At Epple Lake, a large sunbathing lawn and a long sandy beach are among the standout features of Neuburg on the Rhine; admission is free. There is also a signposted village walking route with eight stations, museums devoted to the history of the Rhine and the village, and a ferry service.
Swimming Lake and Village Walking Route
Epple Lake is at the westernmost point of Neuburg on the Rhine. In addition to the sunbathing lawn and sandy beach, there are beach volleyball facilities and other sports options. Check local information about the sports facilities before your visit, as details may change.
The signposted village walking route offers a different perspective: the route is about 6.5 kilometres long and passes eight stations with information boards covering history, everyday life and the landscape. It runs from the village centre to the Rhine floodplains. Alongside a visit to the lake, it offers a route whose stations highlight different aspects of the village and its surroundings.
Festivals and Culture on the Rhine
The Epplesee Festival takes place every three years at Epple Lake. The programme includes live music by various bands, activities for children, including creative workshops and face painting, and attractions on and around the lake. Sunday features a festive church service and a morning social gathering; individual programmes may vary. If you would like to plan your stay around the festival, check the specific dates.
The Rheinaue Museum opened in 1983. It provides information about life on the Rhine, fishing and the history of shipping. Exhibits include traditional Neuburg costumes, historic tools from local craft businesses, and maps showing the course of the Rhine and Neuburg’s location in various centuries. If you are planning a museum visit, check in advance on current visitor arrangements.
At the mouth of the Lauter lies the Lautermuschel, a former cargo ship that has been used as a floating museum and restaurant since 1995. Here too, it is advisable to ask locally about current visitor arrangements before planning a visit.
The “Baden-Pfalz” Rhine ferry directly connects Neuburg with Neuburgweier on the Baden side of the Rhine. Water levels and weather can affect operations, so check the operator’s notices before travelling. Historically, a ferry service from Neuburg on the left bank of the Rhine to Neuburgweier opposite is documented as early as 1724.
Rhine Floodplains and Regional Highlights
The surrounding area of Neuburg includes extensive, richly varied reed beds along the old Rhine channels of the Wörth Old Rhine and the Kleine and Große Altwasser. They are of national importance as breeding, stopover and wintering grounds for birds, especially reed-dwelling species. This offers a different perspective on the landscape from a visit to the swimming lake.
Beyond Neuburg, the wider Germersheim travel region offers its own cultural and landscape highlights. Near Bellheim, the Queich Mill Circular Hiking Trail connects four of the six mills that still remain. In Germersheim, the fortress is considered the largest Bavarian fortress outside Bavaria; numerous significant surviving structures surround the entire town centre. The Queich meadows form a roughly 350-hectare, still actively managed meadow irrigation system that extends across several municipalities to Germersheim.
A regional cycling tour also passes through Neuburg on the Rhine: the 44.4-kilometre Bienwald-Rhine Floodplains Tour runs through the Bienwald forest and the Rhine floodplains near Hagenbach and Neuburg, in the south of the Palatinate near the French border. Seasonal route conditions may change; take this into account when planning.
Discover more destinations: Germersheim, Kandel, Hatzenbühl, Vollmersweiler, Schwegenheim, Jockgrim, Wörth on the Rhine, Knittelsheim.
Back to the wider travel overview: Germersheim.
