Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [323]
There are bus and train connections between Eichstätt and all the major milestones along the river including, from west to east, Gunzenhausen, Treuchtlingen and Pappenheim. North of the river, activities focus around the towns of Kipfenberg, Beilngries and Riedenburg.
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Activities
CANOEING & KAYAKING
The most beautiful section of the river is from Treuchtlingen or Pappenheim to Eichstätt or Kipfenberg, about a 60km stretch that you can do lazily in a kayak or canoe in two to three days. There are lots of little dams along the way, as well as some small rapids about 10km northwest of Dollnstein. Signs warn of impending doom, but locals say that if you heed the warning to stay to the right, you’ll be safe.
San-Aktiv Tours ( 09831-4936; www.san-aktiv-tours.de; Bühringer Strasse 11, 91710 Gunzenhausen) and Natour ( 09141-922 929; www.natour.de; Gänswirtshaus 12, 91781 Weissenburg) are the largest and best-organised canoe-hire companies in the park, with a network of vehicles to shuttle canoes, bicycles and people around the area. Trips through the park run from April to October, and you can canoe alone or join a group. Packages generally include the canoe, swim vests, maps, instructions, transfer back to the embarkation point and, for overnight tours, luggage transfer and lodgings.
You can hire canoes and kayaks in just about every town along the river. Expect to pay about €15/25 per day for a one-/two-person boat, more for bigger ones. Staff will haul you and the boats to or from your embarkation point for a small fee.
You can get a full list of boat-hire outlets from the Informationszentrum Naturpark Altmühltal. Some recommendations include the following:
Bootsverleih Beilngries ( 08461-8903; Beilngries)
Bootsverleih Otto Rehm ( 08422-987 654; www.rehm-r.de; Dollnstein)
Fahrradgarage ( 08421-2110; www.fahrradgarage.de; Eichstätt)
Franken-Boot ( 09142-4645; www.frankenboot.de; Treuchtlingen)
CYCLING & HIKING
With around 3000km of hiking trails and 800km of cycle trails criss-crossing the landscape, foot and pedal are the best ways to strike out into the park. Cycling trails are clearly labelled and have long rectangular brown signs bearing a bike symbol. Hiking-trail markers are yellow. The most popular cycling route is the Altmühltal Radweg, which runs parallel to the river for 160km. The Altmühltal-Panoramaweg stretching 200km between Gunzenhausen and Kelheim is a picturesque hiking route, which crosses the entire park from west to east.
You can hire bikes in almost every town within the park, and prices are more or less uniform. Most bike-hire agencies will also store bicycles. Ask for a list of bike-hire outlets at the Informationszentrum Naturpark Altmühltal.
In Eichstätt, Fahrradgarage (above) hires out bicycles for €8 per day. Staff will bring the bikes to you or take you and the bikes to anywhere in the park for an extra fee.
ROCK CLIMBING
The worn cliffs along the Altmühl River offer some appealing terrain for climbers of all skill levels. The medium-grade 45m-high rock face of Burgsteinfelsen, located between the towns of Dollnstein and Breitenfurt, has routes from the fourth to eighth climbing level with stunning views of the valley. The Dohlenfelsen face near the town of Wellheim has a simpler expanse that’s more suitable for children. The Informationszentrum Naturpark Altmühltal can provide more details on the region’s climbing options.
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Getting There & Around
BUS
From mid-April to October the FreizeitBus Altmühltal-Donautal takes passengers and their bikes around the park. Buses normally run three times a day from mid-April to early October (see www.naturpark-altmuehltal.de for a timetable, listed in German under ‘Freizeit/Tipp’). Route 1 runs from Regensburg and Kelheim to Riedenburg on weekends and holidays only. Route 2 travels between Eichstätt, Beilngries, Dietfurt and Riedenburg with all-day service