Altmannstein brings hiking trails, architectural history and nature into your travel plans, complemented by the outdoor swimming pool and the fossils in Schamhaupten. If you are looking for accommodation, you can first choose your focus based on the activities you have in mind: routes, historic buildings, fossils or swimming. This lets you tailor your destination to your own interests.
Hiking trails with different points of interest
Route 24 connects Altmannstein with the AltmĂĽhltal Panorama Trail. The East Bavarian Way of St James leads from Kelheim via Weltenburg Abbey to Altmannstein, then continues to the pilgrimage church of Bettbrunn. The 18-kilometre section of the Limes Hiking Trail runs from Denkendorf to Altmannstein. The trails differ in their stated points of interest: a connection to the panorama trail, the route of the Way of St James through several named places, and a section of the Limes Hiking Trail with a specified length.
Another option is a free guided hike, held on one Saturday each month. It gives you the chance to discover the municipality of Altmannstein and its neighbours. As the programme may change, check the current dates before your trip.
Discover fossils and split your own slabs
In the municipality, at the fossil quarry in Schamhaupten, visitors can discover animals and other organisms preserved in slate and limestone slabs. If you want to split limestone slabs, bring a hammer and a cold chisel; tools are not available for hire on site. Check this practical information locally before your visit. Information boards along the fossil trail by the quarry share useful information and provide an interpretive introduction to the fossils.
Architectural history, from the keep to the museum
The well-preserved round keep of Altmannstein Castle dates from the early 13th century. Its walls, built of rusticated stone blocks, are two metres thick. The local history museum is housed in the listed Hoferhaus, dating from the 17th or 18th century. The Ignaz GĂĽnther Museum offers another link to cultural history: the market municipality of Altmannstein established it in 1997 in honour of the sculptor Ignaz GĂĽnther.
Swimming and scenery
Altmannstein outdoor swimming pool has a heated pool with a non-swimmers’ area. It is about 50 metres long and 25 metres wide, with a water depth ranging from 0.9 to 2.40 metres. Another nature attraction is the juniper heath on Kreutberg. It is located close to the destination and is recommended to nature lovers as a place to visit.
Eichstätt: more cultural and nature attractions
The wider destination of Eichstätt offers further attractions in their own right. The Jura Museum Eichstätt focuses on fossils from the Solnhofen limestone; the museum also displays the original Eichstätt specimen of Archaeopteryx. Willibaldsburg Castle was built in 1355 by Bishop Berthold Burggraf von Zollern and served as the bishops’ residence until 1725. Of the 420-metre-long castle, the walls and bastions, the armoury, the 63-metre-long gate hall and the Gemmingen Building with its two towers have been preserved.
In the 1,500-square-metre bastion garden at Willibaldsburg Castle, the Hortus Eystettensis, destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War, was brought back to life after 400 years. Visitors can discover many of the original plant species there. Cathedral Square is also part of Eichstätt’s history: it is situated on the oldest settled ground in the city. For families, the Eichstätt Fossil Trail is a moderately challenging, nine-kilometre circular route. Several times a year, the Eichstätt Genuss-Wirte culinary association adds its own distinctive touch with special dishes under the motto “Eichstätt kocht...” (“Eichstätt cooks...”), including flavoursome Altmühltal lamb dishes.
Discover more destinations: Oberdolling, Titting, Nassenfels, Pollenfeld, Lenting, Eichstätt, Denkendorf, Mörnsheim
Go to the wider travel overview: Eichstätt.
