MTSZ
MTSZ térképportál
Turista Magazin
TuristaShop
Kéktúra
Gerecse50
A kéktúrázás napja
Altmühltal
South of Nuremberg, between Gunzenhausen in the west and Kelheim in the east, stretches one of the most popular holiday regions in southern Germany, attracting visitors with the fascinating natural landscape of the second largest nature park in Germany: the Altmühltal.
The Altmühltal cycle path and the panorama path for hikers make the region a paradise for outdoor sports enthusiasts. No matter what time of year it is - there is always a reason to get some exercise in the fresh air.
Activities in the Altmühltal
Attractions in the Altmühltal
Discover our Top Partner
Highlights
As part of the Thalmässing Realm of Finds, the Archaeological Museum, located on Thalmässing's ...
Willibaldsburg Castle is enthroned on a ridge to the west above the old town of Eichstätt and is ...
The Michael Kirschner Cultural Museum in Stauf is a lovingly furnished smallholding. The old ...
Original, walk-through reconstructions of a Stone Age house, a Celtic house and a Bavarian house ...
Situated in the heart of the old town, the Archaeological Museum Greding now presents the remarkable ...
Discover the region
Popular holiday region Altmühltal
In the geographical centre of Bavaria, the Altmühl, a tributary of the Danube, meanders through the landscape. Impressive rock formations, lush meadows, castle ruins, gorges and monasteries line its path. In addition to the many cultural and historical sights, the Altmühl valley is home to a fantastically beautiful natural environment. Germany's second-largest nature park is located here, with its numerous environmental centres and nature trails. In addition to baroque and medieval towns such as Eichstadt and Kelheim, the Altmühl valley has an extensive network of paths that invite visitors to go hiking and cycling. While enjoying the outdoors, you will pass geological features such as the Zwölf Apostel rock formation or the Gungoldinger juniper heath.
A visit to the Altmühl valley is particularly worthwhile in spring: the lush green of the meadows and the many small, colourful flowers are a joy to walk and cycle through. It is the perfect place to go when you feel like getting outdoors again after a cold winter. But also in autumn, the coloured foliage provides a real rush of colour.
Photo: Michael Rucker, Adobe Stock
Outdoor activities in the Altmühltal
The Altmühltal is an absolute paradise for hikers and cyclists: Countless paths lead through the entire region and especially through the nature park, which can be explored on foot or by bike. One of the highlights is certainly the Altmühltal cycle path, which runs right through the park. There are also easy routes through flat terrain as well as mountain bike routes that are a little more challenging. E-bike riders have access to a comprehensive network of rental stations and charging points in the Altmühltal Nature Park.
In addition to cyclists, hikers also get their money's worth in the Altmühltal: The Altmühltal Panorama Trail with its stages is just one example of the many different hikes that take you along the water and to impressive ruins. Narrow paths, natural forests and steep cliffs make for a unique nature experience.
The Altmühl river itself can also be wonderfully explored, for example by canoe. Especially around Kehlheim, a boat trip on the Main-Danube Canal is worthwhile; the absolute highlight is the trip through the 190-metre-long lock to the three-castle town of Riedenburg.
Varied landscape to discover and relax in
The park is characterised by the low mountain range of the southern Franconian Alps. The varied landscape consists of juniper heaths, rocks, hollows and wet meadows. A scenic highlight in the Altmühltal is the rock formation Zwölf Apostel: The dolomite rocks between Solnhofen and Eßlingen were once formed at the thresholds of the White Jurassic Sea.
You should also take a hike across the Tatzlbrücke: With a length of 193 metres, the wooden bridge for pedestrians is one of the longest of its kind in Europe. In addition to its unusual shape, the bridge impresses with beautiful views of the Randeck castle ruins or the Main-Danube Canal, and other highlights of the Altmühltal region await in the immediate vicinity, such as the art trail along rock and river or the Klausenhöhlen.
Fossil Region Altmühltal
Photo: le_moque, Adobe Stock
Besides the beautiful landscape, the Altmühltal Nature Park is known as a fossil region - and that is no coincidence. There are numerous quarries here where fossils from the Jurassic period can be found. And the exciting thing is that you can become a treasure hunter yourself in the designated visitor quarries.
147 million years ago, the Jurassic Sea was located in today's Altmühltal, inhabited by fish and crocodiles. Dying land animals such as dinosaurs also sank into the water and became fossilised evidence of a bygone era. A particularly well-known find in the Altmühltal is the prehistoric bird Archaeopteryx, which has characteristics of both a dinosaur and a modern bird.
In the Archaeological Museum in Kelheim, you will be transported to an era that took place several million years after the proto-bird: The world of the Neanderthals and the Celts. You can experience where they settled at close quarters in the Klausen caves.
The charming towns of the Altmühl Valley
The Altmühltal is also a perfect holiday destination for city tourists: Whether Beilngries with its baroque buildings, the old ducal town of Kehlheim, the university town of Eichstadt or one of the many other towns – in the Altmühltal you will find a wealth of old buildings from a wide variety of eras, green spaces in the middle of the town and a harmonious water landscape that invites you to relax.
An absolute highlight is a visit to Markt Essing - a wooden bridge leads to the village, which is spectacularly built on steep limestone cliffs.
Photo: Michael Rucker, Adobe Stock
