The Altmühl is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a tributary of the Danube and 230 km in length.
The source of the Altmühl is located close to the city of Ansbach. From here the river runs southeastwards as a narrow brook to enter the Altmühlsee (a lake) north of Gunzenhausen. After leaving Gunzenhausen the river describes a broad curve through the Frankish Alb. It enters the Altmühl Valley Nature Park, which is famous for its natural beauty: The meanders of the Altmühl River have cut deep gorges into the mountains of the Frankish Alb.
The Altmühl passes the cities of Treuchtlingen, Eichstätt and Beilngries. Behind Beilngries the river bed was straightened and integrated into a canal connecting Main and Danube. In spite of protests by conservationists this canal was opened in 1992 and destroyed much of the beauty of the eastern Altmühl Valley.
About 200,000 years ago, when the primeval Danube was running in the bed of the Altmuehl, ice age hunters were living in the caves of Essing
In the burial grounds there were flat graves of the early Bronze Age, tumuli of the late Bronze Age, chambers of urns, stone graves, and flat graves of the Hallstatt and of the La-Tene period.
The first document use of the name Kelheim was 866 A. when a nobleman named "Chrefting de Cheleheim" was mentioned in a contract.
The valley of the river Altmuehl is fascinating in a way, that transponds you into the old pre-industrial times.
With only 230 km the valley of Altmuehl might be too short a distance for your tour.
Either combined with the Danube or the Lovely Tauber Valley or spending a holiday in the region, the Altmuehl is one of the rare rivers, which preserved the local character and tranquility of nature.
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