Harburg (Swabia): Castle, Fairytale Trail and Bockberg

Harburg (Swabia) combines castle history, a seasonal Fairytale Trail and views across the Ries from Bockberg. If you are looking for a hotel for your trip, it helps to consider what you would most like to focus on. Would you like to tour the historic castle, visit the Harburg Fairytale Trail or take in the landscape from Bockberg?

Harburg Castle: A tour through almost 900 years of history

A tour of Harburg Castle takes visitors through almost 900 years of history. The tour leads through the Baroque castle church and past loopholes, prison cells, gates and towers. It therefore includes both sacred architecture and historic defensive features. Castle tours are available seasonally. Check visiting hours in advance if the tour is to be a fixed part of your trip.

Harburg Fairytale Trail: Visiting season and path conditions

Another attraction is the Harburg Fairytale Trail in the area around Harburg Castle. It was established in 2019 at the initiative of Gabi Steger and is now planned, set up and maintained by many Harburg volunteers. The Fairytale Trail is open to visitors from mid-May until the end of the autumn holidays, and admission is free. Take this period into account when planning your trip. The paths on the Fairytale Trail in the area around Harburg Castle are not suitable for strollers. Gabi Steger offers special guided tours of the Harburg Fairytale Trail; check dates and availability in advance.

Views and outdoor activities

Bockberg lies on the southeastern edge of the Ries Crater. At 562 metres, it is one of the highest elevations in northern Swabia. From its viewing platform, the panorama stretches across the Ries and the Wörnitz Valley to Donauwörth. Bockberg thus adds a scenic highlight to the castle’s historic rooms and architectural features.

Harburg also lies on a variety of hiking and cycling routes. If you would like to include outdoor activities in the landscape alongside sightseeing, the routes can form a focus of their own on your trip. Harburg is also a stop on the Via Romea pilgrimage route. This can be taken into account when planning your itinerary, without requiring a visit to the castle or Fairytale Trail.

Regional attractions in the wider Donau-Ries destination

In the wider Donau-Ries destination, the Donau-Ries district describes the Ries Geopark, with the Ries Crater formed by a meteorite impact, as a tourist attraction. Nördlingen’s medieval town wall is fully intact and completely walkable. The Town Museum in Nördlingen covers life and beliefs in the town, the changes of the Reformation era, the Thirty Years’ War and the 1634 Battle of Nördlingen. Its collection, which is more than 150 years old, spans four floors; a model featuring around 6,000 tin figures illustrates the battle. The Ries Crater Museum displays meteorites, fossils, a piece of real moon rock, information panels and multimedia exhibits. The region thus offers both well-preserved buildings and the history and geology of the Ries Crater.

Discover more destinations: Asbach-Bäumenheim, Donauwörth, Marxheim, Nördlingen, Oettingen in Bayern, Wemding, Monheim, Ries

Back to the main travel overview: Donau-Ries.