Dillingen a.d.Donau

Church, castle and historic façades

The study church was built between 1610 and 1617 and is considered the city’s most valuable building from an art-historical perspective. Its stage altar is particularly unusual: it is one of the few surviving stage altars in Germany. It was created around 1760 by Johann Anwander (1715–1770); the altar opens each year in the week before Palm Sunday. Anyone interested in church art will find a building here with a distinctive design that is firmly rooted in the annual calendar.

Dillingen Castle also makes the town’s long history visible. Its oldest structural elements date back to the 13th-century Staufer period. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle was converted into a fortified residence and served as the residence of the Prince-Bishops of Augsburg for centuries. Königstraße, formerly called “Herrengasse,” offers another glimpse of older urban architecture: its house façades form a well-preserved ensemble from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Town and Prince-Bishopric Museum illustrates Dillingen’s history and, with its provincial Roman and Alemannic collections, also documents the history of the surrounding area. It is housed in two historic buildings at Hafenmarkt: the Unteres Stiftshaus and the Angerer-Haus. In Dillingen, buildings and museum collections thus offer different ways to explore the city’s history: outdoors through the castle, church and façades, and in the museum through its collections and their themes.

If you prefer a guided overview, you can plan to join a public tour covering the city’s general history. These tours take place every Sunday at 2:00 p.m. from April to October. The route includes the Golden Hall, the study church, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Franciscan Sisters’ Church and the castle. These stops offer a thematic cross-section of the city’s history and its church and castle architecture.

Kneipp trails and exercise in the floodplain forest

The signposted Kneipp circular trail, which consists of two sections, combines different urban and natural settings. One section passes through the historic old town and Taxispark, with nine information pillars; the other runs through the floodplain forest to the Danube, with four information pillars. At the Danube, the nature-based Kneipp facility invites visitors to try Kneipp treatments. According to local tradition, Sebastian Kneipp is said to have recovered from a serious illness there in November 1849.

If you would like to combine exercise with exploring the city, you can follow the Kneipp circular trail; if you prefer a single outdoor activity, the floodplain forest offers more options. A shorter running route loops around the small Silbersee and is suitable for walking, jogging, cycling and Nordic walking. There is also a fitness trail with more than 20 stations in the floodplain forest, along with two running routes of up to 3,000 metres in length. This gives you several ways to stay active, from a stroll to training at the stations.

Dillingen is also a starting point for longer tours: the DonAuwald Family hiking route includes a stage of about 13 kilometres from Lauingen to Dillingen. For a longer cycling loop, the 202-kilometre Mozart Circuit runs from Dillingen via Donauwörth, Oettingen and Nördlingen and back to Dillingen. The hiking stage and the circular ride differ considerably in length and route, so they suit different travel plans. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, these interests can help shape the focus of your trip to Dillingen: the historic city, Kneipp trails and floodplain forest, or a longer tour through the region.

Discover more town pages

For more town pages, you can also explore Bachhagel Bachhagel, Holzheim Holzheim, Wertingen Wertingen, Lauingen Lauingen, Bissingen Bissingen, Gundelfingen an der Donau Gundelfingen an der Donau, Buttenwiesen Buttenwiesen and Finningen Finningen.

For the overview of the wider area: Dillingen an der Donau.