Easy hikes and walks around Günzburg

The Lower Gate with its clock tower is one of Günzburg's landmarks. However, it is far more than just a striking, representative feature. It was once one of the most important entrances to the city. The tower keeper lived at the top and had to ring the bells hourly, day and night, so that the citizens knew someone was on watch. The many windows were not decorative, but provided a panoramic view. From here, the watchmen kept a lookout for enemies and fires.

Krumbad is considered the oldest spa town in Swabia. Its history is linked to a special raw material: Krumbach bathstone. As early as the 16th century, this claystone was considered a remedy for ailments such as rheumatism, arthritis, tension, and skin problems. The bathstone was mined around the spa town at a depth of three to five meters. After drying, it is extracted into a fine powder, which, when mixed with water, is applied to the body as a healing mud.

The former synagogue of the Jewish community of Hürben was located in the heart of the old town center. Its location illustrates how Jewish life was once an integral part of everyday life here. The synagogue could accommodate up to 200 people. The building was looted during Kristallnacht in 1938, set on fire a year later, and finally destroyed. Today, a remnant of wall marks the site of the synagogue, and a memorial stone commemorates the fourteen people who were deported and murdered. An inscription bearing the dates 1504 and 1942 marks the beginning and the violent end of Jewish life in Hürben.

Krumbach's market square is the town's historical heart. Protected from flooding, it sits on a small plateau. The most striking building is undoubtedly the historic half-timbered town hall, dating from 1679. The square was formerly used as a granary. Here, trade, government, and daily life took place.

A moated castle on dry land? Until the 16th century, the Kammel River flowed directly past this spot. Surrounded by a pond and marshy terrain, Hürben Castle once stood like an island. To prevent the building from sinking into the soft ground, it was built on massive wooden piles in the 15th century. The walls, which widen towards the bottom, also stabilize the structure. That the construction has stood since 1474 is truly remarkable. Today, the castle houses the Swabia District's advisory center for folk music.

In the past, numerous mills lined the banks of the water. There were once 24 of them on the Kammel River. One of them was located right here at the weir. First mentioned in the 15th century, it operated until 1966. Today, it generates electricity. And so, the mill wheel still turns at the Lower Mill.

The farmstead near Ichenhausen aims to vividly depict daily life in an early Celtic settlement. Reconstructed as closely as possible to archaeological finds by the local cultural and recreational association, the complex includes a herb garden, a storage granary on wooden stilts, a dwelling with clay walls, and a pit house. Medicinal plants served as a home pharmacy, and raised storage areas protected supplies from rodents. The construction methods are also revealing. Timber framing, wattle and daub, and clay allude to techniques later found in half-timbered houses.

The burial mounds on the Celtic Trail near Ichenhausen are hardly visible today. Wind, weather and centuries of agriculture have greatly flattened their shape. Some of the more than 2500-year-old tombs can be found along the path. Originally, these were impressive earthworks. The deceased were probably given grave goods for the afterlife. So far, the Ichenhausen burial mounds have not been opened. They are under strict monument protection.