Paddling tour on the Altmühl

Child-friendly tour with 9 relaxed stages from Gunzenhausen to Töging, approx. 125 km

The most beautiful canoe and SUP tours in Bavaria ⦿Bavaria, Franconia

Canoe tour, Multiday tour, Family tour: Altmühl

The Altmühl is the second longest river in Bavaria and one of the most popular canoeing destinations. More than any other body of water, the Altmühl is ideal for tours with children. The low gradient allows even inexperienced canoeists to enjoy the trip. The two hundred kilometer long river winds through a blooming valley framed by Jura rocks, past romantic towns, medieval bridges, monasteries and castles. Designated access points and campgrounds with fireplaces, boat rentals with transportation service, and accompanying bike paths provide a perfect infrastructure.

It flows through the largest nature park in the Federal Republic of Germany. Celts and Romans have settled and shaped this region. In 2005, the Limes, which touches the Altmühl Valley, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Several quarries offer themselves to amateur geologists for fossil hunting. The Altmühl rises at the Hornauer Weiher near Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It meanders leisurely through a wide valley basin. Some paddlers begin their trip in the small town of Ornbau, but soon end up in the Altmühlsee. Most canoeists therefore do not start until they reach the small town of Gunzenhausen with its 15,000 inhabitants. The sights of this town, which dates back to around the year 800, include the ruins of a Roman fort and the local history museum with prehistoric finds. In spring, the river drifts with a good current in the direction of Treuchtlingen. The town is the gateway to the romantic Altmühl valley and is conveniently located. Behind Dietfurt the actual breakthrough section begins. The historic town of Pappenheim, with its castle ruins, St. Gallus Church, castle and Augustinian monastery, is a real highlight and the next stop on the river journey. Via the Jura village of Zimmern, the route continues to Solnhofen. This place is the place of discovery of the primeval bird (Archaeopteryx). In the local museum you will find a rich selection of fossilized plants and animals. After passing the weir at the end of the village, the paddler soon sees the rock scenery of the Twelve Apostles, a striking group of sponge-algae limestones. The rest of the way is also full of highlights, although the idyll is briefly disturbed by the ICE trains that regularly race past.

Stages

Gunzenhausen - Gundelsheim ... 10 km

Gundelsheim - Treuchtlingen ... 17.5 km

Treuchtlingen - Dietfurt - Pappenheim - Solnhofen ... 16 km

Solnhofen - Eßlingen - Hammermühle-Dollnstein ... 12 km

Dollnstein - Eichstätt ... 17 km

Eichstätt - Walting ... 12 km

Walting - Kipfenberg ... 15,5 km

Kipfenberg - Beilngries ... 17 km

Beilngries - Töging ... 9 km

What should be considered when paddling on the Altmühl tour?

Best time: End of April to mid-October, in the Altmühltal Nature Park all tributaries are closed all year round without exception.