Discover Wellheim
Accommodation in Wellheim
Wellheim lies in the middle of the Urdonau Valley. Here, the history of the town and its castle meets the landscape of the Southern Franconian Jura: the Wellheim dry valley winds in broad loops through the Jura landscape from Rennertshofen. If you would like to combine culture and nature on your holiday, Wellheim offers a range of themes to inspire your excursion plans—from the museum and parish church to rock formations and routes in the municipal area.
Local history at the museum and parish church
The Urdonau Valley Museum in Wellheim displays exhibits across several themes in 13 display cases. These include natural and landscape history, geological history, and prehistory and early history. The history of the town and its districts, as well as industrial history, are also represented. A visit to the museum lets you discover different aspects of the region rather than focusing on just one period.
The museum opened in 1990 in the town’s former gatehouse. Its exhibits include a model of Wellheim Castle as it appeared in the 14th century. A total of five castle sites have been documented in the municipal area; the model offers a tangible starting point for exploring Wellheim’s castle history.
The Catholic parish church of St. Andrew is on the western edge of Wellheim, at Burgstraße 3. Its origins date back to the 11th or 12th century; Baroque stucco work and ceiling paintings from around 1700 have been preserved. The church also contains a memorial plaque to Count Konrad von Helfenstein and his wife. Konrad von Helfenstein held the lordship of Wellheim from 1458 to 1473. These details give travellers interested in cultural history several specific subjects to look out for when learning about the town.
The Jura landscape and distinctive rock formations
The landscape also has some striking features. Nearby is Galgenberg, an elongated, wooded hill about 50 metres high. A karst spring lies at its foot. Zigeunerloch is a large, unusual rock formation in a dense beech forest, shaped by fissures and grottoes. The two places offer contrasting natural features: a wooded hill with a spring on the one hand, and rocks, forest and hollows on the other.
Several individual springs can be seen at the Schutter spring. During renaturation work in 2008, the underlying Jura limestone was exposed behind the spring pool. Visitors interested in geology and how landscapes form can include this as another nature-focused stop in their travel plans.
Routes for different interests
The Urdonau Valley Trail, a certified quality trail, passes through the municipal area of Wellheim. The Felsensteig also offers a clearly defined option for a more challenging hike: it is 4 kilometres long, marked in red and graded I. The route includes short, easy climbing sections; sturdy footwear and sure-footedness are required.
The Felsensteig passes the Hintere Konsteiner Wand, Dohlenfelsen, Lucky Luke, Merltürme, Weiße Wand, Fensterlwand, Oberlandwand, Aichaer Wand, the Oberländer climbing area and Lochwand. With so many named rock features, the route is especially appealing to travellers who want to combine their time in the municipal area with rocky landscapes and short climbing sections. Those who would rather focus on local history can make the museum and Wellheim’s historical heritage the centrepiece of their stay.
When choosing a holiday apartment in Wellheim, you can first decide which aspect of the destination you want to shape your trip: the town’s history and castles, the landscape of the Urdonau Valley or an active excursion.
More destinations for inspiration: Titting, Gaimersheim, Dollnstein, Mindelstetten, Altmannstein, Oberdolling, Nassenfels and Denkendorf.
For the broader travel overview: Eichstätt.
