Discover Laugna: castle, churches and cycling route

Laugna combines Baroque church history with a cycling route that passes through the town. In the district of Bocksberg, there is also the story of a hilltop castle: trenches, earthworks and a remnant of the keep have survived to this day. Several different traces of the past can be found side by side—from the former Church of St. John to a medieval castle complex.

Bocksberg Castle Ruins and Their History

Bocksberg hilltop castle was probably built in the early 13th century as the seat of the Lords of Bocksberg, who lived there from 1231 to 1322. Over the following centuries, the castle changed hands several times; in 1613, the Augsburg Fuggers bought it. During the Thirty Years’ War, the castle was so badly damaged that it was not rebuilt. The surviving trenches, earthworks and remnant of the keep give an idea of the complex as it stood from the High to the Late Middle Ages.

There is a specific access condition for visitors: the ruins can only be reached on foot, either via Burgweg or via a field path near Bergstraße 15. Check local information before setting out, as access details may change. The annual Bocksberg Castle Market and a rock festival are held on the extensive castle grounds. These recurring events add a contemporary reason to explore Bocksberg to the site’s historical significance.

Churches in Laugna and Its Districts

The Baroque Church of St. Elisabeth in Laugna was consecrated in 1720 while still unfinished. Its history goes back further under an earlier name: today’s church was once the Church of St. John, whose patronal feast was still celebrated in 1433. An earlier religious dedication and a later chapter in the building’s history thus meet in one place.

Different historical milestones also lie close together in the district of Osterbuch. The parish of St. Michael was founded around 1289; construction of a new church began in 1768, and it was consecrated in 1769 by Auxiliary Bishop Franz Xaver Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden. In the district of Bocksberg, the Church of St. Leonhard was renovated in 2003. Two Rococo reliquaries, dating to around 1780, stand on its altar. The church histories of Laugna, Osterbuch and Bocksberg each follow a different course.

Cycling Through Laugna

The “Hügelland aktiv” cycling tour passes through Laugna. At the entrance to the town, the route continues along the cycle path towards Aspach. Further on, it describes a moderately difficult circular route through the mostly hilly countryside in the southeast of Dillingen district. It starts at the pilgrimage church in Wertingen-Gottmannshofen and runs counterclockwise via Geratshofen, Rischgau, Bocksberg, Laugna, Rieblingen, Possenried, Hirschbach, Wortelstetten, Hinterried, Frauenstetten and Reatshofen, returning to Gottmannshofen.

The section through Laugna is part of a larger loop, not a description of a separate circular route in the town. If you plan to follow the route, check the current signage and local conditions before setting out. Distinguishing between the section through the town and the wider route helps you choose the right scope for your cycling trip.

Wider Area: Dillingen An Der Donau

In the wider destination of Dillingen An Der Donau, the DonAUwald hiking trail offers a different perspective: it runs for just under 60 kilometres through floodplain forests along the Danube, 40 kilometres of which are in Dillingen district. The trail is the first premium hiking trail in Bavarian Swabia. Its five classic stages can be reached by train. The DonAUwald hiking trail is part of the wider destination of Dillingen An Der Donau.

Go to the wider travel overview: Wertingen.