Fossils, Romans, Teutonic Order, and Outdoor Adventures

The Bavarian Altmühl Valley is famous for water sports, cycling, hiking, unique fossils, Baroque Eichstätt, roman treasures, and other historic castles and sights.

photo credit: digital cat 

The southernmost parts of Franken, and some parts of northern Upper Bavaria, have been incorporated in to the Naturpark Altmühltal (Altmühl Valley Nature Park). This is one of the largest nature parks in Germany and a true haven for nature lovers and outdoor pursuits.

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See a Former Free Imperial City with a Roman Heritage & Treasure

Weißenburg was a Roman garrison town and a free imperial city before becoming part of Bavaria. Major sights to see include the old town and Roman treasure and sites.

photo credit: digital cat 

In AD 89, the Romans forced the local Celtic population out of the Weißenburg area and founded a garrison town. Around two centuries later, Aleman tribes forced the Romans back across the Danube and the town was forgotten until a royal court was erected in Merovingian times. By the end of the 13th century, Weißenburg became a free imperial city, a status it maintained, although it had to buy itself free twice, until it became part of Bavaria in 1806.

The town of 18,000 has an attractive old town with well-preserved town defenses but the main attraction is the Roman heritage.

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Roman sites, Charlemagne’s Fossa Carolina Folly, Fortress Wülzburg, and the Teutonic Order

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Weißenburg with its Roman sites and Fortress Wülzburg, Ellingen with the Teotonic Order Palace and Baroque old town, and Charlemange’s Main-Danube Canal are interesting sites to see.

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Picturesque Towns with Castles and Fossils in the Altmühl Valley, Bavaria

Pappenheim and Solnhofen are small, picturesque towns in a beautiful part of the Altmühl Valley in Bavaria. Pappenheim is famous for its castle while fossils and nature enchant in Solnhofen.

photo credit: digital cat 

Pappenheim is a small town with a picture-perfect location where the Altmühl makes a complete U-turn. From here downstream towards Eichstätt, the Altmühl valley is narrower with some of the steepest cliffs. The Altmühl valley can be enjoyed by road, rail, hiking, cycling, or of course kayaking – all routes mostly follow the flow of the river.

Pappenheim’s written history goes back to 802 when the area was given to the Monastery of St Gallen. From the 12th century, it was under secular control with the descendants of the counts of Pappenheim still living in the Neue Schloss.

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Buy, Search, and See Fossils in Quarries and Museums

The Altmühl Valley is famous for fossil hunting opportunities in limestone quarries and museums in Gunzhausen, Solnhofen, and Eichstätt. The hunt for the 10th archaeopteryx is on…

photo credit: digital cat 

Around 150 million years ago, the Altmühl valley in Bavaria had a tropical climate and was at the edge of the Jura Lake. Many animals and plants were preserved as fossils in the lime slurry at the bottom of the lake. The Altmühltal Valley area is a true haven for fossil hunters with over 800 different plants and animal species discovered up to date including ammonites up to 2 m/7 ft. Many opportunities exist for hunting fossils cheaply and legally.

The Altmühl Valley’s prize finds are the nine archaeopteryxes, fossils only found in this area of primitive reptile-like birds that hints at a link between dinosaurs and birds.

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Baroque Palaces and Churches, Willibaldsburg Castle, and Fossil Museums

Eichstätt has an Italian Baroque style old town, an interesting cathedral, a copy of the Holy Sepulcher, and unique Altmühl Valley fossils in the Jura and Bergér Museums.

photo credit: digital cat 

The Episcopal town Eichstätt has a history going back to 741 when St Boniface founded a monastery here. During the Thirty Years’ War, three quarters of the town was destroyed allowing Eichstätt to be rebuilt during the 18th century in an Italian Baroque style.

Following secularization in 1802, the bishopric became part of Bavaria. Almost a third of the town’s population of 14,000 is students at the local university, the only Catholic one in the German-speaking world.

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Cheap accommodation and great food are available in small Altmühl Valley towns including Wolframs-Eschenbach, Gunzenhausen, Weißenburg, Pappenheim, and Eichstätt.

photo credit: digital cat 

The Altmühl Valley towns have pleasant hotels and restaurants at cheap prices. Chain hotels are far and few between in this beautiful part of Bavaria. It is worth using major internet hotel reservations to see what deals are available and to compare prices in the Altmühltal region but reservations are often best made directly with the hotels themselves.

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Cycling, Hiking, Rock Climbing, Kayaking

The Altmühl Valley in Bavaria, Germany has beautiful nature and easy access for cyclists, bikers, hikers, rock climbers, and canoeists.

photo credit: abulafia

Countryside Hikes in the Altmühltal Valley

The Altmühl Park has around 3,000 km/1,900 miles of marked hiking routes. The most famous is the 200-km/125-mile Altmühltal-Panoramaweg (Altmühl Valley Panorama Route), which closely follows the flow of the river from Gunzenhausen to Kelheim. It goes through both the valley and surrounding hills but without challenging inclines. The route is particularly busy in spring and autumn. Things are much quieter on the numerous routes that go up many side valleys.

The Limesweg follows the route of the original Roman defense wall that ran from Rheinbrohl on the Rhine to Kelheim on the Danube. It goes through the Altmühl Park from Gunzenhausen to Kelheim on a direct 110-km/70-miles route.

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