Dinkelsbühl: City History, Trails and Culture

Dinkelsbühl combines historical insights with trails through the old town and surrounding countryside. You can tailor your stay to suit different interests: discover the city’s history and architecture, explore on foot or by bike, or round off the day with an evening programme.

Experience city history and culture

The House of History Dinkelsbühl – War and Peace is housed in the Old Town Hall and explores the city’s history over more than 800 years. St George’s Minster offers a different historical perspective: built to plans by Nikolaus Eseler between 1448 and 1499, it is considered one of the most beautiful late Gothic hall churches in southern Germany. Together, they offer two distinct ways to explore the city’s history: a broad overview and a single building with a long construction history.

The Kinderzeche is also part of the cultural calendar: it takes place every year on the weekends around the third Monday in July. The Kinderzech Armoury preserves and exhibits faithful reproductions of the costumes and equipment used in the historic Kinderzeche pageant. An official city tour takes visitors through the old town, stopping at 17 locations. These attractions offer different options for planning your visit: the pageant and exhibition, a tour with stops, or a closer look at the city’s history and architecture.

Explore on foot and by bike

The circular hiking trails can be compared by distance and route. The 13.1-kilometre “Land-Wald Natur” circular trail starts at Altrathausplatz, leaves the old town through the Wörnitztor and runs mainly through the Mutschach local recreation area. The 8.8-kilometre “Stadt-Land-Fluss” circular trail follows the Wörnitz and returns to Dinkelsbühl via Rain, Seidelsdorf and Burgstall. If you’re choosing between the two routes, distance is one clear difference; they also take in different landscapes and places.

The long-distance hiking trail Via Romea Germanica runs directly through the historic old town. For a longer cycling route, the 107-kilometre Wörnitz Cycle Route leads from Schillingsfürst via Dinkelsbühl along the Wörnitz to Wassertrüdingen, Oettingen and Donauwörth. Since July 2022, Kesselholz has also had a mountain bike park with three forest trails of varying difficulty for beginners and more experienced riders. The options range from circular hikes with stated distances and a long-distance hiking trail to a cycling route and trails.

More experiences by the water and in the evening

The Wörnitzstrandbad is one of Bavaria’s last river baths. It has a large sunbathing lawn, a play area and views of Dinkelsbühl’s old town. A visit by the water adds a different focus to the day, alongside cultural sightseeing and exploring the trails.

In the evening, the Dinkelsbühl night watchman leads a tour through the illuminated old town. He blows his night watchman’s horn, sings verses from his night watchman’s song and talks about the duties of a night watchman. Exact dates may vary by season. From September to May, bands playing different styles perform every Friday at the Schrannenkeller, with free admission. Check the latest dates for the tour and the concert calendar before your trip.

When looking for accommodation, you could first consider what you want your stay to focus on: city history and the pageant, walking or cycling tours, a visit to the river bath, or an evening programme. Dinkelsbühl offers a range of themes to consider when planning your stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Insingen, Wassertrüdingen, Buch Am Wald, Lichtenau, Wilburgstetten, Colmberg, Flachslanden, Aurach.

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