Maria Vesperbild combines an important pilgrimage site with a path through the forest: a Way of the Cross leads from the pilgrimage church to the Fatima Grotto. There, more than 1,000 votive plaques display words of thanks and accounts of help received from the Mother of God. The grotto was built in 1957 and restored in 2011. Maria Vesperbild, in the district of Günzburg, attracts 400,000 to 500,000 pilgrims each year to the miraculous image of Our Lady of Sorrows and is considered the largest pilgrimage destination in Bavarian Swabia.
Pilgrimages and quieter discoveries
The Way of the Cross, the grotto and the votive plaques each tell a different part of the same religious tradition: the path connects the church and the grotto, while the plaques bear witness to gratitude and support received. Visitors interested in pilgrimage sites will find not just a single destination here, but several connected expressions of faith.
History also shapes a visit to Wettenhausen: the monastery museum, which opened in 2021, offers insights into a tradition spanning nearly a thousand years. The Imperial Hall is known for its monumental stucco ceiling; concerts, conferences and ceremonies are held there. Check the current programme if you would like to attend an event.
Hiking trails of varying lengths
Two trails with clearly different distances are the main options for longer outings. The DonAuwald hiking trail is the first premium hiking trail in Bavarian Swabia and runs for around 60 kilometres between Günzburg and Schwenningen. The DonauHänge, by contrast, is an 18.5-kilometre circular trail between Günzburg and Offingen that leads through the hillside forest. Comparing the two helps you plan how much time you will need: one route covers a considerably longer distance, while the other is a circular trail.
The certified Streifzüge walking trails offer further scenery, following streams and ponds and passing through gently rolling countryside. In Thannhausen, the Hansenhohl nature trail is around 1.5 kilometres long and has eight play and information stations. Winter visits are not recommended because of the risk of slipping. There is also a free crime-mystery quiz app, “Sabotage in the Hansenhohl”; check in advance whether the app is available.
The Ichenhausen Celtic Trail brings the lives of the Celts and Druids to life through audio at six listening points. The starting point is the car park at the cemetery in Ichenhausen; the distance from the first to the last listening point is three kilometres. Listening point 6 is currently inaccessible. Check the current route before setting out so you can take this into account when planning your walk.
Water, theme park and museums
In Thannhausen, Turncable Wakepark offers wakeboarding and water skiing. Courses are available for beginners and advanced participants, as well as for individuals and groups. If you are planning to take a course, check availability in advance.
LEGOLAND® Deutschland in Günzburg has eleven themed areas and 68 attractions; MINILAND is the heart of the theme park. The park and its adjoining holiday village offer experiences for children aged two to twelve. This makes a theme park another option alongside pilgrimage sites, hikes and culture. Check the latest operating details before visiting.
The museums offer different highlights for culture enthusiasts. The Bavarian School Museum in Ichenhausen traces the development of education over thousands of years. One of its special features is a historic classroom that once accommodated around 50 children. The Burgau City Museum takes visitors through the town’s history, from the Middle Ages to the recent past, across two floors and more than 700 square metres. The museums therefore differ both in their subject matter and in the periods they cover; check current opening hours before your visit.
River landscape and getting here
On its way to the Black Sea, the Danube passes Leipheim, Günzburg and Offingen and forms part of the region’s riverside and floodplain landscape. The Mindel also shapes the area: it flows through the district of Günzburg and joins the Danube at Gundremmingen.
To reach the district of Günzburg, take the Leipheim, Günzburg or Burgau exit from the A8 Stuttgart–Munich motorway. Günzburg is also on Deutsche Bahn’s Stuttgart–Munich long-distance rail route. Check traffic conditions and current train connections for your travel date.
Discover more destinations: Aletshausen, Günzburg, Waldstetten, Leipheim, Burgau, Jettingen-Scheppach, Krumbach, Thannhausen, Ichenhausen, Ursberg, Breitenthal, Bibertal, Kötz, Bubesheim, Haldenwang, Ziemetshausen, Neuburg An Der Kammel, Offingen, Burtenbach, Deisenhausen, Kammeltal.
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