Discover Wemding
Accommodation in Wemding
On the edge of the Ries crater, Wemding combines historic landmarks with art and trails through forests and countryside. The annual Fuchsia and Herb Market offers a special impression of the town: it transforms the picturesque Old Town into a large, blooming garden and is described as Germany’s only fuchsia market. Outside the market, too, buildings and museums tell different stories about the town.
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Photo: Tilman2007 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Town history at gates, walls and churches
Today, the Amerbach Gate is a 30.5-metre-high gate tower and the only surviving gate of the former fortifications. Until the 19th century, a mighty gate castle with a barbican, outer bailey and drawbridge stood on this site. The medieval town wall dates from the 14th century. These landmarks provide tangible points of interest on a historical town walk, without relying on any single building to tell the whole story of Wemding.
The twin-towered parish church of St Emmeram dates back to a vow made by Mangold I of Wörth. Construction of a basilica, probably with three naves and a cruciform layout, began in 1030; several alterations and extensions were added over the centuries. The Baroque high altar by Augustin Manasser was created between 1630 and 1633. Also on the market square is the birthplace of Leonhart Fuchs, known as the “Little Dwarfs’ House”: its façade facing the market is 1.50 metres wide, while the side façade is 9 metres long.
Art and local history at the museum
The KunstMuseum Donau-Ries displays, among other works, paintings and sculptures by Ernst Steinacker, Prof. Caspar Schlötter and Annette Steinacker-Holst. A multimedia room introduces visitors to new forms of artistic expression. The museum sees itself as a lively art and cultural project, with guided tours, concerts, readings and theatre. Those interested in fine art will find a different way to experience Wemding here than by looking at its surviving historic buildings.
The local history museum complements this perspective with exhibits on prehistory, early history and the town’s history, as well as subjects such as clothing, traditional dress, crafts and popular religious culture. This lets you plan your time in town according to your interests, between art, historic traces, and everyday life and craft history.
Walks and longer trails
For a shorter tour, there is a historical town walk of around one hour and roughly 2 kilometres. A dedicated leaflet explains individual sights. If you’re planning a longer outing, you can take the Legends Trail: it is 14 kilometres long, takes about four hours and starts at Johannisweiher pond. Following a sculpture trail lined with fruit trees, it passes through Wemding’s Old Town and returns to the starting point. The different distances make it easy to choose between a compact town walk and a longer outing.
The devotional trail links the historic Old Town with the pilgrimage basilica of “Maria Brünnlein zum Trost”. Six devotional stones dating from 1983 accompany you along the final stretch. For another route through nature, try the approximately 3.5-kilometre circular trail in the Schneetal nature forest reserve. The reserve is one of Bavaria’s first nature forest reserves; its forest discovery trail lets you experience the woodland and natural environment with all your senses.
Forest spots and views around Wemding
Four purpose-designed rest spots for forest bathing lie in a woodland east of Wolferstädter Straße. The Bavarian State Forestry Administration has officially designated this woodland as a “forest of special importance for recreation”. In the Wemdinger Forest, the Schwefelbrünnlein spring in a forest clearing offers walkers and cyclists a place to rest. Those interested in the area’s geological history can see the effects of the Ries catastrophe at the old limestone quarry, Waldsee, near Wemdinger Waldsee.
Other distinct experiences include the Wemdinger Rose Garden, with old roses in a historic setting, and the Wemdinger Platte, a hilltop on the northern edge of town. From there, panoramic views stretch across Wemding and the Ries. These interests may help you choose where to stay: would you mainly like to explore the town’s history and museums, or are longer walks and time in the countryside part of your stay?
You can also discover Fünfstetten. Other destinations: Oettingen In Bayern, Kaisheim, Ehingen Am Ries, Ries, Tapfheim, Harburg and Oberndorf Am Lech.
For the higher-level travel overview: Donau-Ries.
