Beilngries Between the Old Town and Waterways
Accommodation in Beilngries
Beilngries combines a waterside setting with striking landmarks that tell the story of its past. Four waterways surround the town: the Altmühl, the Sulz, the Main-Danube Canal and the Ludwig Canal. The surrounding natural landscape has also been shaped by the force of water. You can plan your trip around a variety of interests, from the historic townscape to experiences on and alongside the water.
Towers, Churches and the Town’s History
The medieval town towers give Beilngries a distinctive historic character. Construction began in 1407; ten of the original fifteen towers have survived. If you’d like to explore on foot, you can include the Beilngries town walk in your plans: it takes one hour and covers two kilometres. This information can help you fit the walk into your day as a separate activity.
The churches offer contrasting highlights, too. The Frauenkirche is a Rococo building and is considered the town’s most significant sacred structure. Its construction began in 1753 under Maurizio Pedetti, the Prince-Bishop’s court architect. The town’s parish church, St Walburga, stands out with its brightly glazed tower spires. It forms the centre of the circle traced by the historic towers of Beilngries’s old town.
At the edge of town, you can discover another aspect of the area’s history. Built between 1836 and 1845 as part of the Ludwig-Danube-Main Canal were a two-storey harbourmaster’s house, a freight shed and a quay wall with an iron crane. These structures show the variety of features that make up the canal complex.
Discover the Water and Explore the Outdoors
Since 2017, the “Waterways Experience Centre” has been located at Gösselthalmühle, right beside the Main-Danube Canal. This information and visitor centre offers insights into waterways, technology, shipping and nature. Interactive exhibits explore topics relating to shipping and waterways. A visit adds an understanding of the technical and natural connections to the historic canal structures.
You can explore the Altmühl by boat from Beilngries. If you’d rather take in the landscape from above, the Wünschelrutenweg offers views over Beilngries, the Main-Danube Canal and the Altmühltal valley. Another remarkable landscape feature is the “Malmschichten am Arzberg” geotope, with excavation faces 70 metres high. The former quarry documents a period of deposition spanning around five million years. The itinerary can therefore offer different perspectives on water and landscape, from the river to views across the valley.
Discoveries for Different Interests
Beilngries Toy Museum displays all kinds of old toys. The Kulturhistorischer Verein Beilngries-Kinding e. V. (Beilngries-Kinding Cultural History Association) brought the pieces together to create an exhibition. The collection also includes a large model railway layout and special play areas where children can play. Families can combine a shared look around the exhibition with a break for play.
In its present form, Hirschberg Castle preserves several elements of the former castle complex: the castle wall, the Grafenbau, the keep and the castle chapel. The courtyard is freely accessible; the interior rooms can be visited at scheduled times. Group tours can be arranged with the Beilngries Tourist Information Office. If you include the castle in your plans, you can choose between a visit to the courtyard and a tour of the interior rooms.
When choosing a holiday apartment, it may help to consider which aspects you’d like to shape your stay: town history and churches, waterways and technology, boating or landscape views. The experiences described here offer a range of starting points, so you don’t have to commit to just one type of trip.
Discover More Places
If you’d like to explore places beyond Beilngries, you’ll find Altmannstein, Eichstätt, Großmehring, Titting, Mörnsheim, Oberdolling, Gaimersheim and Kösching here.
Back to the main travel overview: Eichstätt.
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