Discover Donau-Ries: Crater Landscape, History and Culture
Accommodation in Donau-Ries
The Ries Geopark, with the Ries Crater formed by a meteorite impact, is a tourist attraction in the district of Donau-Ries. In the wider region around Donau-Ries, the Nördlinger Ries was formed by an asteroid impact 14.5 million years ago. In the wider region around Donau-Ries, the Ries Crater basin measures about 25 kilometres in diameter; its rim is up to 150 metres high. This brings together a vast landscape theme and specific places where geology, history and culture come to life.
From Meteorite Impact to Landscape
At the KĂĽhstein Geopark educational trail, eight information panels explain the impact processes. From Buchberg, there are panoramic views of the Ries and its inner and outer crater rims. The panels and the view offer different perspectives: one focuses on how the crater formed, the other on the shape the impact left in the landscape.
Geology, history and stories are also at the heart of other places in the Nördlinger Ries. Along the Legends Trail, eleven information panels cover these topics; the trail begins at Johannisweiher in Wemding. The Wemding Geopark information centre uses several display panels to point out locations from which the crater structure can be seen particularly well. It also explains how the nearby Otting quarry and the Suevite rock studied there helped establish that the Ries is a meteorite crater.
Across the wider region, educational trails, themed hiking routes, viewpoints, guided tours, information centres and information points cover the formation, geology and history of the Ries. The Ries Panorama Trail offers a broader perspective: this 128-kilometre circular route is divided into seven daily stages, each no longer than 21 kilometres.
Town Wall and Museums in Nördlingen
Nördlingen’s medieval town wall is completely intact and fully walkable. The city’s museums offer further insight into its history. Spread across four floors, the Municipal Museum houses a collection that is more than 150 years old. It explores the lives and beliefs of Nördlingen’s residents, the changes brought about by the Reformation, the Thirty Years’ War and the 1634 Battle of Nördlingen. A model depicting the battle features around 6,000 pewter figures.
The Ries Crater Museum focuses on the asteroid impact that created the Nördlinger Ries, its cosmic origins and its effects to this day. On display are meteorites, fossils and a piece of real lunar rock; information panels and multimedia exhibits complement the collection. The museum presents the Ries event in a carefully renovated medieval barn dating from 1503. Together with the Municipal Museum, it offers a change of pace between local history and the formation of an entire landscape.
Pilgrimage Basilica and Castle History
The Maria Brünnlein pilgrimage basilica in Wemding is a Rococo church built between 1748 and 1782 to designs by Franz Joseph Roth. It was built in response to a growing stream of pilgrims. Its altar of grace is designed as a fountain altar and houses Johann Joseph Mayr’s miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary, dating from 1755. Ernst Steinacker created the altar table with its fountain basin in 1953. Pope John Paul II elevated the basilica to the rank of a Basilica minor in 1998; around 150,000 pilgrims visit each year.
A tour of Harburg Castle brings almost 900 years of history to life through its architectural features, including the Baroque castle church, loopholes, prison cells, gates and towers. In Donauwörth, another route leads into the history of the Fugger family: the Fugger House was the former residence of Anton Fugger, the imperial administrator, and now houses a permanent exhibition on the family’s history on the first floor. Tours on the Fugger family can be arranged on request through the city’s tourist information office. If you would like to arrange a tour, contact the tourist information office directly before your trip.
Places to Look for Accommodation
When looking for accommodation, you can start with the topics that interest you most. Nördlingen offers points of interest including its town wall, Municipal Museum and Ries Crater Museum; in Wemding, the basilica, Legends Trail and Geopark information centre are highlights. Harburg Castle offers a particular focus on castle history. Think about which visits will shape your trip, then compare suitable locations for your accommodation. Choosing where to stay can also be a way to decide which stories and landscape themes you want to focus on.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Asbach-Bäumenheim, Rain, Oberndorf Am Lech, Wemding, Oettingen In Bayern, Nördlingen, Donauwörth, Marxheim, Mertingen, Wallerstein, Ehingen Am Ries, Fremdingen, Tapfheim, Kaisheim, Monheim, Ries, Harburg.
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