Donau-Ries: Crater Landscape and Culture
Accommodation in Donau-Ries
Geopark Ries, with the Ries Crater formed by a meteorite impact, is a tourist attraction in the district of Donau-Ries. Geology and the history of the Earth shape how the region is seen, alongside its museums and historic sites. In the wider region around Donau-Ries, an asteroid struck the Earth 14.5 million years ago, creating the crater of the Nördlinger Ries. The Ries Crater basin is about 25 kilometers in diameter; its rim is up to 150 meters high.
Geology and Crater Landscape
At the Kühstein Geopark educational trail, eight information panels explain the processes behind the meteorite impact 14.5 million years ago. Buchberg offers panoramic views of the Ries and its inner and outer crater rims. This presents the formation of the crater and the view of its landscape as two different ways to explore the subject.
The Wemding Geopark information center also focuses on the crater structure: several display panels provide an overview of the locations from which visitors can best see it in the landscape. The nearby Otting quarry and the Suevite rock studied there are also used to explain how the Nördlinger Ries was identified as a meteorite crater.
Nördlingen: City Walls and Museums
Nördlingen’s medieval city wall is fully preserved and can be walked along in its entirety. The City Museum covers the lives and beliefs of the people of Nördlingen, the changes brought about by the Reformation, the Thirty Years’ War, and the 1634 Battle of Nördlingen. Its collection, which is more than 150 years old, is displayed across four floors. A model featuring around 6,000 tin figures illustrates the 1634 battle.
The RiesKraterMuseum takes a different approach: it depicts the asteroid impact that created the Nördlinger Ries, along with its cosmic background and continuing effects. Meteorites, fossils, and a piece of real moon rock are on display, alongside information panels and multimedia exhibits. The Ries event, its planetary origins, and its effects on Earth are presented in a carefully renovated medieval barn dating from 1503. In Nördlingen, you can therefore compare the city and military history in the City Museum with a natural history perspective on the Ries at the RiesKraterMuseum.
A Tour of Harburg Castle
A tour of Harburg Castle explores almost 900 years of history. The stops and architectural features include the Baroque castle church, arrow slits, prison cells, gates, and towers. This offers a different historical perspective from the collections in Nördlingen: here, the castle’s spaces and architectural features are at the heart of the tour.
Pilgrimage and the Legends Trail in Wemding
The pilgrimage basilica Maria Brünnlein is a Rococo church. As the number of pilgrims grew, it was built between 1748 and 1782 to designs by Franz Joseph Roth. Its altar of grace is designed as a fountain altar and features the miraculous Madonna by Johann Joseph Mayr, dating from 1755. Ernst Steinacker created the altar table with its fountain basin in 1953. In 1998, Pope John Paul II elevated the basilica to the status of a Basilica minor; around 150,000 pilgrims visit it each year.
The Legends Trail begins at Johannisweiher in Wemding. Its 11 informative, scientifically researched panels cover geology, history, and local stories. The trail therefore offers another thematic perspective alongside the information center’s geological orientation and the basilica’s history.
The Fugger Legacy in Donauwörth
The Fugger House was the former residence of Anton Fugger, the imperial administrator. Today, the first floor houses a permanent exhibition on the history of the house. Tours on the Fuggers in Donauwörth can be arranged on request through the municipal tourist information office. Check availability there before your trip.
Choose Hotels in Donau-Ries Based on Your Travel Interests
Your interests can help you choose a hotel: Nördlingen combines its city wall with two museums, while the basilica, Legends Trail, and geological information in Wemding offer a range of themes. Harburg Castle and the Fugger history in Donauwörth add further historical highlights. Before comparing hotels in Donau-Ries, consider which of these places and themes you want your trip to focus on.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Ehingen Am Ries, Donauwörth, Nördlingen, Oettingen In Bayern, Wemding, Rain, Marxheim, Mertingen, Wallerstein, Harburg, Asbach-Bäumenheim, Oberndorf Am Lech, Ries, Kaisheim, Monheim, Tapfheim, Fremdingen.
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