Discover Wallerstein

Wallerstein combines local history and cycling. As a founding member of the Romantic Road, the town has a special connection to this travel route. When looking for a hotel, you can use the sights and the cycling routes described here as a guide to choosing the focus of your stay.

Landmark, church and Wallerstein Rock

The Plague Column, or Trinity Column, is Wallerstein’s landmark and stands in the town center. It also shapes the character of the main street. The Catholic parish church of St. Alban dates back to 1242. The guided tour includes the church, with its early Gothic features and medieval relics, as well as the Trinity Column. The tour therefore focuses both on a prominent landmark and on the church’s architectural history.

The origins of the market town of Wallerstein date back to the 6th century AD. A turning point in its history came in 1648: Swedish troops set fire to the castle on Wallerstein Rock with cannon fire and then demolished it. The guided tour of Wallerstein ends with a visit to Wallerstein Rock. Access to the rock is via the grounds of the Wallerstein Brewery. Check local access rules before visiting.

Cycling routes through Wallerstein

Specific routes are also provided to help with planning. The Romantic Road Cycle Route runs from Maihingen via Wallerstein to Nördlingen. The eastern loop of the “From Crater to Crater” cycle route runs via Maihingen and Wallerstein back to Nördlingen. Compare the routes and check the current signposting before setting off.

More topics in the wider Donau-Ries destination

In the wider Donau-Ries destination, the district describes the Ries Geopark, with the Ries Crater formed by a meteorite impact, as a tourist attraction. In Nördlingen, the RiesKraterMuseum explores the impact that created the Nördlinger Ries, its cosmic origins and its effects to this day. Meteorites, fossils, a piece of genuine moon rock, information panels and multimedia exhibits provide further insight into the topic. The museum is housed in a carefully renovated medieval barn dating from 1503.

Nördlingen offers another way to explore history with its completely preserved medieval town wall, which can be walked in its entirety. The town museum covers life and faith in Nördlingen, the changes brought by the Reformation, the Thirty Years’ War and the 1634 Battle of Nördlingen. A collection more than 150 years old is displayed across four floors. A model featuring around 6,000 tin figures illustrates the battle.

In Wemding, the Legends Trail turns the spotlight on geology, history and stories: a total of 11 informative, scientifically researched panels along the trail cover these topics. The Wemding Geopark Information Center uses several display panels to show visitors the locations from which the crater structure in the landscape can best be seen. It also explains how the Nördlinger Ries was identified as a meteorite crater, using the nearby Otting quarry and the suevite rock studied there as examples.

Discover more destinations: Munzingen, Asbach-Bäumenheim, Tapfheim, Oettingen in Bayern, Donauwörth, Kaisheim, Nördlingen, Mertingen

Back to the wider travel overview: Donau-Ries.