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10 - Baudrexlhaus

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The Baudrexlhaus is an old timber-framed house of the 16th century. The date of 1592 can be read on the old weather vane.

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11 - Cafe Engel

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This is the oldest officially recorded house of the town and dates back to 1297. It is the former home of the Donauwörth school of Meistersingers.

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21 - Calvary Hill / Schellenberg

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After the great battle on the Schellenberg (1704) the town`s council and citizens promised to built a calvary hill an the battlefield. They were thankful that the town was spared the destruction and in 1720 they fulfilled their promise. The Maria-Hilf-Kapelle on top of the hill was added shortly after.
The calvary is on the Schellenberg and faces the town of Donauwörth.

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25 - Donauspitz

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Confluence of Wörnitz and Danube.

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5 - Färbertörl

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The Färbertörl is one of the former 38 towers of the ancient town wall. After it was successfully restored by the town of Donauwörth it now houses a small art gallery. Regular exhibitions of the Donauwörth art club are held there.

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20 - Former Capucin Monastery

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The Käthe-Kruse-Doll-Museum and the Werner-Egk-Meeting-Place are housed in the former Capucin Monastery.

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16 - Fugger House – District Council

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The Fugger House (today`s district council) with its magnificent renaissance gable is situated on the upmost point of the Reichsstraße.
In 1536 the Fuggers received the Reichspflege – the protectorate of the town - and therefore built this glorious building in 1539. Gustav Adolf (1632) and Karl VI (1711) were guests of the house, which later was turned into the seat of the distict court.
The two-storey building looks like a castle and was restored according to the Swabian
renaissance style with a steep gable, many windows and round arches over the windows of the second floor.

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3 - Hintermeierhaus

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A former fishermen`s house with gothic frieze. The house dates back to the 15th century. Today it is the home of the local museum – an information centre about the tradition of fishing, metal works, traditional costumes and the culture of living in the 19th century.

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2 - Hohe Meer

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The eye-catching house on the Ried Island ist called Hohe Meer. It is a 6-storey stone building with a big gable. It dates back to the 17th century, the inscription above the portico reads 1639.

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17 - Holy Cross Monastery

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The history of the former Benedictine monastery dates back to the 11th century. Around 1030 Graf Mangold I brought a valuable relique of the Holy Cross to Donauwörth. It was a gift by the Byzantine emperor. Upon his return with the relique, Graf Mangold I built a nunnery in commemoration of Helena, mother of Konstantin.
In 1101 monks of the Benedictine order in Sankt Blasien undertook pilgrimages to Holy Cross. In 1125 church and monastery were built on today`s site. Abbot Amandus Röls lead the building of the monastery (1696-1698), the Holy Cross Church (1717-1720) and the church tower (1747).
Today Holy Cross is a perfect example for the Wessobrunner Schule – the Wessobrunner school of architecture. Josef Schmuzer of Wessobrunn was the builder, the paintings were done by Johann Stauder of Konstanz. The Emperor`s Hall on the top floor of the monastery dates back to Abbot Gallus Hammerl (1776-1793), the ceiling fresco was done by Enderle.

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6 - House of the Knights of the Teutonic Order

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Today`s building, which has a small tower with a lantern on the eastside, was built by the Baron of Riedheim from 1774 – 1778.

Donauwörth was one of the earliest settlements of the Teutonic Order of Knights, which was founded in 1197.
In 1214 King Friedrich II gave the brothers of the order a small chapel which had once been built by the citizens of Donauwörth at the bridgehead of the old Danube bridge. It was a chapel for collecting alms for the poor.

In 1332 the commander Heinrich of Zipplingen moved his men to Donauwörth. He enlarged the chapel and the attached house.
The inscription at the entrance tells us, that in 1696 the exempted regiment of the `Hoch- und Deutschmeister´ took their vows to the flag and boarded their ship on the Danube. They were off to meet the army of prince Eugen, who won the Turkish War at Zenta in 1679.
Today, the town`s art gallery is located on the first floor. Exhibited are paintings and drawings connected to our town. There is also the beautiful Enderle-Hall.
Donauwörth`s baroque painter Johann Baptist Enderle, who decorated numerous churches and halls with his `airy´ colours and `thick´ compositions, painted his most famous ceiling fresco here in 1780. “The Feast for the Gods” or “The Wedding of the Water Nymh Thetis with Peleus”.

