Discover Westheim

Westheim combines local history with a named hiking trail and a designated floodplain forest. Historic highlights include the Evangelical Lutheran Parish Church of St. Pankratius in the town centre and a reconstruction of an early Christian church at the northern entrance. This gives you a range of themes to consider when planning your trip.

Churches, traces of time and trails in Westheim

The walled Evangelical Lutheran Parish Church of St. Pankratius stands in the centre of Westheim. An initial church building is believed to have been built before 900, and another before 1100. However, the first church consecration is documented as having taken place in the second half of the 12th century. The dates therefore distinguish between presumed building phases and a documented event.

A reconstruction of the early Christian church, dated to around 600 AD, stands at the northern entrance to Westheim. Two different historical references are brought together here: the presumed building phases and documented consecration of the parish church, and the original church, dated to around 600, on which the reconstruction is based.

The Dr.-Fritz-Linnert-Weg hiking trail also gives the town a distinctive connection to outdoor activity and the landscape. It links Westheim with Spielberg and Gnotzheim via Hohentrüdingen and Rechenberg, following a contour line. The floodplain forest near Westheim is designated as Natura 2000 SAC 7029-302. The churches, the trail route and the protected-area designation offer different ways to explore Westheim.

More to discover in the wider Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen destination

In the wider Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen destination, the Limes runs for around 40 kilometres across the district and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. The Roman Museum in Weißenburg displays Germany’s largest Roman treasure hoard and houses the Central Bavarian Limes Information Centre. Other Roman remains in the district include numerous watchtowers, forts and fragments of bathhouses. In Weißenburg, the Roman Baths are part of the Roman heritage; the Biriciana fort has been partially reconstructed.

Another regional destination is the Hohenzollern Fortress of Wülzburg, above Weißenburg. It stands on the highest hilltop in the southern Franconian Jura, at 630 metres, and is considered an impressive example of Renaissance fortress architecture in Germany. Guided tours are offered there from May to October, weather permitting. If a tour is important to your plans, check the latest information before you travel.

Hiking, cycling and water

The routes in the wider Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen destination vary in activity and course. The Weißenburg hiking trail “Via Biriciana” follows old Roman roads to the Limes. The Altmühltal Panorama Trail runs for 200 kilometres along the Altmühl from Gunzenhausen to Kelheim through the Altmühltal Nature Park and is certified as a “Quality Trail for Hiking in Germany”. The Altmühltal Cycle Route runs for around 160 kilometres from Gunzenhausen to Kelheim through the Altmühltal Nature Park. There is also an almost 120-kilometre canoeing route on the Altmühl between Gunzenhausen and Dietfurt/Töging; navigation conditions may vary seasonally.

At Lake Altmühlsee, northwest of Gunzenhausen, activities include swimming, sailing and surfing. Water sports are generally possible on the lakes in the district; at Lake Igelsbachsee, they are permitted only as part of common use. The approximately 120-hectare bird island in Lake Altmühlsee offers ornithological guided tours run by the Bavarian Society for the Protection of Birds. Check before travelling whether the tours are available.

When looking for accommodation, it helps to first choose your focus: would you most like to explore Westheim’s churches, hiking trail and floodplain forest, or are you more interested in the Roman remains, routes and water-based activities in the wider Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen destination? For families weighing up different interests, this choice helps make the kind of trip you want more tangible.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Treuchtlingen, Ettenstatt, Nennslingen, Pleinfeld, Höttingen, Muhr am See, Langenaltheim, Solnhofen.

Back to the wider travel overview: Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen.