Altmühltal cycle path

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Altmühltal cycle path
Altmühltalradweg Logo.svg
overall length 241 km
location BavariaBavaria Bavaria
Starting point Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Target point Kelheim
Places along the way Rothenburg ob der Tauber , Gunzenhausen , Eichstätt , Kelheim
Flooring Mostly asphalted,
partly water-bound surface
Height difference lowest point: 341 m
highest point: 498 m

Rothenburg od Tauber → Kelheim:
total
gradient: 1257 m total gradient: 1340 m

difficulty light
Traffic volume mostly bike path
Website URL www.radroutenplaner-bayern.de
Route
   
 0 km Rothenburg ob der Tauber
   
 Gunzenhausen
   
 Eichstatt
   
 241 km Kelheim
Cyclists on the bridge in Essing

The Altmühltalradweg (also called Altmühltal-Radweg or Altmühlweg for short ) is an approximately 250 km long long- distance cycle path in Bavaria . It extends from Rothenburg ob der Tauber on the other side of the continental watershed in the northwest to Kelheim at the confluence of the Altmühl into the Danube in the southeast.

In accordance with the geography of the Altmühltal , the route consists of two different parts of the landscape: The part that runs northwest of Treuchtlingen in Franconia begins in the Taubergrund , the wide valley basin of the upper Tauber, crosses the Franconian height with an ascent of less than 100 meters and then runs almost flat the wide valley basin of the upper Altmühl. To the south-east of Treuchtlingen, the cycle path follows the numerous twists and turns of the narrow lower Altmuehl valley, cut into the Franconian Jura , whose steep slopes feature numerous bizarre rock formations.

Founded in 1979 and improved in many sections since then, the Altmühlweg is one of the oldest and, according to the ADFC's cycle travel analysis, most popular long-distance cycle paths in Germany.

course

Autumn morning near Dollnstein between Treuchtlingen and Eichstätt
Walting below Eichstätt

The Altmühlweg begins in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

From there there are two options:

  • The first variant leads to the headwaters of the Altmühl and crosses the hills to Hornau . The source of the Altmühl is in the Erlach settlement of the Windelsbach district of Hornau. The path then leads along the Altmühl to Colmberg - Binzwangen (75 km to Gunzenhausen).
  • The second variant bypasses the mountains and branches off to Neusitz flat to Geslau (65 km).

Both variants meet in Colmberg-Binzwangen. From there the route runs via Herrieden , Ornbau , on the northern bank of the Altmühlsee to Gunzenhausen .

From Gunzenhausen the route runs 155 km through the Altmühltal nature park via Eichstätt to Kelheim . The route is mostly flat and away from busy roads. It leads directly along the Altmühl. The region with Altmühlsee and Brombachsee is marketed as a Franconian lake district for tourism . Between Gunzenhausen and Treuchtlingen there is a variant to the Steinerne Rinne near Wolfsbronn , which joins the main cycle path at Markt Berolzheim .

From here there are stations on the cycle path, including Treuchtlingen , Pappenheim , Solnhofen , Esslingen , Dollnstein , Obereichstätt , Eichstätt, Pfünz , Walting , Kipfenberg , Kinding , Kratzmühlsee near Unteremmendorf , Beilngries , Dietfurt , Riedenburg , Neuessing and Kelheim . There the Altmühl flows into the Danube .

The exact course of the Altmühltal cycle path can be viewed in OpenStreetMap and in the Bavaria cycle route planner.

Signage

The Altmühltal cycle path is signposted with a green bike and above it the words "Altmühlweg". A small sticker of the logo is also attached. From bottom left to top right it shows a stylized blue river, above it a cyclist on a green background, below it a yellow area.