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18 - Invalidenkaserne

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The long building was built in 1715/16 as a barrack for 400 soldiers, who had to be housed privately before the barrack was built. From 1803 onwards the barrack was used as an invalids`home and from 1805 as a hospital. Today it is property of the town.

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26 - Junge Donau

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Right beside the Danube bridge you`ll see the sculpture of the 'Young Danube'. It was sculpted by the famous sculptor Dr. Hans Wimmer of Munich. It is sculpted in classical harmony nakedness and sensuality. Her natural body mirrors a beatiful soul.

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14 - Liebfrauenmünster / Stadtpfarrkirche – Church of Our Holy Lady

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The upper part of the Reichsstraße is dominated by the building of the Church of Our Holy Lady.

This gothic brick building was built as a three naved hall church between 1444 and 1467. It replaced the Church of Ulrich which had stood in this place since the 11th century. Since 1938 the 15th century frescos are opened for the public.
The church also has a tabernacle of 1503, the etaphs of the Grand Commanders of the Knights of the Teutonic Order, a baptismal of 1503, famous choir-stalls and a wonderful stone pieta. The leves of the ground drops by 120 cm from the entrance to the altar.
The church tower has 218 steps and can be visited between May and September. The tower is also called `The guardian of Swabia´. The `Pummerin´ inside the tower is the biggest bell in Swabia and is also called the little sister of the world famous `Pummerin´ in the dome of Vienna.

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22 - Mangoldfelsen / Mangold Rock

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In the 10th century Castle Mangoldstein was built on this rock. In 1301 it was completely destroyed by Albrecht I of Austria.
In 1256 Maria of Brabant was beheaded in the castle. It was also used as a watchtower to guard the Danube bridge.
The first bridge was built in 977 to connect the empire with the rest of the world. Due to its existance, our town could grow. Trade came and brought richness and glory to the citizens. In 1308 the ruins of the former castle were gradually removed until the last parts were taken away in 1818.

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24 - Ochsentörl

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One of the last remaining gates of the old town wall.

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19 - Promenade

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The promenade was laid out along the town wall in the 19th century.

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15 - Reichsstadtbrunnen

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Only a few steps away from the town`s church you`ll see the Reichsstadtbrunnen – a fountain to commemorate the town`s former status as Free Town of the Empire.
The majestic eagle, Donauwörth`s coat of arms since 1193, sits right on top of the fountain. The inscription commemorates the town`s history.
The fountain is a work of the sculptor Prof. Hans Wimmer of Munich. (A second eagle is in front of the famous Hansehaus in Bremen)
The citizens of Donauwörth donated the money to buy the eagle for the town`s millenial celebrations in 1977. (100.000 Deutschmark were donated by Donauwörth`s citizen of honour, Prof. Werner Egk, 1901-1983)
In 1979 the fountain was completed and celebrated with a festival.

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8 - Reichsstraße

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This wide street which leads from the river Wörnitz upwards was formally known as the lower and the upper market and has always been the heart of the town`s business. The street was later named Reichsstrasse because it was part of the Holy Roman Empire and connected the imperial towns of Nuremberg and Augsburg.
The magnificent houses with gabels still remind us of the town`s glorious imperial past. The whole street was successfully put back to it`s former glory after the destruction of 1945.

After the bombings of the 11th and the 19th of April 1945 Donauwörth, along with Würzburg, was one of the most destroyed Bavarian towns. Today, the Reichsstraße is part of the famous holiday route `The Romantic Road´ which leads from Würzburg to Füssen and is said to be one of the most beautiful streets in southern Germany.

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1 - Ried Island

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The Ried is the heart of the town and also its oldest part. The small island was formerly called "Wörth" and is surrounded by the river Wörnitz. From the 16th century onwards it was called Ried. During the time of migration, fishermen started to settle there. In 1982 the the fountain of the fishermen was errected on the island by Georg Bayer, in commemoration of the first settlers.

