Walking in the Altmühltal Nature Park Trip Notes
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Current as of: September 23, 2019 - 09:59 Valid for departures: From September 12, 2019 to December 31, 2030 Walking in the Altmühltal Nature Park Trip Notes Ways to Travel: Self-Guided Holidays 9 Days Land only Trip Code: Destinations: Germany Min age: 2 Moderate Programmes: Walking & Trekking W08AB Trip Overview Discover steep jaggered Dolomite-rocks, sun-kissed juniper heaths, soft river valleys and extensive forests as you walk east from the spa town of Treuchtlingen to Kelheim on the Danube river. You'll walk through a landscape steeped in history and culture: impressive ramparts, reconstructed forts and spectacular treasure troves are testimony to Celtic and Roman times. From more recent times you'll find castles and palaces built by nobility and magnificent churches and monasteries built by prince-archbishops. You'll also enjoy some of the region's culinary delights from tasty sausage specialties all the way to numerous delicious beers At a Glance 8 nights hotel-to-hotel accommodation 7 days walking Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent Route directions and maps Luggage transfers between hotels Walking transfers Countries visited: Germany Trip Highlights Altmuhltal Nature Park, Germanys second largest, full of natural monuments Impressive ramparts, reconstructed forts and spectacular treasure troves are testimony to Celtic and Roman times Idyllic walking paths above the river valley Is This Trip for You? Classification: Self-Guided Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to walk independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can walk at your own pace. It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked. As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local representative is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service. Adult min age: 13 Child min age: 2 Child max age: 12 Itinerary Land Only Start City: Treuchtlingen End City: Kelheim Land Only Itinerary Day 1 Arrive in Treuchtlingen Arrive in the heart of the Altmuhltal Nature Park in the idyllic town of Treuchtlingen, known for its Thermal Spa. Day 2 Treuchtlingen to Pappenheim Today starts with a short ascent to a viewpoint with views onto the river Altmühl meandering through the valley which you soon descend to follow. Continue via the ‘Devil’s Pulpit’ and the Hollerstein viewpoint to finish with a leisurely walk along the course of the river to the medieval town of Pappenheim. You will be greeted by the impressive castle, seat of the former Reichserbmarschälle. Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 14 km / 9 miles Day 3 Pappenheim to Dollnstein A mountain trail leads you through heathland to Solnhofen, known for its limestone slabs and site of over 140 million-year-old fossils. Soon after an amazing and very popular photo opportunity awaits: the nature monument, the Twelve Apostles, steep limestone rocks embedded in juniper heaths. The route then leads you to the market town of Dollnstein, into the primeval Danube valley. Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 25 km / 16 miles Day 4 Dollnstein to Eichstätt Today‘s tour leads you through the historic town gate and on to the juniper heath. You walk above the river Altmühl past the rock tower Burgsteinfelsen and via a lovely mountain path onwards to Obereichstätt. Continue on with great views all the way to Eichstätt with Willibalds castle towering over the town. Enjoy a stroll around the town and head to the Altmühltal Nature Park Visitors Centre. Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 15 km / 9.5 miles Day 5 Eichstatt to Kipfenberg With a lovely view onto the striking Osterberg mountain and the Roman fort Vetoniana, you walk to the Buchenhüller mammoth cave. You will walk across wonderful alpine paths above Altmühl and you will get fantastic views of the valley and the rock faces whilst walking along the panoramic path. You will walk through the Gugoldinger Wacholderheide, which is a fantastic nature protection area before you will go past the Arnsberger Leite and the Limes watch tower to Kipfenberg. Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 26 km / 16.5 miles Day 6 Kipfenberg to Beilngries Today’s walk starts on forest paths with stunning views from the clearings onto the beautiful Anlauter valley. Reach the village of Kinding with its impressive fortified church. Continue along the panorama path, which keeps its promise: magnificent views into the Altmühl valley and onto bizarre rock formations. Descend to reach the Main-Danube canal and your overnight stop, Beilngries. Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 24 km / 15 miles Day 7 Beilngries to Riedenburg Today you have the option to do a longer walk or to shorten the walk at a number of places. The first section takes you via the Arzberg mountain plateau into the Seven Valley Town of Dietfurt. Enjoy the view onto Eggersberg palace, past rock formations and along the Altmühltal-boardwalk into the pretty village of Gundlfing. Your final destination is the 3-castle town of Riedenburg. Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 17 km / 10.5 miles Day 8 Riedenburg to Kelheim Your route today takes you first to Prunn Castle, a fairytale castle dating back to 1200. Continue along the Main-Danube Canal, then walking along the Jura rock to the Celt’s Wall to reach the Danube. Visit Weltenburg Monastery before the impressive finale of your tour, the boat ride through the Danube crevasse to Kelheim. Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 19 km / 12 miles Day 9 Leave Kelheim Leave Kelheim Meals included: Breakfast Accommodation Bavaria hotels You will stay in a mixture of 3 and 4 star, HHH and HHHH hotels, all en suite. The hotels are chosen for their excellent facilities and proximity to the relevant local sites. All rooms have en suite facilities and air conditioning. Please specify whether you would prefer a double or twin room when booking. Where a single supplement is available, paying for a single only guarantees a room for single use. It does not always mean a twin or double room will be provided for sole occupancy. Single supplement from $275.90 USD Food & Transport Eating & Drinking What is your first thought when you think of German food, Bier und Bratwurst or Beer and sausages, and if this is what you want then you will not be disappointed. However there is much more to Bavarian cuisine. Meat and freshwater fish are heavily used but vegetarians are also well catered for. Germans tend to follow similar eating patterns to the UK, with breakfast, followed by a small lunch, and large evening meal, dinners tends to be taken fairly early and restaurants will start serving from 6pm. Throughout the towns there are a good choice of differing places to eat, the most traditional of these are the beer halls, these are not just places to drink the local brew, they are also offer traditional cuisine, they can be nice for lunch as they offer small plates of tasty morcels, you will also find the local bratwurst in served them. The most social of places are the beer gardens, these offer really good food in an outdoor setting many have indoor eating areas as well, don't let the name put you off they also normally have a fairly good wine list too. Then there are the restaurants you will find in most towns a good choice of both German and International cuisine. Weather & Seasonality Weather Information Average temperatures in summer are in the region of 25oC-30oC. The warmest month is usually July whilst the coldest is mainly January. Every month has its share of precipitation on an average of 14 days per month. Joining Instructions Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent. Transfers Details Tour prices for this holiday do not include airport or rail station transfers. If you are booking a land only package then we can usually arrange transfers for you for an additional charge. Location start: Treuchtlingen Location end: Kelheim What to Take Practical Information Passport Germany Most nationalities, including US, require a full passport that must be valid for 6 months beyond the intended length of stay. It is your responsibility to have the correct personal documents and to obtain your own visa, if one is necessary, in accordance with the regulations of the country you are to visit. The information below is primarily for US passport holders, and other nationalities should check with their travel agent or the relevant embassies. We are not responsible for the actions of local immigration and customs officials, whether at points of entry or otherwise, and any subsequent effects. Visa Germany No visa required for US passport holders. For further travel advice please visit U.S. State Department at https://www.state.gov/travelers/ Visa regulations can change without notice: please check the current regulations in good time to obtain a visa if one is required. Vaccination Germany There are no specific health risks. Travel health can often be something people forget about before going away, but a little preparation and knowledge can go a long way to help you stay fit and healthy while abroad.