Enkering: Hiking, Water and Historic Traces

Enkering lies in a narrow Anlauter valley between two ridges. Hiking trails, the river and historic buildings offer different ways to shape your stay. A circular hike in the Anlauter valley, the trail up to Rumburg, a walk along the Anlauter and the architecture in the village appeal to different interests. You can choose where to stay based on the balance of activity, scenery and history you are looking for.

Hiking between the valley and the castle

The Castle Trail in the Anlauter valley is an 18-kilometre circular route that takes about five hours to walk. The combination of a circular route, distance and approximate duration gives you a concrete framework for planning your day. A hiking trail also leads uphill from Enkering to the Rumburg ruins. The ruins lie northwest of the village, above it on Schlossberg, on a steep, densely wooded spur. This gives you two distinct options when planning: a circular hike of a set length and an uphill trail leading to a historic destination.

Water and village scenery

The water playground in Enkering links the Mühlbach and Sollache streams via a newly created, meandering stream. Weirs and an Archimedean screw are among the features that invite visitors to discover water through play. A walk along the trout-rich Anlauter passes restored houses and inns. This offers two different ways to enjoy the water: the playground’s designed stream and interactive features, and a riverside walk that takes in the village scenery.

Historic traces

Rumburg was first mentioned in a document in 1361. Its complex includes a well-preserved main castle and an outer castle, separated by a deep, wide moat and preserved only as an archaeological monument. East of Enkering, a fortified settlement stood on Schellenberg as early as the 9th century BC. The history of the two fortified sites therefore spans from the settlement of the 9th century BC to the first documentary mention of Rumburg in 1361.

St. Ottmar offers a different architectural focus from the castles: the Catholic parish church in Enkering has a tower with a gabled roof and stepped gable. Its altars, pulpit and organ case are Baroque. The churchyard is also heavily walled; the wall once served a defensive purpose. In contrast to Rumburg, St. Ottmar is notable for its tower design, Baroque furnishings and the churchyard’s former defensive function; at Rumburg, the main and outer castles, with their different states of preservation, shape the historical perspective.

Getting there via Kinding

Enkering can be reached from Kinding station on RBA bus route 9224. Check the current timetable before travelling. Kinding’s regional railway station, Kinding (Altmühltal), is located directly on the ICE line between Nuremberg and Munich. From May to September, the leisure bus also stops at Kinding station, taking day-trippers and, where applicable, their bicycles to various places and attractions in the Altmühltal Nature Park. Check the operating period for this seasonal service before travelling.

For the broader travel overview: Kinding.