Weltenburg Abbey:Germany’s Oldest Monastic Brewery
In our first excursion north of Munich, we found ourselves so impressed by Weltenburg Abbey, that we returned two weeks later to show off our discovery to some friends. This calming walk from the tiny village of Kielheim along the Danube to Germany’s oldest monastic brewery constitutes an engaging but accessible jaunt for explorers of all types offering the spectacular Danube gorge and imposing rock formations dotting the shoreline. In addition to the natural beauty, the Abbey itself offers a unique beer, which tastes amazing when paired with their Bavarian dishes and kloster creme liquor cake. After two fun-filled trips, we solidified this excursion as a recommended must do for our family and friends. Watch our video below, or keep reading to learn the details about our first trip north of Munich.
First things first, we needed to get to the small village of Kelheim where we would embark on a hour and a half walk and river crossing to the Weltenburg Monastery. Although this trip is essentially inaccessible via public transportation, it is luckily about an hour’s drive from Munich and 30 minutes from Regensburg. Luckily, Car2Go makes car rental in Germany quite easy, so we fell back on this option as we normally do when experiencing a lack of public transportation. As we set off, Munich and the surrounding suburbs melted away, I was struck by the strangeness of the rolling hops farms, and fields extending out from the Danube, speckled with rock crags. This was our first trip diverting from our normal southerly course into the Alps, and I hadn’t yet internalized that a northerly route might look a little different.
Near the end of the drive, we crossed the Danube into the village of Kielheim, following signs for the Wöhrdplatz parking lot. Don’t forget to pay for your parking ticket! We purchased the full day ticket for five Euros. Heading towards the river and over the bank, we discovered that visitors can access the abbey via two options. They can walk along the Danube, or take one of the many ferries. We opted to walk along the river to the monastery and take the latter ferry option back to Kielheim, as the Bavarian food and beer proved too heavy for a long hike back. However, the ferry option could work just as well in either direction as they are only around seven Euros per trip. Not only does the ferry offer an accessible option for those with mobility issues, it also offers a unique, river-level view of the Danube gorge, which is often described as the most beautiful section of this famous river.
Leaving the parking lot, we noticed a white marbled structure looming in the rolling hills above the upcoming path. Visitors can choose to follow a winding path upwards towards the Liberation Hall of Kielheim which celebrates the victory over Napoleon in the Wars of Liberation among the German tribes. This visit to the top offers a 360 view of the surrounding area, and another path ultimately leading to the Monastery. We chose to skip the visit as we were more interested in walking parallel the Danube, as in my opinion, this walk is more scenic. Nestled between forest growth, you can also view stone pillars jutting out of the river, as the Danube gorge begins. We took a break, flew the drone, and shot footage at a few pebble beaches nestled between these rocks.
After about an hour, we reached the end of the trail marked by yet another long pebble beach ending with stone wall jutting far into the river. We initially thought the path weaved around the stone, but upon further inspection, we fond nothing but the river’s swirling current. Soon realizing the the elevation the other visitors braved to experience the Liberation Hall was now upon us, we began searching for a path.
Turning to your right, focus up, into the hills, and there should be a narrow dirt path winding into the forest. This is not an official path, but rather the result of visitors such as us missing the earlier options to ascend the elevation via less formal means. Either way, if you are not wearing appropriate shoes, it is probably better to choose an earlier official path up as they are well maintained and plentiful. For those with hiking or walking shoes, fear not, as our haphazard footpath only winds for about five minutes before meeting the official path. The total elevation gained is only around 90 feet, and lasts about 15 minutes. Once at the top of the hill ridge, we continued along the flat wooded path, following signs on our left for the famous Weltenburg overlook point. Here hikers can clearly look over the old monastery nestled in the crook of the Danube river. We spent a lot of time here taking pictures and admiring the scenery.
After taking pictures, and admiring the view, we headed back to the path, turning left. Following the path as is re-descends the elevation we just gained, led to a paved road. At this point we started wondering how one actually accesses the Weltenburg Abbey, as the lookout point is situated on the opposite side of the river, with no visible bridge. Continuing down the paved road, my anxieties were quelled as I saw a tiny, improvised harbor, shewn from the stony bank. Here a boatman with a long and narrow motorboat shuttles hikers across the pass for a meager 1.50 Euros each one way (nur Bar).
Once off the boat, we walked up the pebble bank, and towards the Weltenburg courtyard entrance which serves as the central access point to the Baroque church, brewery, gift shop, and (most importantly)beer garden. The abbey also offers an indoor seating section, but like most beer gardens, nice weather allowing, the outdoor seating is the prime real-estate for an authentic Bavarian lunch.
After eating here, I can confidently say you’re absolutly obligated to to try the Weltenburg brew as it’s quite literally world famous, appearing on several “best of” beer lists. The monastery has had since 617 AD to perfect the Asam Boch, making it the oldest in brewery in Bavaria. This brew has a deeper look owing to the fact that it is a dark mature lager, touting a more complex flavor than your traditional Bavarian Helles. I opted for the Radler version (half beer half lemonade) as I have never enjoyed beer. Either way, I consider myself lucky to have sampled the Boch’s sweet yet earthy and rich taste. The food is equally excellent, and I find, to be a cut above most beer garden fare. I won’t recommend any specific dish, as it’s usually in your best interest to order the special as recommended by the server. That was our strategy both visits, and we weren’t disappointed. Save some room for dessert, as the Assam cake is also equally excellent and unique, as they use their home-made egg liquor in the icing.
On a final note, Weltenburg is so highly regarded in the region for it’s famous brew, historical heritage, and aesthetic location, that it has been graced with a strange European souvenir: the 0 Euro note. For Three Euros, you can purchase an official European Union bank note for zero Euros, featuring the Abbey. For those unfamiliar with the gimmick, these zero Euros notes are offical legal tenure, printed by the European Union hiding, speckled all around Europe, sometimes hiding in the most innocuous places such as this.
Although this brewery exists outside my many Alpine daytrip excursions, this monastic brewery represents one of my most favorite trips. This seemingly simple afternoon is an all rounder to me, as it offers idyllic hiking, unique views, excellent beer, good beer garden food, and a fun European novelty. As I continue to travel more in Germany and Europe in general, I find myself returning with family and friends to share in the experience.
