Discover Lenting: Cycling Route, Local History and Hotels

Lenting combines a strong connection to cycling with historic buildings and local history. The town lies on the southern edge of Altmühltal Nature Park, seven kilometres north of Ingolstadt. If you are looking for a hotel in Lenting, you can base your choice on whether the Schambachtal Railway Cycle Route or the town’s cultural attractions should be the focus of your trip.

Location and travel to Lenting

Lenting has its own junction on the A9, exit no. 60. This pinpoints the location for your journey; you should check road conditions and signage separately before setting off. The town’s location seven kilometres north of Ingolstadt provides another point of reference. Together with its position on the southern edge of Altmühltal Nature Park, this describes Lenting’s geographical setting without equating the town with the features of the entire nature park.

The Schambachtal Railway Cycle Route as a travel theme

The 42-kilometre Schambachtal Railway Cycle Route connects Ingolstadt with Riedenburg and links the Danube Cycle Route with the Altmühltal Cycle Route. Lenting is mentioned along the route. The route is considered family-friendly, is almost entirely flat, and runs through the Schambach Valley close to nature and away from road traffic. The landscapes described include river meadows, fields and forests.

For travel planning, the route’s length and character offer two different points of reference: the 42 kilometres refer to the route as a whole, while the information about the terrain and scenery describes its course. This can help you decide whether cycling should be a main focus of your stay or whether you would like to consider the route alongside Lenting’s other attractions. The river meadows, fields and forests give the route its own distinctive landscape.

Church, castle and Lenting’s history

St. Nicholas is a steep-roofed building with a narrower choir and a choir-flanking tower, built in 1629. The church was built in place of a chapel that was also dedicated to the saint. Anyone interested in the town’s history will find both a specific date of construction and a reference to the earlier building. St. Nicholas is listed as a sight along the Schambachtal Railway Cycle Route.

The former Hofmark Castle in Lenting is a two-storey Baroque residential wing with a hipped roof and rendered detailing; it was built in 1677. Lenting’s moated castle and its associated Hofmark are also part of the town’s history: for centuries, they served as the seat of several noble families. The Argula von Grumbach monument adds another historical note. It is a narrative monument about Argula von Grumbach, the former ruler of Lenting’s Hofmark and a Reformer.

These architectural and historical attractions offer different perspectives: the church combines architecture with its predecessor chapel, the former Hofmark Castle showcases Baroque design, and the Argula von Grumbach monument focuses on a historical figure. Together with the cycle route, they offer a range of travel themes to weigh up when planning your stay in Lenting.

Events and culture in the Eichstätt destination

Lenting’s Jura Festival is held annually. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the event dates and programme for your intended travel period.

In the wider Eichstätt destination, the Jura Museum offers another cultural and historical highlight: its exhibition focuses on fossils from the Solnhofen Plattenkalk, and the museum also displays the original Eichstätt specimen of Archaeopteryx. Willibaldsburg Castle is also in Eichstätt. Bishop Berthold Burggraf von Zollern had it built in 1355; it served as the bishop’s residence until 1725. Among the surviving features of the 420-metre-long castle are its walls and bastions, the armoury, the 63-metre-long gate hall, and the Gemmingen building with its two towers. These attractions are in the wider Eichstätt destination and should be distinguished from the buildings in Lenting described above.

Discover more destinations: Schernfeld, Mörnsheim, Eichstätt, Oberdolling, Pförring, Pollenfeld, Beilngries, Gaimersheim

Back to the main travel overview: Eichstätt.