Discover Oberndorf a.Lech

Oberndorf a.Lech combines a landscaped park with protected natural areas and trails that bring nature and history into focus. The Lourdes Grotto, the Lech floodplain forest, the meadow bird sanctuary and the Tilly Trail each offer a different focus. When planning your trip, you can then decide whether you would rather make nature, cycling, hiking or historical topics the main focus.

Grotto, park and natural areas

The Oberndorf Lourdes Grotto is set in a park created in the 19th century. Watercourses, a castle pond and a tea house are part of this landscaped setting. The grotto and park design thus provide a distinctive local attraction alongside the municipality’s natural areas. The various features make the grounds a specific point of interest for anyone interested in religious sites and historic parks.

The Lech floodplain forest lies to the east of Oberndorf and is considered a peaceful, protected natural landscape. A large, strictly protected meadow bird sanctuary is also located in the south of the municipality. It is a habitat for increasingly rare ground-nesting birds such as lapwings and curlews, and may only be explored outside the breeding season. If you are interested in these bird species and their habitats, be sure to take this protection requirement into account when planning. Unlike the Lech floodplain forest, exploring the meadow bird sanctuary is explicitly subject to a seasonal restriction.

Trails with different focuses

The Oberndorf Tilly Trail is a cycling and hiking route around the historic sites of the battle fought on 14 and 15 April 1632 near Rain and Oberndorf, on both sides of the Lech. Its theme gives the tour a clear historical focus. For travelers who want to combine outdoor activity with a specific historical topic, this offers a different focus from an excursion geared primarily towards observing nature.

Two cycle routes also pass directly by Oberndorf: the Via Claudia Augusta runs from Donauwörth to Füssen, while the Via Raetica runs from Mertingen to the Altmühltal. Both the types of routes and their stated endpoints are useful for comparison. The Tilly Trail combines cycling and hiking with a specific historical theme; the Via Claudia Augusta and Via Raetica are described as cycle routes, each with its own stated destinations.

More things to explore in the wider Donau-Ries destination

The Geopark Ries adds a geological focus to the wider Donau-Ries destination. Donau-Ries District describes the geopark, with its Ries Crater formed by a meteorite impact, as a tourist attraction. The RiesKraterMuseum displays meteorites, fossils and a piece of real moon rock, as well as information panels and multimedia exhibits. It also presents the asteroid impact that created the Nördlinger Ries, its cosmic background and its effects up to the present day. The exhibition is housed in a meticulously renovated medieval barn dating from 1503.

Nördlingen also offers its own historical themes within the wider Donau-Ries destination. Its medieval town walls are fully preserved and can be walked along in their entirety. The town museum displays a collection more than 150 years old across four floors. Its themes include the lives and beliefs of the people of Nördlingen, the changes brought about by the Reformation, the Thirty Years’ War and the 1634 Battle of Nördlingen. A model made of around 6,000 tin soldiers illustrates the battle.

Plan your stay around your interests

When looking for accommodation, it helps to set a clear priority: should Oberndorf’s park, natural areas and local trails be the main focus, or are you also interested in geology and urban history across the wider Donau-Ries destination? Your answer can shape the mix of nature, cycling, hiking and culture you are looking for. Those who choose the Tilly Trail will find a route combining cycling and hiking with the history of the battle; those interested in the regional museums will encounter other historical and geological topics.

Discover more destinations: Fremdingen, Oettingen In Bayern, Ehingen Am Ries, Asbach-Bäumenheim, Tapfheim, Donauwörth, Rain, Kaisheim

View the wider travel overview: Donau-Ries.