Cycle Tour along the Young Danube

It is said that “the Brigach and the Breg give rise to the Danube.” The Romans, however, considered the spring in the park of Fürstenberg Castle to be the source of the Danube. The Belle Époque-style castle is a striking testament to the former importance of the Fürstenberg family. It houses an interesting natural history collection and important modern works of art.

This stage takes you along the first few kilometers of the Danube Cycle Path. In Immendingen, you can witness a unique natural spectacle: the Danube’s disappearance into the limestone. Here, the river disappears into the limestone for most of the year. Instead of flowing into the Black Sea, part of the Danube flows via the Aachtopf and the Rhine into the North Sea. Beyond Tuttlingen, the valley narrows, and you’ll soon reach today’s destination, Fridingen.

Today, you’ll follow the Danube through the scenically stunning Danube Valley, which the river has carved out over time. Limestone cliffs over 100 meters high, on which you can often spot a castle or ruin, line your route. In Sigmaringen, Hohenzollern Castle offers a slice of living history—it is still inhabited today by the princely family.

Instead of rugged cliffs, a gentler landscape awaits you today. A detour to the former Celtic settlement of Heuneburg is well worth it. At the open-air museum, you can immerse yourself in the way of life of this ethnic group. Passing through Riedlingen, whose townscape is characterized by half-timbered houses, you’ll cycle on to Ehingen. This Baroque town takes great pride in its beer culture. Four independent, long-established breweries have helped shape the town’s history.

You can either follow the Danube or take a detour through Blaubeuren. There, in the Blautopf, a spring emerges that also marks the beginning of a large cave system. The water’s intense color makes it look as if it has been dyed. The Blau River takes you to the Swabian city of Ulm, home to the world’s tallest church tower. The climb up the 768 steps is long, but you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic view stretching all the way to the Alps.

Between Ulm and Lauingen, small towns line up one after another, always set slightly apart from the Danube and in locations safe from flooding. You can marvel at over 50 million tiny Lego bricks in every possible color and shape at Legoland in Günzburg. Your destination for the day, Lauingen, is also known as the City of Towers . It owes this name, among other things, to the 54-meter-high Schimmelturm on the market square.

Passing through Höchstädt with its late Renaissance castle, your final leg of the journey takes you through the Danube floodplains to Donauwörth, located at the mouth of the Wörnitz River. This is where the most important trade route between Nuremberg and Augsburg once crossed the Danube. Even today, the magnificent houses serve as a reminder of the town’s historical significance. The Käthe Kruse Doll Museum is sure to delight visitors of all ages.

After breakfast, your cycling tour through the Young Danube Valley comes to an end. We'd be happy to extend your stay in Donauwörth.