Brenz-Radweg (Cycle Route) – From the source to the Danube

We start in Köngisbronn at the idyllically located Brenztopf right next to the town hall. An overview board on the half-timbered house next to the town hall provides the most important information. The entire route is marked with a light blue symbol. Additional parking spaces are available nearby at the Herwartsteinhalle.

Passing the Georg Elser Memorial and through the monastery grounds with their archway, we soon reach Lake Itzelberg. Here, the Meteor & Forest Tour branches off to Albuch. We continue our tour and turn right before the bridge with the waterworks towards Aufhausen. Through a typical meadow valley, we reach Schnaitheim, a suburb of Heidenheim. From the train station there, several tours lead to the Härtsfeld region and on to Neresheim. We stick to our leisurely tour and cycle along the road past the so-called Jagdschlössle (hunting lodge) to the railroad crossing. There we have to cross the busy road. It's worth making a short detour to the left to the Brenz bridge. There is an idyllic mill there. Back on Mühlstraße, we soon reach Brenzpark. With its play stations for children, it invites us to take a long break. Hellenstein Castle towers above us. We cross the town on the signposted path and cycle past the global companies Voith and Hartmann towards Mergelstetten. Shortly before Mergelstetten, our Brenz tour turns right onto Gurweg and we reach the center of Mergelstetten via idyllic paths. The Brenz river winds romantically through the village. The old road, now left to nature, takes us directly along the Brenz to Bolheim, where we reach the modern connecting road behind the composting plant. Here we cross the road with sufficient caution, turn left onto the bike path and shortly afterwards come across another signpost that now leads us via Bolheim to Herbrechtingen. In Bolheim, at the intersection of Fischerstraße and Herbrechtinger Straße, the Brenz tour continues straight ahead. We reach Herbrechtingen via a residential area and, in Damaschkestraße, the signposts show us the direction to the Eselsburg Valley to the right. Shortly before the Anhausen monastery (private property), we cross the Brenz and can briefly cool our legs in the Kneipp facility. Passing the monastery, we turn left into the Eselsburg Valley, probably one of the most beautiful sections of this Brenz Cycle Route. Here, the Brenz winds its way around the so-called Buigen mountain. Passing the Bindsteinmühle mill and the Falkenstein rock, we enter the small village of Eselsburg. Here you can stop for a bite to eat or do some eco-friendly shopping. We cycle back to Herbrechtingen on the other side of the Buigen. There we first come across the Brenz learning and adventure center “Biberbau” and can marvel at the rodents in their castle. We then continue on to the legendary Stone Virgins. They attract just as much attention as the beautiful half-timbered house at the end of the valley, which houses the Herbrechtingen local history museum. If you want to visit one of the most beautiful monasteries in the area, turn right a few meters further on. The Brenz tour crosses Herbrechtingen via a few small detours to avoid the traffic-calmed but still busy thoroughfare. Via Brunnenstraße and Lange Straße, we reach the center of Herbrechtingen. Shortly after the Brenz bridge, we need to pay attention, as our tour branches off to the left into Mühlstraße. Continuing along the road in Saum, we reach the cycle path that takes us past the Herbrechtingen industrial area with its huge wood pellet production facility to Giengen. The large district town of Giengen also takes on an enchanting character thanks to the "Brenzschleifen", especially where the tour approaches the Filzfabrik area. There we encounter another Brenz adventure site, a biotope with a viewing platform and information. A visit to the Steiff Museum is also enchanting, of course. We pass through Giengen on side roads and continue past the felt factory via Gerschweiler to Hermaringen. Once in Hermaringen, it is worth making a detour to the dammed Brenz river at the entrance to the village, after the Netto supermarket. It is a wonderful spot for a short break. However, we stay on the road through the village and leave Friedrichstraße in the direction of the train station. We leave Hermaringen via the train station and cross a beautiful meadow valley towards Bergenweiler. Here, the Brenz has been renaturalized in many places and invites you to take a break in many spots. The Brenz learning and adventure center near the mill in Bergenweiler is also very nice. A little way past the beautiful rest area, we turn left into Weiherstraße and cross the railroad tracks. Shortly before Sontheim, our tour branches off to the left towards Brenz. If you are looking for a place to stop for refreshments, cycle a few hundred meters further into the village. On our tour of Brenz, we now have a magnificent view of the romantic and famous Brenzer Galluskirche church and the adjacent Brenz Castle. A short detour to the Brenzbrückchen bridge and bench, located just below the castle, is definitely worthwhile. From Wiesenstraße, we reach the busy Sontheimer Straße. But only for a short distance, because we soon turn left into Badstraße and ride through the residential area towards the Bavarian border. If you want to stop for a bite to eat, simply turn towards the town center when crossing Sontheimer/Brenzer Straße. Local signposts point the way to cozy restaurants and beer gardens. Unnoticed and accompanied by the Brenz River, you cross the state border at the Röhm company in Sontheim. The tour takes us through Bächingen in Bavaria on Einhößstraße and Hauptstraße. In front of the church, we turn left into Kirchgasse and reach the beautifully restored “mooseum” environmental station on Schlossstraße. This is also a worthwhile detour to learn interesting facts about the Swabian Donaumoos with its unique fauna and flora. The outdoor area offers many secluded spots. You can spend some time at the water and energy playground, in the sensory garden, and down by the riverbank with its adventure station.

At the cemetery, we leave the town on the left via the Brenz bridge. We continue close to the now beautifully bubbling Brenz, past its renaturalized sections, with ponds covered in water lilies and pretty wooden bridges, directly into the blossoming town of Gundelfingen. There, we come across another Brenz experience point in the Schnellepark. Via the street “Obere Vorstadt,” we head towards the town center and pass through the archway on Prof. Baamann-Straße. Immediately afterwards, we turn right into Bahnhofstraße and follow the alternative route of the Danube Cycle Path. Passing the Gartner company and the sports facilities, we approach Echenbrunn through the Danube floodplains. We leave the Danube floodplains and turn left towards Echenbrunn into Vogteistraße and cycle straight ahead to Lauinger Straße. Here we turn right and then immediately right again into Leiterstraße towards Faimingen. There, we should definitely take a break at the beautifully situated Roman Apollo Granus Temple. A little further on, the tour ends at the bus stop in front of the Environmental Education Center. There we find the last stop on the adventure trail along the Brenz. From there, we have to walk about 500 m to the mouth of the Danube. But it's worth the effort. The stone water channels running parallel to the Brenz are reminiscent of South Tyrolean Waalwege trails. The water springs from sources in the so-called Hangwald, the extensive riparian forest area. From here, you don't necessarily have to return to the road. If you want to continue on to the Danube Cycle Path or the Danube-Härtsfeld Cycle Path, follow the footpaths through the beautiful city park. Passing through it, you will reach the official Danube Cycle Path again at the Danube bridge, thus avoiding the somewhat uncomfortable crossing of the town of Lauingen, which is well worth seeing.

If you are still feeling fit and want to challenge your calves, you can continue cycling along the Danube Cycle Path and the Danube-Härtsfeld Trail to Dillingen. From there, the Danube-Härtsfeld Trail leads via Donaualtheim to Neresheim and back via the Water & Stone Tour to Heidenheim (100 km in total). If you want to return to the Brenz Valley earlier, follow the signs for Giengen in Wittislingen and cycle along a pretty route through the Bachtal valley.

You must push your bike on the footpath from the Environmental Education Center to the mouth of the Danube.