The Danube river reach between Weltenburg and Kelheim has been awarded a European diploma for being a large natural miracle. Europe’s second largest river has eaten itself through the mighty Jura chalk rocks and created bizarre rock formations in the process. High on the ridges of the steep southern slope is a walking route. The true experience of the Lower Bavarian canyon is a boat ride on the foaming waters. One can also float downstream on multi-seater canoes. The nicest arrival is the one where one comes on a ship of the “white fleet” upstream from Kelheim. An unforgettable experience!
www.schifffahrt-kelheim.de
The Weltenburg monastery is located at the entrance of the romantic Danube reach. It was founded by the Irish-Scots itinerant monks Eustasius and Agil of the order of St. Columban from Luxeuil (Burgundy) around the year 600, and is therefore the oldest monastery in Bavaria. The abbey church that was built by the Asam brothers between the years 1716-1739 under the abbot Maurus Bächl (1713-1743) is considered one of the highlights of European baroque. In 1803, Weltenburg fell prey to the secularization and was dissolved. Already in the year 1842, King Ludwig I of Bavaria reinstated it as a priory and was repopulate it with monks from Metten. Weltenburg has been an abbey again since 1913. The main duty is the pastoral care (looking after four parishes) and taking in guests. The meeting place St. Georg with a lodging facility for approximately 60 guests serves this purpose. The adult boarding school HVHS of the Weltenburger Academy engages itself with a series of seminars in the field of catholic adult education. Retreats and reflection days are also offered. Another pastoral task is guiding the 500.000 annual tourists through the church, conveying the Christian message in a tour on architecture and art. The brewery and the tavern look after your physical well-being. Both companies are under lease. A farm also belongs to the monastery.
www.kloster-weltenburg.de
Monastery Weltenburg: a Benedictine abbey with a rich past and a wonderful church as the first joint major work of the Assam brothers amidst a unique natural ensemble. All the details about Weltenburg are depicted in the historic rock vaults with a wealth of information, colourful sheets of pictures and exciting exhibits. The newly opened museum relates about the noteworthy foundation of the monks cell on the Danube beach, the downfall and the recommencement in the middle ages and in the 19th century and also why the Benedictines live in Weltenburg in assured faith these days. A section is also dedicated to the hops seeds: from the discovery of the “liquid bread” by the Sumerians (5000 BC) over the first “beer cookery” by the monks around the first Millennium to the German purity beer brewing law which is still the basis of brewing the oldest monastic beer. In the environmental room, a miniature flowing Danube is not the only exhibit. Fossils are on show as the witnesses of prehistoric times, when the present Weltenburg narrow passage was inundated by a subtropical lake. Here you can discover the treasures of flora and fauna from the protected natural area “Weltenburger Enge” which received a European diploma from the Council of Europe. Open daily from March to November from 10 to 18 or after appointment.
King Ludwig I commissioned this memorial to commemorate the victorious battles against Napoleon in the liberation wars of 1813-1815. The construction was started by Friedrich Gärtner, using antique and Christian building ideas, and was completed in 1863 by Leo von Klenze after a change of plan. The buttresses on the outside adorn 18 colossal statues by Johann Halbig as an allegory of the German tribes. The imposing edifice of the hall of liberation rises above its three-tiered base, which is accessed via a handsome open air stairway. The inside of the colossal domed space, which is richly covered with marble, consists of two floors: a row of niches downstairs and a column gallery upstairs.
Infos: www.schloesser.bayern.de
The Herzogskasten, a powerful six storey building from the 15th century, was used by the counts and the gentlemen of Abendsberg to store their grain. It is located in the direct vicinity of the castle, after a comprehensive renovation it has been home to the collection of the municipal museum Abensberg since July 2006. The Neolithic flint mine in Abensberg-Arnhofen and the history of the town of Abensberg are the emphasis of the collection.
www.stadtmuseum-abensberg.de
The emphasis of the museum in the late Gothic Herzogkasten, a former grain store on the edge of the historical centre, is in the field of archaeology. Already before the turn of the century, the historic society Kelheim has endeavoured itself with the rescue of archaeological finds. An absolute boom in finds was the excavations in the Rhine-Main-Danube area since 1976, which tripled the collection of the museum. This made it possible that to show the uninterrupted settlements in the Kelheim area from the time of the Neanderthal until the creation of the city of Kelheim in the middle ages. The presentation of the history of the Kelheim area is carried out in eight islands of display cabinets. Original finds like ceramics, weapons, jewellery, coins and articles of daily use of our ancestors are supplemented with maps of excavations, reconstructions, illustrations and texts on large exhibition boards. This way, themes such as for example mammoth hunting, the fabrication of tools or the casting of bronze are clearly depicted.
It has been proved that this place, steeped in history, was already inhabited by the Neanderthal. They used the Schulerloch 60.000-40.000 years ago as a shelter in the cold season. Use in the Bronze Age around 1700 BC is covered in riddles. At a later date, Celtic priests were taught in the Druid temple, after that the cave fell into oblivion. The Dukes in the middle ages used the cave to relax after official functions. The opening up of the cave is thanks to the Freemasons, who appreciated the cave as a meeting place. From that time on, the Schulerloch can be marvelled at by young and old. The distinguishing mark of the Schulerloch is the unique water basin. No other similar stalagmite form could be discovered anywhere else around the world. If you would like to get to know the cave in a very special way, let yourself be enchanted at a didgeridoo concert for example.
Internet: www.schulerloch.de
Here the large tradition of the falconry is kept alive. It was a way of hunting that was practiced at Rosenburg and its surrounding estates. In the courtyard of the castle, falcons, eagles and vultures and other mostly local birds of prey are kept for this purpose, many of which have already become extinct in the Altmühltal. The birds of prey demonstration is a special attraction for visitors of the castle. One can experience at close range how vultures trained in the falconry style hunt their prey (dummies) in simulated flights. This is a breathtaking spectacle that is very popular, at the backdrop of the romantic Rosenburg and the delightful Jurassic landscape. Falconry demonstrations are performed daily except Mondays at 11.00 and 15.00.
Internet: www.falkenhofrosenburg.de
In the crystal museum Riedenburg, you can see the largest quartz group in the world, and admire colourful tourmaline, beautiful precious stones, silver ore and the largest emerald crystal of a world renowned discovery site. This small museum in Riedenburg has become world-famous for its exceptional exhibitions. Internet: www.kristallmuseum-riedenburg.de
There are many castles in the Altmühl valley, many of which exceed Castle Prünn in historical significance, spatial expansion and the preciousness of the collection. It is due to its unique position and the harmonious interlink between nature and the work of man that this relatively small building is one of the most well-known castles in Bavaria. The oldest known owner was Wernherus de Prunne, who was mentioned in the records in 1037. One hundred years later, the castle belonged to the House of Laaber und Breitenbrunn which was related to the famous Bavarian Babonen family. The oldest preserved parts of the castle date back to this date, most notably the huge 31 metre high keep. In 1338 the knights of Frauenberg bought the castle and kept it until the family became extinct in 1567. Their coat of arms, a jumping grey horse, is still visible in a painting on the castle wall.
Internet:www.schloesser.bayern.de
Well kept paths lead visitors past ponds, aviaries and outdoor enclosures in this beautifully laid out 28000 m2 nature park. A multitude of different birds – from turkey vulture to small exotic birds – are lovingly cared for. A play area is available for the “little people”. The neat restaurant with coffee terrace and beer garden invites you to a cosy break.
Internet: www.vogelpark-abensberg.de