The best traffic-free bike rides around Kirchheim am Ries

Beautiful and well-maintained place to relax

A beautiful view of the Ipf

The formerly extensive, terraced complex on a rock above the town was first mentioned in 1188 in a treaty between Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and King Alfonso VIII of Castile, in which the marriage between Frederick's son Conrad and Alfonso's daughter Berengaria was agreed upon. Half of the castle with all its appurtenances (mediam partem castri Walrstein cum omnibus suis pertinenciis), along with another 29 Staufian estates, were to be part of the bride's dowry.

The outcrop is located in the northwestern crater rim. In the slope profile at the foot of the Harnischberg, thick-bedded limestones are exposed in the footwall, striking approximately north-south and dipping to the west. Massive limestones dominate the hanging wall. On a small, tilted block at the base of the profile, striking striations can be seen on the limestone.

The Baldinger Tor in Nördlingen is one of the five historical city gates and was first mentioned in 1376. It secured the road towards Würzburg and Frankfurt am Main and was part of the medieval city fortifications. The barbican was completed in 1406 by Master Wenzeslaus, and in 1430 a reconstruction took place under the direction of stonemason Conrad Stenglin. Originally, the gate structure resembled the Berger Tor: a rectangular main gate building with an almost square barbican. The tower was five stories high and had a round superstructure with a gun embrasure and a tent roof. During the Thirty Years' War, the gate was damaged, and in 1703 the tower unexpectedly collapsed – presumably due to insufficient repairs. Five people lost their lives.

The Klösterle in Nördlingen is the former Franciscan monastery, founded around 1233. Originally dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and later to the Virgin Mary, it was an important center of religious life in the town. During the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved in 1536, and the town acquired the building for 50 guilders as a retirement provision for the last three monks. In the following centuries, the Klösterle underwent several repurposings: between 1584 and 1587, it was converted into a granary, and later served as a fire station and storage facility. Today, the building houses the Nördlingen Town Hall with a theater stage and a hotel.

The harbor market in Nördlingen has been a central trading center for pottery since the 16th century. Merchants from all over southern Germany offered their wares here, especially during the traditional Whitsun fairs. The historic harbor house, once the center of the market, was destroyed by fire in 1955. Today, a plaque commemorates its significance for the town's history.

The "Daniel" church tower of St. George's Church in Nördlingen is the town's most visible landmark and a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. At 90 meters high, the tower rises above the town's rooftops and offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Nördlinger Ries region – on a clear day, up to 99 church towers can be seen. Construction began in 1454 and was completed in 1490 with a temporary roof. After a lightning strike in 1537, the tower received its characteristic Italian dome. Originally known as the "Wendelstein," it was renamed "Daniel" in the 19th century – an allusion to the biblical figure Daniel, who was elevated to the rank of prince. The Daniel tower is particularly vividly brought to life by a centuries-old tradition: Every evening between 10 p.m. and midnight, the watchman calls out "So G'sell, so!" from the tower room. – a greeting that dates back to a legend from 1440 in which a runaway sow helped uncover a treason and save the city from an attack. Those who climb the more than 350 steps to the viewing platform will be rewarded not only with an impressive panorama but also with a sense of the history and soul of this unique city.