Lauingen (Danube): Roman history, Brunnental and Schimmelturm

Lauingen (Danube) combines two distinctly different historical periods with a specific hiking option for a culture-focused trip. The Schimmelturm stands in the city centre; in Faimingen, now a district of Lauingen, lies the temple district of Apollo Grannus. The DonAUwald Premium Hiking Trail stage runs from Lauingen to Dillingen. When planning, you can therefore choose between focusing on the city’s history and a designated hiking route.

Roman history and the Schimmelturm

The Schimmelturm is a distinctive landmark in the centre of Lauingen. It was built between 1457 and 1478, placing it in a much later period than the temple district in Faimingen. The city’s history is represented by a 15th-century building and a Roman site from two different historical contexts.

The temple district of the Temple of Apollo Grannus was built towards the end of the 2nd century AD in the area of Faimingen. Faimingen is now a district of Lauingen. The ancient site can be explored in person through a partial reconstruction or virtually. Four information boards in the temple area cover the province of Raetia, Roman Faimingen, the sanctuary and the god Apollo Grannus. These topics give the site a specific historical context. If visiting the temple district is important to your trip, check current access arrangements in advance.

Brunnental offers a different perspective on Lauingen’s development. It grew from a craftspeople’s settlement between the Staufer city wall and the banks of the Danube; the watercourses there shaped the settlement. Alongside individual buildings, the focus is therefore also on the history of an urban area whose origins are linked to crafts, the city wall and watercourses.

Hiking stage starting in Lauingen

As an outdoor option, an 8.1 km stage of the DonAUwald Premium Hiking Trail runs from Lauingen to Dillingen. It offers a clearly defined route with a set starting point and destination for your trip planning. This lets you decide whether a hike between the two towns should be part of your stay or whether you would prefer to focus on Lauingen’s cultural and historical attractions.

Regional context: Dillingen An Der Donau

In the wider destination of Dillingen An Der Donau, the DonAUwald hiking trail runs for just under 60 kilometres through the floodplain forests along the Danube; 40 kilometres of it are in the district of Dillingen. The trail is Bavarian Swabia’s first premium hiking trail. All five classic stages can be reached by train. For planning your specific route, it is worth checking current train connections.

The landscape along the Danube in the district of Dillingen is also part of this regional context: gravel extraction has created a unique landscape of water and lakes there over many years. The seven chapels aim to serve as landmarks and architectural features in the landscape, while developing the tradition of chapel-building through contemporary design. Both add landscape and architectural themes to the hiking routes in the wider destination of Dillingen An Der Donau.

Another regional event is the Donautal-Radelspaß. It takes place every two years on a weekend in September; the central event is held in the district of Dillingen. Three signposted routes, closed to cars, offer culinary and cultural excursions. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the specific event weekend.

Choosing a hotel based on your reason for travelling

When looking for a hotel in Lauingen (Danube), it can help to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: Would you mainly like to explore local cultural and historical attractions, or plan a hike on the DonAUwald stage? If the Donautal-Radelspaß is the reason for your trip, check that the event dates match your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Buttenwiesen, Finningen, Gundelfingen An Der Donau, Holzheim, Bissingen, Bachhagel, Dillingen An Der Donau, Wertingen

Back to the main travel overview: Dillingen An Der Donau.