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4 - Rieder Tor

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It is the only remaining gate of the former four great town gates, which were part of the twoen wall. Inside is the Museum of Town History. In 1811 the building received today`s shape, it was restored in 1913, destroyed by bombing in 1945, rebuilt in 1946 and restored from 1983 to 1986.

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12 - Stadtkommandantenhaus / Public Library

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At the beginning of the 16th century, the wife of emperor Maximilian of Bavaria used to lodge in this house, which, since 1607, was the seat of the Bavarian commissioner of towns. In the 18th century the town council had the house restored, but in 1945 it was completely destroyed by fire.
In 1950 is was rebuilt and restored to its former glory.

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9 - Stadtzoll (Custom`s House)

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From the stair case of the town hall you can see a corner house on your right side. This is the Stadtzoll – the former customs house. In a small oriell you`ll see a little knight.
The gothic gabled house was built in 1418. The ground floor housed the office of the customs officer, on the first floor was the town office and on the second floor the council`s drinking hall.

Under the oriell a little stone knight is kneeling. On the left there is the stonemason`s mark and on the right the date of 1524. The stone knight holds the banner and the shield with the eagle, which was the coat of arms of the town from 1193 onwards.
According to legend, the knight commemorates Georg von Zusum, former member of the town council and leader of 70 men during the Swabian War of 1499. He was honoured for bravery by emperor Maximilian I and given the banner of the empire. According to a folk tale you can hear the little knight sigh at night when the town is in danger.

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13 - Tanzhaus- Banqueting Hall – Archaeological Museum

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Right in the middle of the Reichsstraße is the Tanzhaus – the former Dance Hall of the town. It was built in 1400 as the town`s market and dance hall. Every Sunday the town`s council had an orchestra playing dance tunes for the town folk. For a long time it was the most important building of the Reichsstraße. Emperor Maximilian I – “the last knight” who died in 1517 – once used to celebrate with the folks of his beloved town of Donauwörth.

The greatest celebration in medieval town history was the 5th of March in 1500 when Maximilan I was informed of the birth of his grandson – the later emperor Charles V.

In 1570 the house was transformed into a granary. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1704) the house was destroyed by fire and was completely restored in 1872. During the air raids of 1945 this medieval meeting hall for the townsfolk was completely destroyed.

From 1973 to 75 it was rebuilt according to historic plans and today is a great example for a public building with a historic architecture. The Dance Hall – once the centre of the Imperial Town – today is once more a public meeting place with a 600 seat theatre and a restaurant.

On the second floor you`ll find the town`s Archaeological Museum.

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7 - Town Hall and Marienbrunnen (St. Mary`s Well)

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In front of the town hall is a little fountain – St. Mary`s Well. It dates back to 1854 when the town council had it made for the price of 1.550 'Gulden'.

The oldest part of the town hall was errected in 1236 and was enlarged in 1308 with quarries taken from the Castle Mangoldstein. In the 14th century the house was destroyed twice by fire; in the 16th century a third floor was added. By the end of the 18th century the town hall received its jube.
The crenellation and pinnacles date back to a restoration in 1853. The town`s coat of arms above the entrance shows a double-headed eagle. It was given to the town by emperor Charles V in 1530, when he visited Donauwörth.

In 1973 /75 and 1985/86 the town hall was once again restored on the outside, received some additions and was completely restored on the inside. Despite many changes and alterations during a long period of time, the town hall has never lost its medieval charm and character.

Since 1986, when the town hall celebrated its 750th birthday, the town has one more attraction to offer: every day at 11 am and 4 pm the Donauwörther Glockenspiel chimes from the gable of the town hall. The Glockenspiel plays folk tunes, prayers for peace – which are strongly connected to the town`s history – and also a piece of Werner Egk`s opera 'The Magic Violin'. Werner Egk was a famous contemporary composer and son of Donauwörth.

From the magnificent double staircase you have a wonderful view of the Reichsstraße.

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23 - Zaubergeigenbrunnen

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This fountain was built by Prof. Hans Landner to celebrate the 90th birthday of Wernder Egk. It commemorates Egk`s first opera of 1935. In the key scene the main character receives a magic violin from a ghost (the earth spirit). The violin provides the player with talent, richness, power and success as long as he refrains from love.

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