Romantic travelling in the Tauberland

There are 48 bicycle parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the railway station.

The starting point is Rothenburg o.d. Tauber railway station. Taubertal bike hire will deliver your bike directly to the station by prior arrangement.

Touring bikes and e-bikes are delivered directly to the location in and around Rothenburg ob der Tauber. A reservation is required in advance. The bike will be ready by 9 a.m. at the latest on the morning the hire starts.

Interested parties should book the desired bike or bikes using the booking form on the homepage.

Hire costs 35 euros per day, with delivery and collection costing a further 60 euros. A bike bag can also be hired for 3 euros.
Radverleih Taubertal does not have a shop, so it can only be contacted by e-mail or telephone.

From the railway station, you cycle southwards out of Rothenburg and initially follow the course of the Tauber. You cycle along the former railway line between Rothenburg and Dohmbühl, which was opened in 1905 and closed in 1971. The old Bockenfeld railway station still stands as a reminder of this period.

At Diebach, there is a small bathing pond to the right of the path. A good opportunity for a refreshing dip. Below Diebach, you cross the Tauber and cycle parallel to the Östheimer Mühlbach stream. About three kilometres south of Diebach, you will see the pond called "Bodenloses Loch" on your left. Please look carefully, as the pond is so small that it is easy to cycle past without having seen it. But the little detour is worth it.

The "bottomlessness" of this natural monument is not to be taken literally. It is a gypsum karst spring.

Every second, 60 to 80 litres of water flow out of a 6-metre-deep and 8-metre-wide gorge in the middle of the 15-metre-wide pond, the so-called hole. The water contains calcium sulphate, i.e. gypsum in dissolved form. The spring was created by karstification of a layer of gypsum in the ground. The water has to penetrate overlying layers of clay in order to reach the surface. It has found its outlet in the funnel-shaped hole. The blue to turquoise shimmering gorge is overgrown with numerous aquatic plants. The spring water flows into the Tauber via the Oestheimer Bach stream.

You now cycle back a short distance to reach the path towards Oberoestheim. Now it's uphill and over the 530 metre high Eichelberg. You are still on the former railway line. Shortly after Wittum there is an old stone railway bridge.

Through Wörnitz, you pass the church of St Martin, which was built in the 16th century. After four kilometres, you have reached the Nature & Pond Adventure Park in Dombühl. It is located right next to the nature adventure pool. Another good opportunity to refresh yourself a little after the mountain tour.

The adventure park creates a lively link between knowledge transfer and recreation. The former carp ponds are designed as an information park. There are barrier-free paths and recreational oases with benches between the ponds. Visitors can learn interesting facts about the importance and development of pond farming in the region. The walk through the grounds is also a nature trail. There is also a boules court, which invites you to play together. You can also let off steam on the nearby beach volleyball court and table tennis tables.

From Dombühl, your path now leads northwards. Once again, the route climbs up to Bergfeld. Another dip in the cool water beckons when you pass the fish house at the natural outdoor pool. You have reached Schillingsfürst. The town lies impressively before you, with the baroque castle standing on its heights. The source of the Wörnitz rises in Schillingsfürst.

On the way to the castle, you pass the historic water tower. Built in 1902, it was used to supply the inhabitants with water until the 1970s. Today, a spiral staircase leads up to it and is accompanied by murals by the painter Michel Leroux depicting the history of Schillingsfürst.

The baroque castle, now the landmark of the town of Schillingsfürst, was built after the Thirty Years' War, in which the previous building, a castle, had been destroyed. Construction work began in 1705. The building was completed around 1750.
The Princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst had their seat here for centuries.
Today, the baroque palace is open to the public as a cultural centre. A visit to the museum brings princely splendour and lifestyle to life. The main areas of the castle with original furnishings are on display. The museum can only be visited with a guided tour.

The princely falconry centre is also part of the castle grounds. Flying displays of various birds of prey are shown here.
Flight show 11 am and 3 pm
Guided tours of the castle at 12 noon, 2 pm and 4 pm

If you also want to indulge in culinary delights, we recommend a visit to the Schillingsfürst Castle Café. The terrace offers a wonderful view of the valley. There are Franconian dishes and regional beer as well as sweet treats from the in-house patisserie (Am Wall 10, 91583 Schillingsfürst, phone 9868 7406, www.schlosscafe-schillingsfuerst.de, Tue-Sun 10am-2pm).

Your return journey takes you back to Diebach on the little-travelled country road 2247. From here, the route follows the former railway embankment along the Tauber back to Rothenburg ob der Tauber railway station.