While journeying along the Altmühltal-Panorama path, you'll encounter steep and jagged Dolomite rocks, sun-drenched juniper heaths, gentle river valleys, and expansive forests. The Altmühltal Nature Park is renowned for its romantic landscapes, making it the perfect destination for a relaxing week of walking amidst pristine nature. Moreover, this region boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage, with impressive ramparts, meticulously reconstructed forts, and captivating treasure troves bearing witness to Celtic and Roman eras.
You'll also encounter castles and palaces crafted by nobility, magnificent churches and monasteries constructed by prince-archbishops. The Altmühltal Valley offers a delightful culinary journey, featuring a range of savory sausage specialities and locally brewed beers.
This hiking adventure along the exceptional Altmühltal Panorama Path is a captivating blend of cultural, historical, and natural wonders. It offers breathtaking views, picturesque town centres, and inviting inns to complete your unforgettable tour.
Details about the hiking holiday on the Altmuhltal Panorama Path
At your starting point in Treuchtlingen, the Altmühltherme is an oasis of relaxation. Strengthened by the warming thermal water, you can start: Pappenheim and Dollnstein are the first charming stage destinations before heading to the magnificent Eichstätt. The baroque city awaits with its enchanting alleys and impressive sights.
On the way to Kipfenberg and the final stage to Beilngries, relics from a bygone era greet you: fortifications, Limes Germanicus or the Buchenhüller mammoth cave. The discovery of the mammoth and 34 other primaeval animals at the beginning of the 20th century was a real sensation. Today some skeletons can be admired in the museum at the Willibaldsburg in Eichstätt.
The highlights of the Altmuhltal Panorama Path walking holiday at a glance:
Idyllic hikes in the middle of the original nature park: The area around the Altmühl is known for the wild juniper heaths and the bizarre rock formations. Here you hike in harmony with nature - let your soul dangle with us!
Enchanting high-altitude hikes: The Altmühltal is not a mountain range, but when hiking along the panorama path, one or the other passage is a bit steeper. The best thing about it? Once you have reached the top, there is usually a breathtaking view to marvel at.
The “Twelve Apostles” natural monument: Grey, yellow or tinged with green - but in any case a sight that casts a spell over you. The extraordinary “Twelve Apostles” rock formations are real highlights of this already great tour.
Castles and palaces along the way: Perhaps in this beautiful area you will also have the feeling that a damsel from one of the many castles could beckon at any time. This journey takes you to architectural masterpieces from bygone times.
Bavarian beer & hearty snacks: Learn new things on the hop trail, take part in a brewery tour or simply stop off in the classic beer garden - this region is all about the popular barley juice because a wide variety of raw materials for its production are grown here.
Worth knowing about the hiking tour on the Altmuhltal Panorama Path
The Altmühltal has a lot to offer both in terms of landscape and culture - you notice that along the 14 to 26 km-long stages. It is worth stopping regularly because the photo opportunities are first-class. Anyone with a basic fitness level will not have any problems on this tour.
Route summary
Hiking tours along well-maintained paths and in parts on asphalted vineyard paths. Depending on the route you can enjoy the tours leisurely or make it more challenging. Summits in the Altmuhltal area are not high, but partly steep. Hence surefootedness is required in a few places. This week of walking offers a beautiful combination of nature, sights and enjoyment.
The idyllic little Altmühl-town Treuchtlingen is situated in the centre of the nature park ‚Altmühltal’, the second biggest Nature Park in Germany. We recommend you seize the first day and relax in the well-known Altmühl-Thermal Spa.
With views onto the river Altmühl meandering through the valley you continue via the ‚Devil’s Pulpit’ towards Medieval Pappenheim. You descend again to the river Altmühl via the viewpoint Hollerstein and continue leisurely along the course of the river to your Day Finish, where you are greeted by the impressive castle, the seat of the former ‚Reichserbmarschälle’-marshals.
Via a high-altitude path with great views, you walk over to Solnhofen, the mining place of the well-known Solnhofer limestone slabs and the site of over 140 million-year-old fossils. Soon after an amazing and very popular photo opportunity awaits the nature monument ‚Twelve Apostles, steep limestone rocks embedded in juniper heaths. The route leads you to Dollnstein into the primaeval Danube valley.
You pass the Geo-monument ‚Burgsteinfelsen’ and continue through forests and juniper heaths and later on a mountain path with great views all the way to Eichstätt. With Willibalds castle towering over this diocesan town, it is a complete Baroque work of art with prestigious buildings as well as dreamy little alleyways.
With a lovely view of the striking Osterberg mountain and the Roman fort Vetoniana, you walk to the Buchenhüller mammoth cave. You will walk across wonderful alpine paths above Altmühl and you will get fantastic views of the valley and the rock faces whilst walking along the panoramic path. You will walk through the Gugoldinger Wacholderheide, which is a fantastic nature protection area before you will go past the Arnsberger Leite and the Limes watch tower to Kipfenberg.
Today’s tour starts with stunning views and insights into the beautiful Anlauter valley. Reach Kinding with its impressive fortified church and cosy inns. Shortly afterwards the panorama path again keeps its promise: magnificent views into the Altmühl valley and onto bizarre rock formations. After that, another scenic outpost awaits the Main-Danube canal, Arzberg, Beilngries, Altmühl and Sulz. A steep descent to Beilngries follows.
ca. 5,5 to 6 hours
24 km
540 m
550 m
Day
7
Departure or extension
Route information
The terrain is easy and you walk on well-maintained walking paths. For each daily tour, a good basic fitness level is required. Technically the tours are easy and can be mastered without any difficulties. For longer parts shortcuts by foot or by public transport are possible
Detailed travel documents 1x per room (German, English)
App for Navigation and GPS-Data available
Service-Hotline
Information
Arrival / Parking / Departure:
A train journey to Treuchtlingen and only a short walk to the start hotel.
Munich airport.
Parking: a limited number of hotel parking spaces EUR 5 per day, no reservation possible. Parking spaces at Treuchtlingen train station are free of charge.
Return by train to Treuchtlingen, from Beilngries approx. 2 hours (1x change trains).
Important information:
Tourist tax, if due, is not included in the price
Travel by public transport to shorten the daily hikes, optional
Sample hotel list
This is a sample hotel list. Hotels will be booked depending on availability.