Town Walks in Ansbach, Spa in Bad Windsheim and Cycling Routes in Franconia
Burg Colmberg Catsle Hotel (Photo Die Burgenstraße)
The Romantische Franken (Romantic Franconia) region is popular with outdoor enthusiasts. Several cycling routes in Romantic Franken include stops in Ansbach, Colmburg and Heilbronn, while Bad Windsheim has a modern spa and one of the largest model train exhibitions in Germany.
Guided Town Walks in Romantische Franken
The tourism office in Ansbach conducts guided town walks on Sunday at 11 am from May to September.
In Heilsbronn, guided tours are available every first Saturday of the month at 2 pm. From June to mid-October, tours are also available on Thursday at 5:30 pm – these are followed by a concert in the Münster.
The tourist office in Bad Windsheim conducts guided old town walks on weekends at 3 pm, and from mid-April to September additionally on Thursday and Friday at 3 pm.
By Bicycle through Romantic Franken
Several long distance cycling routes run through Romantische Franken but the most popular is the Altmühlweg that follows the flow of the Altmühl River from its source to the Altmühl Lake. It usually starts from Rothenburg ob der Tauber with the route passing by the source of the Altmühl to the lake – 75 km/47 miles in total. Except for some steep inclines near Rothenburg, the route is mostly level and suitable for families.
Other popular routes connects Ansbach with other town in the region; to Feuchtwangen use either the Ansbacher Weg (28 km/17 mi) or the Feuchtwanger Weg (23 km/14 mi); to Dinkelsbühl, the 40-km/25-mile Dinkelsbühler Weg goes through beautiful nature and romantic small villages; and the 23-km/14-mile Radweg Ansbach-Altmühlsee runs on level terrain to the lake.
The more energetic can cycle the 340 km/210 miles from the Main to the Danube by combining the Liebliches Taubertalweg (Wertheim to Rothenburg) with the Altmühlweg and the Altmühltalweg that follows the Altmühl River from the lake to its confluence with the Danube.
Bicycles can be rented in Ansbach from Fahrräder Flink, Würzburger Straße 31, tel 0981-2344, or from Drahtesel, Würzburger Landstraße 24, tel 0981-8995 and in Bad Windsheim from the tourist office, Markt 1, tel 09841-402-99.
Model Train Exhibition near Bad Windsheim
Children and fans of model trains may be interested to see Faszination Gotthardbahn, Sieglinde Köttgen, Reichelshofen 28, Steinsfeld, tel 09865-941-898. It is one of the largest model train exhibitions in Germany and is especially known for its 1/87 model of the northern approach to the Swiss St Gotthard’s pass. Opening hours are Wednesday and Friday from 2 to 6 pm, weekends from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is €4. Reichelshofen is best reached by car: around 10 km/6 miles north on the B25 from Rothenburg ob der Tauber or just off the A7, exit 107 Bad Windsheim.
Spa in Bad Windsheim
The mineral springs in Bad Windsheim was only discovered in the early 20th century and the town therefore does not have the tradition and trappings of other 19th-century spa resorts. However, the Franken-Therme, Erkenbrechtallee 10, 91438 Bad Windsheim, tel 09841-40-300, has excellent modern facilities. In addition to the usual medical facilities, day visitors can enjoy the huge spa center with pools of different temperatures and wide variety of saunas.
Opening hours are daily from 10 am to 10 pm. Admission range from €7.50 for two hours to €12 for the whole day. The sauna and outdoor “Great Salt Lake” with a salt concentration of 27% require additional fees. Massages and other spa services need prior bookings.
More on Romantic Franconia:
- Hotels and Restaurants in Romantische Franken Towns
- Romantic Franconia Overview
- Ansbach’s Baroque Residence and the Hohenzollern Connection
- Ansbach’s Old Town Sights
- Cultural Events in Ansbach & Kaspar Hauser
- Romanesque Church in Heilsbronn
- Colmberg Castle with Cheap Hotel & Restaurant
- Bad Windsheim – Open Air Museum, Spa, and Model Trains
