Der Donauberglandweg

Across the peaks of the Swabian Alb to the Danube

Certified as a Wanderbares Deutschland premium trail at the CMT travel fair in Stuttgart in January 2008, the Donauberglandweg is rapidly becoming one of Germany's favourite hikes. The trail starts as it means to go on, with an ascent up Lemberg hill. After a steep zigzag climb, it joins the Schwäbische Alb Nordrandweg (HW1) on to its way to the summit. Sadly, there is no suitable rock or cliff to provide any views from what is the highest mountain in the Swabian Alb, unlike on the rest of the route. Instead, 152 steps lead up Lemberg tower, which does offer panoramic views of the Black Forest from Mount Hornisgrinde to Mount Feldberg, of almost the entire Swabian Alb and on a clear day also the Alps, from Mount Zugspitze to the Bernese Alps.

Following the edge of the Swabian Alb to the Danube
After a slight detour via Wehingen, near Gosheim the Donauberglandweg (Danube Peaks Trail) reaches the 1,001-metre-high panoramic vantage point at the top of Mount Kehlen, where the route encounters the Albtrauf, the steep rock face running along the entire western side of the Alb plateau, which rises suddenly more than 300 metres above the foothills. Here, the trail also rejoins the Schwäbische Alb Nordrandweg (HW1), running along the edge of the Albtrauf where stunning views follow in quick succession. Together with the HW1, the trail continues to Klippeneck hill, a gliders' favourite, and Dreifaltigkeitsberg hill overlooking Spaichingen, where a pilgrimage church stands on the peak of a prehistoric sun-worshipping site. Descend via a beautiful "way of the cross" to the town of Spaichingen at the bottom of the hill. This is the overnight stop. The next day the route continues through Böttingen and past Lippach mill through the idyllic Lippach valley towards the Danube as far as Mühlheim.

Upper Danube Nature Park
In the heart of the Upper Danube nature reserve, the Donauberglandweg links the riverside villages of Mühlheim and Fridingen. Both have old quarters graced by fine medieval houses and each has a stately residence of greatly differing style. In between the two lies a spectacular section of the trail leading across Gelber Fels (Yellow Crag) and Stephansfels. Visitors can explore the world underneath them on guided tours through Mühlheim cave and Kolbingen cave. Already impressive up to this point, the landscape assumes a more dramatic character from Fridingen onwards as the trail heads through the southern tributary valleys of Germany's largest river gorge outside the Alps: spectacular rock formations at the Knopfmacherfels and Stiegelesfels outcrops and some final uphill and downhill stretches make the last section to Beuron a sheer delight.