Dillingen on the Danube: Old Town, Castle and Danube Trails

In Dillingen on the Danube, you can include architectural history, guided city tours and trails along the Danube and through the floodplain forest in your travel plans. The Studienkirche, Dillingen Castle and the Town and Prince-Bishopric Museum offer different insights into the city’s history. For outdoor activities, there is also the Kneipp circular trail, routes through the floodplain forest and designated cycling and hiking trails.

Studienkirche, Castle and Historic Facades

The oldest parts of Dillingen Castle date back to the 13th-century Hohenstaufen period. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle was converted into a fortified castle; for centuries, it served as the residence of the Prince-Bishops of Augsburg. The Studienkirche brings together several architectural and artistic histories: it was built between 1610 and 1617 and is considered the city’s most valuable building from an art-historical perspective.

Its stage altar is particularly notable: it is one of the few surviving stage altars in Germany. It was created around 1760 by Johann Anwander (1715–1770) and opens each year in the week before Palm Sunday. On Königstraße, you can also see a well-preserved ensemble of house facades dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The street was formerly called “Herrengasse” — its historic name and surviving facades point to its former character.

Museum and Public City Tours

The Town and Prince-Bishopric Museum is located at Hafenmarkt in two historic buildings: the Unteres Stiftshaus and the Angerer-Haus. It illustrates the city’s history. Its Roman provincial and Alemannic collections also shed light on the history of the surrounding area.

Public tours covering the city’s general history take place every Sunday at 2:00 p.m. from April to October. The program includes the Golden Hall, the Studienkirche, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Franciscan Sisters’ Church and the castle. If a tour is important to your plans, check the dates and program details before your visit.

Kneipp Activities and Exploring the Floodplain Forest

The natural Kneipp facility on the Danube invites visitors to try Kneipp hydrotherapy. It is located in the floodplain forest south of Dillingen, at the place where Sebastian Kneipp is said to have recovered from a serious illness in November 1849. The signposted Kneipp circular trail has two sections: nine information panels guide you through the historic Old Town and Taxispark; four more accompany the route through the floodplain forest to the Danube.

A shorter running route through the floodplain forest goes around the small Silbersee and is suitable for walking, jogging, cycling and Nordic walking. Another option for exercise there is a fitness trail with more than 20 stations, as well as two running routes of up to 3,000 meters. The different routes offer varied ways to explore the floodplain forest on foot or by bike, with no single activity taking precedence on all of them.

For a longer cycling tour, the 202-kilometer Mozart Circuit runs from Dillingen via Donauwörth, Oettingen and Nördlingen, returning to Dillingen. Another option is the DonAuwald Family hiking route: its stage from Lauingen to Dillingen is about 13 kilometers long. As route details can change, it is worth checking the information before setting out.

Hiking and Events in Dillingen on the Danube

In the wider destination of Dillingen on the Danube, the DonAUwald hiking trail runs for just under 60 kilometers through floodplain forests along the Danube; 40 kilometers of it lie in the district of Dillingen. It is the first premium hiking trail in Bavarian Swabia. All five classic stages can be reached by train. Check current connections when planning your trip.

The Donautal Radelspaß is another regional offering: it takes place every two years on a weekend in September, with the main event in the district of Dillingen. Three signposted routes, closed to cars, lead visitors on culinary and cultural discovery tours. As the venue is tied to a specific weekend, check in advance when the event is taking place.

Discover more destinations: Bachhagel, Finningen, Wertingen, Bissingen, Höchstädt, Holzheim, Lauingen, Gundelfingen on the Danube.

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