Farmers, monasteries, culinary delights

The starting point is Memmingen railway station. It has lifts on all platforms.

To reach the iSi-Bike service shop, you need about 12 minutes on foot from the railway station. You walk a little way through Memmingen's old town centre, which is considered one of the best-preserved old towns in southern Germany. Shortly before you reach the bike hire shop, you will pass St Martin's Church, whose history dates back to the 9th century and which is one of the oldest churches in Upper Swabia.

At the iSi Bike Serviceshop, every cyclist is well looked after, whether it's a purchase or a repair, whether the bike is powered by physical strength (bio-bike) or electrically assisted.

The shop also has a small stock of hire bikes. These are two e-bikes and an organic bike, each in 28-inch format. Anyone interested in renting a bike should call iSi Bike about one to two weeks in advance to enquire about and secure the availability of the bikes for the time of the excursion.

You drive out of town through the Lindau Gate. It came under heavy fire during the Thirty Years' War, as the cannonball on the west side of the gate reminds us.

After Hitzenhofen, you reach a wooded area with romantic hollow paths. You may notice that there is a special tree with a face at the intersection of the five paths. Shortly afterwards, at Füllenbach, you can admire a beaver dam.

In Kardorf you come to the Kardorf reservoir and from here you cycle along the Iller to Illerbeuren.

The Swabian Farm Museum was founded in 1955. 32 houses represent historically grown agricultural building ensembles that combined living and working. Entire farms in their functional units, including workshops, technical equipment and stables, are open to visitors.

Numerous animals and plants are at home on the extensive grounds. They vividly convey how animal husbandry worked in the past, to the delight of all animal lovers. The historical crop varieties grown here include old grain varieties in three-field farming. A separate area is dedicated to the care and cultivation of espaliered fruit.

A chapel true to the original was built and old grave crosses already existed on the site, so that religious customs and burial rites can also be thematised as an important cultural element of rural life.

The history of shooting culture is a new addition. The weapons collection ranges from historical crossbows and tournament bows to matchlock muskets from the Thirty Years' War and modern precision sporting weapons.

The Gromerhof museum inn not only serves as an exhibit of Bavarian innkeeping culture, but is also open outside museum hours: Tuesday to Thursday 11:30 to 18:00; Friday to Sunday 11:30 to 24:00. Tel. (0 83 94) 5 94.

If you fancy a dip after the sightseeing, there is a bathing beach on the left before the bridge in Illerbeuren.

Cycle westwards via Aichstetten and later along the Rappenbach. The route then meanders a little to Rot an der Rot. At Langensteig, you pass the neo-Gothic pledge chapel, which was built in 1866 by the then owner of the land. Before setting off on his journey to America, where he wanted to make his fortune as a gold prospector, he had vowed to build a chapel here when he returned in good health.

The last stretch before the next stage destination is an idyllic cycle along the cycle path along the River Rot to Rot an der Rot.

The Upper Gate was built in 1716 and was the western entrance to the Premonstratensian monastery complex, which was rebuilt at the time. The complex had been destroyed by arson in 1681. The baroque monastery was then rebuilt. So was the Upper Gate with its neo-baroque paintings. It served as a gate tower until secularisation and the interior was used as a recreation room and living quarters for the guards at the time. It was then used in various ways, at times as a storage room, a school and a clubhouse.

Since 2016, part of the estate of the painter Alois Springer has been on display in the north wing of the gate. However, the gallery is currently closed.

To the left of the Upper Gate and not to be overlooked is the monastery church of St Verena.

A Premonstratensian abbey was founded in Rot as early as 1126 by St Norbert of Xanten. Today's church had several predecessor buildings that were destroyed or damaged in fires or wars. After a major fire in 1681, the entire monastery complex was rebuilt in the Baroque style.

Abbot Mauritius Moritz had it demolished against the will of the convent. He had designed a new church himself, but did not manage to realise its construction during his lifetime. His successor took care of the new building.

The church of St Verena was built between 1777 and 1786. It combines elements of the Baroque with those of Classicism. For example, in the design of the high altar, which was created by Franz Xaver Feuchtmayer the Younger (1735 to 1803).

The painter and architect Januarius Zick (1730 to 1797) took over the rich pictorial decoration of the church.

The stalls, decorated with numerous symbols, were created by Andreas Etschmann in 1692. It depicts all the founders of the order in the back row. The stalls were taken over from the previous building and adapted to the then new church in 1784.

Cycle along the Rot as far as Eichenberg, then continue via Berkheim to Memmingen. Here you pass the Westertor gate, which was built as a town gate as early as 1150, when Memmingen became a town. In the 14th century, it was replaced by a saddle roof gate. After it came under fire during the Thirty Years' War, it had to be renovated in 1648. It was remodelled in its current form in 1660.

If you have a hire bike from iSi Bike Serviceshop, you should have returned your bike by 17:30. Then treat yourself to a cosy end to the day in Josepp's Brauhaus, a pub located just 180 metres from the bike shop on the Schweizerberg.

The modern building surprises with a traditional Upper Swabian inn, which also brews its own beer. Initially, the brewery operated under the name Barfüßer,

Three beers are brewed here, a light and a dark bottom-fermented beer, as well as a top-fermented Hefeweizen.

The food is plentiful and the prices are moderate. The restaurant is very popular and reservations are requested in advance for groups of four or more. However, it is always possible to take a seat on the terrace without a reservation.

From Josepp's Brauhaus it is only an 11-minute walk to Memmingen railway station, just like from the bike hire. Well fortified, you can take your train from here for a comfortable journey home.