the distance along the way.

After more switchbacks, we reach the height, where we continue straight ahead. We turn left to a viewpoint overlooking the Danube valley with its rock formations. After passing the signpost at the former Steighof farm, we walk left again to another viewpoint overlooking the Danube valley and Beuron. Back on the wide path, we walk straight through the forest, pass a charcoal kiln, and finally reach the parking lots at Wildenstein Castle.

We keep left and walk towards the castle, built in the 13th century and expanded into a fortress in the early 16th century. Over a bridge spanning the neck ditch and through a gate, we enter the outer bailey, which is notably narrow. Another bridge leads high over another neck ditch to a gate into the main castle, where the fortress-like expansion is especially striking. After a break in the courtyard, we return to the outer bailey and outside go right to a viewpoint with a wide view over the Danube valley. We now walk through the neck ditch in front of the outer bailey, then after a left bend through the neck ditch between outer and main baileys and then around the castle.

Down a narrow path, we descend the slope into a side valley, where we find cave-studded rocks at the valley floor. We then hike straight down the valley path until we reach the Danube valley bottom. We cross the Danube via the Danube footbridge, from where there is a great view of the valley with rocks on both sides. Above us, we see Wildenstein Castle on the rocks from which we descended. We now walk left along the paved farm road, passing the Maurus Chapel built in the mid-19th century. We continue along the farm road uphill to L277, which we cross.

We follow the wide path and at a large meadow have a wide view of the rocks in the Danube valley where we can spot Werenwag castle on the height in the distance. We enter the forest, then follow a left forest path uphill and turn left at the wide path. We climb the hill, follow the right curve and leave the wide path at the left curve. Up a small path, we climb to the height where we leave the forest. We now follow the path to the left, cross a wide path, and continue following the Eichfelsen Panorama Trail marker along the meadow edge. Just before the Rauher Stein mountain guesthouse, we turn left to the namesake viewpoint with a great view again over the Danube valley with its many rocks.

We return to the mountain guesthouse, walk left past it, and hike along a path between rocks. We descend slightly, cross a driveway, and continue on the forest path. Where we meet a wide path, we follow it straight ahead and at the right curve again have a wide view over the Danube valley. We now hike along the wide path on the hillside and finally meet an intersection with the Beuroner Steige signpost. We turn sharply left and descend through the valley on the wide path. At the bottom, we reach a small road, see Beuron monastery on the opposite valley side, and arrive at L277. We keep right and immediately left and cross the covered wooden bridge over the Danube, which was put into operation in 1801 and had a predecessor bridge before. Shortly after, we end our circular hike at the parking lot.