Choose between a roughly one-hour, two-kilometre town walk and a themed trail of about 14 kilometres that takes around four hours: Wemding offers routes of different lengths to explore. On the historical town walk, a dedicated leaflet explains individual sights. The Legends Trail starts at Johannisweiher and follows a sculpture trail lined with fruit trees through the old town before returning to its starting point. You can choose between a compact loop and a significantly longer themed trail.
Old Town History in Buildings and Traditions
Wemding has a medieval town wall dating from the 14th century. The Amerbach Gate is now a 30.5-metre-high gate tower and the only surviving gate of the former fortifications. Until the 19th century, a mighty gatehouse with a barbican, zwinger and drawbridge stood there.
The twin-towered parish church of St. Emmeram also brings together several historical layers. It was built in fulfilment of a vow made by Mangold I of Wörth. Construction of what was probably a three-aisled, cruciform basilica began in 1030; several alterations and extensions were added over the centuries. The Baroque high altar by Augustin Manasser was created between 1630 and 1633.
Leonhart Fuchs’s birthplace stands on the market square and is known as the “little house of the dwarves”. Its front facing the market is 1.50 metres wide, while its side façade is nine metres long. Held annually, the Fuchsia and Herb Market transforms Wemding’s old town into a large, flower-filled garden and is described as Germany’s only fuchsia market.
Art, Culture and Town History
The KunstMuseum Donau-Ries displays, among other works, paintings and sculptures by Ernst Steinacker, Prof. Caspar Schlötter and Annette Steinacker-Holst. A multimedia room introduces visitors to new artistic forms of expression. The cultural programme also includes guided tours, concerts, readings and theatre. If you are planning to attend an event, it is worth checking the specific dates.
The local history museum explores prehistory, early history and the town’s past, as well as clothing, traditional costume, crafts and popular religious culture. The two museums offer complementary perspectives: the KunstMuseum focuses on works and artistic forms of expression, while the local history museum covers history and everyday culture.
The Pilgrimage Way connects the historic old town with the pilgrimage basilica of “Maria Brünnlein zum Trost”. On the final stretch, six devotional stones dating from 1983 line the route. The pilgrimage basilica of “Maria Brünnlein zum Trost” in Donau-Ries was built as a Rococo church between 1748 and 1782 to plans by Franz Joseph Roth, in response to the growing number of pilgrims.
Forest Trails and the Landscape of the Ries
East of Wolferstädter Straße, four landscaped resting spots for forest bathing are set in a forest officially designated by the Bavarian State Forestry Administration as a “forest of particular importance for recreation”. Another way to explore the forest and nature is the Wemding Forest Discovery Trail: the approximately 3.5-kilometre circular route lies in the Schneetal nature forest reserve, one of the first such reserves in Bavaria. Along the trail, you can experience the forest and nature with all your senses.
In the Wemding Forest, SchwefelbrĂĽnnlein sits in a forest clearing and offers walkers and cyclists a pleasant place to rest. The Wemding Rose Garden displays old roses in a historic setting. For views beyond the town, the Wemding Plateau is a hilltop on the northern edge of town, with panoramic views of Wemding and the Ries.
Wemding lies on the edge of the Ries Crater. The old Waldsee limestone quarry, near Wemding’s Waldsee, also tells the story of the Ries catastrophe: its effects can be seen there. Together with the view from the Wemding Plateau, this adds a geological perspective to the landscape experience, without losing sight of the town’s history and forest trails.
Discover More Destinations
FĂĽnfstetten, Tapfheim, Monheim, Rain, Ehingen am Ries, Marxheim, Ries, Oberndorf am Lech.
Return to the main travel overview: Donau-Ries.
