Elchingen offers a variety of highlights for a stay: a scenic loop, a longer route through floodplain forest and along the Alb escarpment, as well as culture at the exhibition depot and former monastery. When planning, you can take your preferred walking distance and the visiting arrangements into account.

Hiking trails of different lengths

The Panoramic Heights Trail is a six-kilometre loop with open views of the Danube Valley, the Alpine foothills and the Oberelchingen monastery church. The Danube-Alb Trail passes through a different sequence of landscapes: it leads through floodplain forest along the Danube, past majestic trees and hidden lakes, then climbs steeply to the escarpment of the Swabian Alb. Along the way, there are views across the Danube Valley and, on clear days, as far as the Alps.

The Danube-Alb Trail has a short loop of 10.6 kilometres and a longer option of 15 kilometres. At six kilometres, the Panoramic Heights Trail is the shortest of the routes listed; the two Danube-Alb Trail options offer a choice of longer distances. This lets you plan your hike according to your preferred route length.

Culture with different visiting arrangements

The exhibition depot at Klostersteige 13 is open to visitors on the first Friday of every month from 2 to 4 pm. Check the municipality’s latest notices before your visit. The Elchingen municipality’s exhibition depot displays paintings, sculptures, vestments and the 1793 model of the monastery.

The treasures of the former Elchingen monastery can be viewed on a guided tour by prior appointment. Confirm the current arrangements before your visit. The exhibition depot has a regular monthly opening slot, while viewing the monastery treasures requires an appointment in advance.

Viewpoint and other activities

Next to the Oberelchingen monastery garden is a viewing platform with an orientation board. From there, you can enjoy panoramic views across the Ulmer Winkel landscape; on days with good visibility, the Alps can be seen. The Panoramic Heights Trail and the Danube-Alb Trail offer different hiking experiences, while the platform provides its own perspective on the landscape.

The Elchingen indoor swimming pool offers swimming and aqua-jogging classes for a fee. As class offerings may change, check with the operator in advance.

More experiences in the wider Neu-Ulm destination

In the wider Neu-Ulm destination, the Edwin Scharff Museum at Petrusplatz in the heart of Neu-Ulm brings an art museum and a children’s museum together under one roof. The children’s museum has hands-on and interactive stations where visitors of all ages can take part. Caponniere 4 is part of the Ulm/Neu-Ulm Federal Fortress and is one of the few well-preserved historic monuments in the city of Neu-Ulm.

The Museum of Garden Culture grounds feature more than twenty themed gardens, including the insect garden, expanded in 2025, and the “Medicinal Plants of the World” garden. The Plessenteich bird sanctuary in the Gerlenhofen district of Neu-Ulm is also a destination for nature watching: 200 different bird species have already been spotted there. A viewing tower offers views of resting or nesting birds in every season.

Discover more destinations: Senden, Buch, Weißenhorn, Roggenburg, Altenstadt, Vöhringen, Illertissen, Neu-Ulm

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