Via Nova pilgrimage route: Kelheim - Bad Abbach section

The Via Nova stage is almost 20 km long and begins in the old town of Kelheim heading north. You leave the old town along Altmühlstraße and cross the Main-Danube Canal via the cycle and pedestrian bridge. Shortly after the Goldberg Clinic, follow the cloister uphill in an easterly direction. Please follow the Jurasteig signs on this section. Past the Waldbaumschule, along the edge of the slope, you can enjoy the view over the mouth of the Main-Danube Canal into the Danube and the old town of Kelheim at various points. Several benches invite you to take a break.

Leave the Jurasteig trail at Kelheimwinzer and follow the Via Nova signs downhill towards the Danube. In Kelheimwinzer you should visit the old Church of St. James and take a break on the church forecourt. Information boards at this point provide information about the East Bavarian Way of St. James that crosses here.

From Kelheimwinzer via Herrnsaal to Kapfelberg, follow the signs for the Danube Panorama Trail. The path leads you along the Danube cycle path directly downstream along the Danube towards Regensburg. In Kapfelberg itself, the pilgrimage route follows the Jurasteig trail again for a short stretch so as not to skip the town center and the church. If you would like to stop for a bite to eat at this point, please continue along the Danube Panorama Trail to pass the marina and the restaurant.

After Kapfelberg, the trail now leads you along the Jurasteig or Donaupanoramaweg through a shady forest towards Poikam. To visit the church in Poikam, you have to leave the path briefly and cross the Danube embankment. Shortly after Poikam, you will reach the leisure island of Bad Abbach, an artificial island created by the construction of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. If the weather is suitable, the island pool invites you to take a refreshing dip in the cool water.

Cross the pedestrian bridge to reach the stage destination of Bad Abbach. Enjoy the peace and quiet in the spa gardens, visit the Kaiser-Therme spa or take advantage of the wide range of restaurants and cafés to fortify yourself for the next stage.