Kelheim: Cruise Landing, Old Town and Getting There

Kelheim between the Altmühl, the canal and the Danube

Kelheim is in Lower Bavaria, where three waterways run close together. The Altmühl and the Main–Danube Canal approach from the northwest; the canal runs north of the old town. The Danube flows south of the historic centre, and the waterways meet to the east.

The river-cruise landing marked on the town map is northwest of the old town, on the Main–Danube Canal. The landing for excursion boats on the Altmühl is immediately north of the town centre; the Danube landing points are to the south and southwest. Day trips to the Danube Gorge and Weltenburg depart from the Danube landing points.

Old Town and Ludwigsplatz

A crossroads divides the old town into four quarters. The Wittelsbach dukes laid out this structure at the end of the 12th century and during the first half of the 13th century. From the central crossroads, Ludwigsplatz stretches past the town halls to the monument to King Ludwig I. The Marian column in the square dates from 1700. The Old Town Hall was built in 1598 as the town clerk’s house and renovated in the 17th century; the neighbouring New Town Hall was built in the 16th century as a burgher’s commercial building. In 1607, Duke Maximilian I established a ducal wheat-beer brewery at the Weisses Bräuhaus.

Another monument from the time of Ludwig I stands on Michelsberg: the Befreiungshalle commemorates the Wars of Liberation of 1813–1815 and German unity. Friedrich von Gärtner began planning it in 1838; after his death in 1847, Leo von Klenze took over construction management and changed the façade design. The building was inaugurated on 18 October 1863. Its floor plan is an 18-sided polygon, with 18 colossal statues standing on the buttresses.

The interior also brings design and history together: Ludwig I wanted a circle of Victories, based on designs by Ludwig von Schwanthaler. A coffered ceiling, niches, arcades and a gallery define the space beneath the dome, which rises about 45 metres.

Arrival and getting oriented

Saal (Donau) railway station lies southeast of Kelheim; there is no active passenger rail service in the town itself. Wöhrdplatz/Zentrum is a central bus hub near the Danube and the old town.

To put the port in context, see the river-cruise overview, the Germany overview and the port directory for other shore-excursion destinations.