Details on individual sections of the Altmühltal cycle path between Gunzenhausen and Kelheim

On this section, a branch path leads to the Steinerne Rinne , a natural monument created by limestone deposits near Wolfsbronn . The Karlsgraben near Treuchtlingen is also worth seeing . This was built in 793 by Emperor Charlemagne and was intended to serve as a connecting canal between the Danube and the Rhine via the Swabian Rezat and the Altmühl.
On this route you pass the Altmühltherme in Treuchtlingen and the medieval castle in Pappenheim, where a knight tournament takes place in summer.
Here you can find the Solnhofen limestone , which is used as a building material. Also in this area is the place where the ancient bird Archeopteryx was found , on display in the Mayor Müller Museum in Solnhofen.
Within this route you can see the so-called '' Twelve Apostles '' , the most famous rock group in the Altmühltal, which according to the Bavarian State Office for the Environment is one of the most beautiful geotopes in Bavaria.
The free-standing Burgstein rock rises between Dollnstein and Breitenfurt . The baroque old town of Eichstatt and the Willibaldsburg above the city are also worth seeing .
This section leads from Eichstätt to Pfünz and near Walting on the route of the disused Eichstätt – Beilngries railway line . Here one encounters Roman traces. The partially rebuilt Vetoniana Castle towers over Pfünz . The Roman and Bavarian Museum and the Limes Infopoint are located at Kipfenberg Castle. Nature lovers will find the nature reserve '' Gungoldinger Wacholderheide '' here .
Between Kipfenberg and Beilngries, the cycle path largely follows the former Eichstätt – Beilngries railway line. A popular destination here is the Kratzmühle leisure center with a bathing lake and technology museum.
Hirschberg Castle is located above the town of Beilngries . Here there is the possibility of taking the ship the last stretch to Kelheim. The path used by Toeging to Dietfurt the former route of the railway line Neumarkt-Dietfurt . From Dietfurt, the cycle path continues along the Main-Danube Canal .
  • Section Riedenburg - Kelheim (16 km)
Prunn Palace is a well-preserved knight's castle . In Essing is located cave Schulerloch . The Liberation Hall is located above Kelheim , built under King Ludwig I.

Connections to other cycle routes

In Gunzenhausen , Kinding and Beilngries there is a connection to the Franconian water cycle path . At Dollnstein there is a relatively mountain-free transition to the Danube Cycle Path at Rennertshofen through the Wellheimer Trockenental (a former valley of the Danube) . The Titting -Dollnstein cycle path leads through the Wellheim dry valley, but in most sections of the valley it is easier to get around on the country road. In Pfünz a cycle path branches off to Ingolstadt . From Kinding you can use the bike trails through the Anlautertal and Schwarzachtal , z. B. the Anlautertal cycle path. In Beilngries you can choose a variant through the Ottmaringer Valley to Dietfurt. In Riedenburg which opens Schambachtal in the Altmühltal. A cycle path to Ingolstadt and the Danube cycle path runs through the Schambach valley. This Schambachtalbahn cycle path runs almost without any inclines, mainly on the former local railway line from Riedenburg to Ingolstadt. The Altmühltal cycle path ends near Kelheim and joins the Danube cycle path there .

Other connecting routes:

Connection to public transport

From Eichstätt to shortly after Gunzenhausen the Altmühltal is crossed by the Altmühlbahn , which consists of the railway lines Eichstätt Bahnhof – Eichstätt Stadt , Ingolstadt-Treuchtlingen and Treuchtlingen-Würzburg . A branch line runs from their Steinach bei Rothenburg train station to Rothenburg ob der Tauber . Rothenburg at the northern end of the cycle path has a rail connection to the same route. In Treuchtlingen there is a connection to the Treuchtlingen – Nuremberg line , and in Kinding there is a train station on the Nuremberg – Ingolstadt – Munich high-speed line .

In addition, leisure buses with bicycle trailers operate in the Altmühltal Nature Park during the cycling season, from May to the beginning of October on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from Eichstätt - Beilngries - Dietfurt an der Altmühl - Riedenburg and from Regensburg - Kelheim - Riedenburg, and on weekdays between Eichstätt and Beilngries.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ OSM: Altmühltal cycle path
  2. ↑ Altmühltal Cycle Path - Bavaria Cycle Route Planner. Accessed December 17, 2019 (German).

literature

Web links

Wikivoyage: Altmuehltal Cycle Path  - travel guide

Coordinates: 48 ° 54 ′ 2.9 "  N , 11 ° 10 ′ 14.7"  E