Discover Heidenheim

Monastery, pilgrimage route and culture in Heidenheim

Heidenheim brings together cultural history, pilgrimage traditions and events as distinct themes. Despite further alterations by the Margraves of Ansbach after the Reformation, Heidenheim Monastery is one of the few surviving Benedictine reform monasteries in Central Europe. Anyone interested in monastic and church history will find a tangible point of connection here.

The Way of St James pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela passes through Heidenheim. Alongside its monastic history, the town is therefore also connected with pilgrimage and a route with a clearly named destination. Numerous concerts are held every year in Heidenheim Minster. If you are planning to attend a concert, check the specific dates in advance. The local history and pottery museum in Heidenheim is housed in a medieval tithe barn. This brings together a range of cultural highlights to consider when planning your trip: the pilgrimage route, a concert and a museum.

Roman heritage in the wider destination of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen

The wider destination of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen also offers its own attractions. The Limes runs for around 40 kilometres across the district of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site there since 2005. In Weißenburg, the Roman Museum displays Germany’s largest Roman treasure hoard and houses the Central Bavarian Limes Information Centre. Weißenburg’s Roman heritage also includes the Roman Baths; the Biriciana fort has been partially reconstructed. Numerous Roman watchtowers, forts and fragments of bath complexes bear witness to Roman history throughout the district.

Another destination within this wider region is the old Hohenzollern fortress of Wülzburg, built by the Margraves of Ansbach. It stands above Weißenburg 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 from May to October, weather permitting; check the dates before your trip.

Routes, nature and water

The southern part of the district of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen lies within Altmühltal Nature Park. The 200-kilometre Altmühltal Panorama Trail follows the Altmühl from Gunzenhausen to Kelheim through the nature park and is certified by the German Hiking Association as a “Quality Trail: Wanderbares Deutschland.” The Altmühltal Cycle Route also runs through the nature park for around 160 kilometres, from Gunzenhausen to Kelheim. These two regional options therefore differ both in activity and in distance: hiking the Panorama Trail or cycling the Altmühltal Cycle Route.

Lake Altmühlsee lies northwest of Gunzenhausen and is ideal for swimming, sailing and surfing. Ornithological guided tours run by the Bavarian Association for the Protection of Birds are offered on the approximately 120-hectare Vogelinsel (Bird Island). Check in advance whether tours are available during your travel dates. Water sports are generally possible on the lakes in the district; on Lake Igelsbachsee, they are permitted only as part of common use.

Choose the right focus for your accommodation search

When looking for accommodation, it helps to be clear about the location: should Heidenheim, with its monastic history, pilgrimage route, minster and museum, be the focus, or are you planning your trip primarily around the Roman sites, routes and lakes in the wider destination of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen? If you are planning around different interests, first decide which themes you want to focus on.

Discover more destinations

Hechlingen Am See, Treuchtlingen, Gunzenhausen, Raitenbuch, Theilenhofen, Ellingen, Solnhofen, Westheim

Back to the wider travel overview: Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen.