Ihrlerstein: Stone, Springs and the Jurassic Landscape
Accommodation in Ihrlerstein
Explore Ihrlerstein through its stone buildings and springs, traces of past uses, and paths through the Jurassic landscape. St. James’ Church and the Brünnerl spring showcase architectural details; clay pits and quarries point to the town’s history. There is also a themed trail, two Nordic walking routes and a high ropes course. These different highlights offer several ways to get to know Ihrlerstein on a trip.
Greensandstone, a Spring and Local History
St. James’ Church in Ihrlerstein was built from greensandstone. In the 19th century, there were up to 17 greensandstone and limestone quarries operating at the same time in Neukelheim alone, now a district of Ihrlerstein. This comparison offers two perspectives: a specific building and the contemporaneous quarry landscape of Neukelheim.
The Brünnerl is a stone surround built around the original spring in 1634. The date refers to the spring. Alongside St. James’ Church, it is another stone feature to explore, this time surrounding a spring rather than forming part of a church building.
The small and large Kuhtränke are not natural ponds but clay pits dating from the 18th century. This distinguishes them from the quarries in Neukelheim in both material and date: the Kuhtränke are 18th-century clay pits, while the quarries produced greensandstone and limestone in the 19th century.
The Jurassic Landscape and Nordic Walking
The Jurassic Landscape Adventure Trail in Ihrlerstein has 13 stops featuring images and text. It explores typical karst formations in the area and explains how nature and people adapted to the water-poor but stone-rich plateaus. Unlike the Nordic walking routes, whose descriptions specify their course, the trail focuses on a landscape theme. This gives you a different way to choose: follow the theme of karst and plateaus, or use the route markers as your guide on the walking routes.
Nordic Walking Route 1 runs from the sports ground via Roter Buckel-Weg to the Schopper wayside shrine. The return route follows Kreuzfichtenweg and the road along the edge of the forest back to the sports ground. Route 2 starts on Palmbergstraße by the Möller chemical plant, follows the forest road to the connection to Zieglertal, then returns to the starting point on Palmbergstraße via Zieglertalstraße.
High Ropes Course by Appointment
The Kelheim High Ropes Course in Ihrlerstein includes high elements such as a climbing tower, Flying Fox/zip line, Partner Crossing, Burma Steps, Cable Walk, Pamper Pole/pole, Jacob’s Ladder, Hour Glass, Cat Walk (balance beam) and Snake. Low elements include the Mohawk Walk and others. The high ropes course can only be used by appointment. If you plan to include it in your itinerary, book your appointment in advance.
Kelheim as the Wider Travel Destination
The wider travel destination of Kelheim encompasses a variety of landscapes. The northern part of Kelheim district, including Kelheim, Essing and Riedenburg, lies within Altmühltal Nature Park. The southern part of the district, including Abensberg, Neustadt an der Donau, Biburg, Rohr i. NB and Mainburg, is part of the Hallertau, considered the world’s largest contiguous hop-growing region.
Discover more destinations: Essing, Altessing, Langquaid, Wildenberg, Abensberg, Painten, Aiglsbach, Bad Abbach.
For the wider travel overview: Kelheim.
