This lap begins with a climb that winds up through a residential area. On a plateau covered in cornfields, the quiet side road tips and the bikes whiz downwards into the Rotach Valley. We follow the elegant loops of the river along a broad forest trail and regain altitude, metre by metre. Here again, Upper Swabia shows its gentler aspect, with little lakes, sparse woodlands and villages.
Wilhelmsdorf is idyllically located on the fringe of the Pfrunger-Burgweiler Ried, the second-largest moorland area in Southwest Germany, with countless rare species of flora and fauna.
In addition to its impressive castle, the community of Altshausen boasts another outstanding feature in the form of a Baroque ”Holy Sepulchre“.
The precious masterpiece, created in the year 1773 from two large, painted canvases, several picture panels and seven arches, is one of the
last surviving Holy Sepulchres in South Germany.
Ten kilometres further on, with no steep gradients, we wheel into the Kneipp resort of Aulendorf. The settlement sprang up around Aulendorf Castle. Since the first mention of the castle complex around the beginning of the 13th century, the building has evolved into a splendid residential palace. Today it is home to a toy collection and an exhibition of art from the Classicism period. After this eventful stage of our journey, the warm thermal water of the Schwaben-Therme: at a temperature of 34°C is guaranteed to restore strength and energy to body and soul.
Author's recommendation
Visit Pfrunger-Burgweiler Ried park near Wilhelmsdorf
Stop off for a dip at Altshauser Weiher lake
Visit the castle in Aulendorf
Equipment
Bicycle, weather-related clothing
