Donauwörth: Rivers, Culture and Walks
Accommodation in Donauwörth
Donauwörth lies at the confluence of the Danube and Wörnitz rivers and on the famous Romantic Road holiday route. Riverside paths, a trail through different natural landscapes, culture and cycling give the town its varied character. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on a walk, a guided city tour, a museum visit or a longer cycling loop.
On foot along the rivers and riverside promenade
The “Little Green Walk” runs along the Donauwörth promenade, through the Heilig-Kreuz garden, past the rivers and along the banks of the Old Danube Harbour. As a nature trail through different natural landscapes in the heart of Donauwörth, it is 4.5 km long and takes about 50 to 60 minutes.
The historic site at the Old Danube Harbour has been revitalized. Today, the riverside promenade offers benches and picnic spots where you can relax by the water. You can treat the harbour as a destination in its own right: plan a riverside break there or explore the area as part of the “Little Green Walk”, which also follows its banks.
Puppet art, pilgrimage church and carillon
The Käthe Kruse Doll Museum displays more than 150 dolls, shop-window mannequins and dolls from dollhouses made by Käthe Kruse’s workshop. The permanent exhibition spans the period from its beginnings around 1910 to the present day. Families can pick up a free children’s activity trail at the museum ticket desk. Children’s birthday parties, as well as guided tours and family tours, can be booked. Along with the dolls themselves, the museum offers special activities to consider when planning a visit together.
Another cultural highlight is Heilig Kreuz, a late Baroque pilgrimage church in an impressive monastery complex. Its magnificent Wessobrunner-style stucco work was created by Franz Schmuzer. The story of the original fragments of the Cross in the crypt chapel is part of the site’s significance as a place of pilgrimage: they were brought from Constantinople to Donauwörth in 1030. The architecture and its history offer two different points of interest if you are interested in religious buildings or religious traditions.
Since 1986, the Donauwörth carillon has played every day at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the west gable of the town hall. You can keep these two times in mind when planning your stay in the town. Donauwörth also offers more than 20 city, tower and themed tours. If you prefer to explore independently, you can take the “Little Historical Walk” on your own: the circular route traces the history of the former Free Imperial City of Donauwörth and visits its many sights.
For a walk or a longer cycling tour
There is also a clearly described route for cyclists: the Lech–Danube Cycle Loop is 67 km long and can, in principle, be started anywhere. The route described starts and ends in Donauwörth. It first follows the cycle path parallel to the Danube out of town. If you are choosing between a shorter walk and a longer cycling route, these options provide very different distances for reference; no duration is specified for the cycling loop.
When choosing Donauwörth as a travel destination, you can focus on the experiences that matter to you: a walk through natural landscapes, time by the water, culture in the museum and monastery complex, or a 67 km cycling tour. These different options suit different travel plans, and there is no need to fit every activity into a single day.
More destinations
You can also consider Oettingen In Bayern, Wallerstein, Monheim, Fremdingen, Marxheim, Ehingen Am Ries, Mertingen and Kaisheim as other destinations.
For the broader travel overview: Danube-Ries.
