Explore Kempten by bike

There are 155 bicycle parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the station.

Leave the station via Ostbahnhofstraße, Schumacher- and Adenauerring.

Then keep going in the direction of the Iller. It is a good 2 kilometre walk to the bike rental, but the walk along the banks of the Iller compensates with beautiful views of the city.

In the mountainous landscape around Kempten, you quickly get out of breath on a bike. That's why "bikecheckpoint" offers e-bikes for rent. From € 45 per day, everyone can get the necessary tailwind. Repairs are also carried out.

The new shop is located at
Brodkorbweg 10
87437 Kempten
Tel.: 0831 93065830

E-bike rental is still located at
Weidacherweg 104
87437 Kempten
Tel.: 0151 59466645
Rental pick-up: Fridays until 6 p.m.
Drop-off: Sundays at 7 p.m.

From the Bikecheckpoint you now cycle along the other side of the Iller.

You will quickly reach the old town of Kempten.

Kempten's town hall stretches for a long time on the former market square. The building with the white façade was erected in 1474, but underwent several alterations thereafter. In the Middle Ages, the three-storey building was used, among other things, as a court and as a town council building. The stepped gable on the east side is worth seeing. Above it are coats of arms of earlier patrician families. Today, Kempten's mayor has his seat in the town hall, as does the town council. In front of the building is a market fountain from the 17th century.

You can also push your bike to the next attraction, which is only about 300 metres from the town hall.

St. Mang is the oldest church in Kempten. The building dates largely from the 15th century and was the centre of the Reformed church in the Kempten area from 1527. The church's present appearance corresponds to a rococo-style remodelling that took place in the 18th century. The church's greatest treasure is its high altar, which has been there since 1906. It was awarded a gold medal at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, then purchased by a wealthy Kempten factory owner and installed in St. Mang. The richly decorated mayor's lodge is also beautiful to look at. St. Mang is one of the two most important churches in Kempten, which was a divided city until 1818. The Catholic monastery town of Kempten with its basilica of St. Lorenz as the spiritual centre and the secular imperial town of Kempten with St. Mang stood opposite each other as competitors.

You now cycle over the Iller bridge and then a short distance along the river.

You pass the Engelhalde Landscape Park, a green area with a small pond.

The small river that winds first to the right and later to the left of the path is the Bachtelbach. It flows through the Bachtelweiher, a small recreational area on the outskirts of the city.

The pond was created in the 13th century by the Kempten prince abbey at the foot of the Lenzfried ridge for carp breeding. It also served to operate the Bachtelmühle mill. However, that has long been history. Today, the pond is a popular destination for excursions. It is home to the "Bachtelweiher Garden" with a mini-golf course, petting zoo, beer garden, café and restaurant. There is also a bathing area. To the south-east of the lake is a wetland biotope with meadows and woods. The lake and its surroundings can be explored on a circular path.

This stage is partly steeply uphill. From the village of Hochstraß, you can take a breather and enjoy the view over Kempten and the Allgäu Alps.

You will pass through Leubas, a village that was completely burnt down during a battle in the course of the Peasants' War in 1525.

A little later, you cross the Leubas River, where the fighting took place. It nestles in a wooded setting. You follow it to the height of the village of Heising and turn into the small village a little later. At its northern end is your next destination: the "Sieben Schwaben" inn.

Even the façade of this rustic inn makes you want to stop in. Inside the rurally furnished restaurant, so-called "good home cooking" is served. With "Allgäuer Schnitzel with cheese breading and chips", "Krustenbraten" or "Sieben-Schwaben-Topf" with homemade spaetzle and medallions of beef or pork, even the hungriest cyclists will be satisfied. The prices are moderate.

The route from Heising back to the Leubas is the same as the approach route. Just before the river, however, continue to the right.

Many small and larger highlights await you on the route. You pass under a railway viaduct, an old pumping station, a former flour mill and the Mühlbach canal. In the process, you follow the Leubas to its mouth into the Iller. Now this river temporarily becomes your companion.

On the bank opposite the cycle path, steep rock faces sometimes tower up. Shortly after Neuhausen, in the village of Heiligkreuz, it is worth taking a look at the church of the same name, which used to be a place of pilgrimage because of a "blood miracle".

But you should not miss out on a visit to the St. Lorenz Basilica in Kempten for this. It is a landmark of the city.

The basilica with its two onion domes owes its existence to a catastrophe. When the previous building and the associated monastery were destroyed by the Swedes and citizens of the imperial city during the Thirty Years' War, the then prince abbot of the Benedictine monastery commissioned a new building for the monastery, residence and church. In 1652, the foundation stone was laid for the first baroque monastery complex in Germany. St. Lorenz was both a collegiate and parish church until its secularisation in 1802. A lattice separated the areas: the choir was reserved for the convent, the nave for the people.

Inside, the numerous altars, the sculptural stucco work and the intricately carved choir stalls are worth seeing. The state rooms of the adjacent residence can be visited on a guided tour. Visitors gain an insight into the life of the former prince abbots. In addition to the living and sleeping quarters, visitors can also see the ceremonial hall and the opulent throne room.

The Fürstäbtliche Residenz also has a baroque courtyard garden, which is a popular meeting place in Kempten.

You have to push your bike in the park, but it's worth the effort. Depending on the season, the splendour of the flowers changes. At the north end of the garden is an orangery palace that used to house delicate plants. Today, the building houses the city library.

The park is on the way to the bicycle rental and offers a perfect setting for a last rest before the journey home. Whether on a bench or on the lawn, you will find relaxation and beautiful photo motifs here.