by BavariaBen
Day Four 
After another outstanding breakfast at the Haus Karin - I stow my bags in the Frühstück room for pick-up later this morning when Larry is due to arrive in our rental car. Clear out my room - pay my bill for two days (44 Euro) - take a few photos of the house for this webpage - and walk on into the Altstadt to await the arrival of my old Amigo of the past 45 years. Right on time - Larry drives into the P4 parking lot and we catch up on each other's last few days. I learn of his fiasco at the Europcar rental desk trying to have me added to the contract as an authorized driver. We will spend a few hours later on in Regensburg squaring away that situation but for right now - let's get Larry to a bank and pick up my luggage.
In short order we are on our way to the Altmühltal and Weltenburg on the Danube (near Regensburg).
A few hours later we are pulling up in front of a nice looking farm just a few hundred meters from the Danube river.
Bauernhof/Ferienhof
Lehner-Köglmaier
Alte Dorfstraße 1
93309 Weltenburg
Tel - 9441/3550 ~ Fax - 9441/179660
Email - lehner@hallertau.net
Rooms & Apartments w/private bathroom/toilet, cable TV
Cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits, large deer enclosure, bikes available
The Kloster Weltenburg is an easy 15 minute walk from the farm (level walking)
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Accommodations are excellent - new light-wood furnishings throughout - large comfortable beds - recently renovated - everything clean and well maintained - 26 Euro per person |
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Soon after we check in and while Larry is recovering from jet lag - I walk down to the Danube and follow the paths to the Weltenburg Kloster. Tourist cars and buses are not allowed on the road out to the Kloster. Park at the large parking lot near the main road and walk or take the one Pedicab located at the beginning of the little jaunt. Lots of folks enjoying this walk today going in both directions. Arriving at the Kloster you will find a nice large Biergarten located in the inner courtyard. On this nice weather day the tables and benches are occupied by a lively crowd enjoying the food, drinks and conversation. This Benedictine abbey of Weltenburg is the oldest monastery in Bavaria and they have been brewing Bier here since 1058.
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I return to the farm and find Larry alive and kicking, ready for his first big meal of this trip. We head out to Essing where there is a small brewery/gasthaus that has been recommended to us by one of our Stammtisch members - Chuck (Charbown).
Brauereigasthof
Schneider
Josef und Ute Schneider
Altmühlgasse 10
93343 Essing
Tel - 9447/91800 ~ Fax - 9447/918020
Email - brauereigasthof.schneider@vr-web.de
This Gasthof has a very nice restaurant and since it was such a nice day we headed for the little Biergarten setting outside next to the canal. The Putenschnitzel (grilled) with veggies and rice was excellent as was the Helles Bier. Our waitress fetched the owner Josef and he joined us for a bit as we talked of our mutual friend. Nice place Chuck! Thanks for the recommendation and now you have two more recommending it.
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Day Five
Excellent Frühstück buffet to include perfect soft-boiled eggs. Frau Gabriele Lehner is a very nice hostess who also speaks a little English.
Our first mission today is to drive to Regensburg to find
the Europcar office there so that we can officially add my name to the list of authorized drivers of the rental
car (even tho I had been driving since Larry showed up). The brochure for Europcar listed an office at the Hauptbahnhof
and we found the train station without problem. Larry drives around in circles while I run in and wait in lines
and get misdirected several times, only to find out that we need to go to another location in the city to take
care of our problem. I purchase a city map in the Bahnhof gift shop and after a short tour of town we find the
correct office and take care of business. Surprisingly, no additional cost added to the invoice for the extra driver
added. Regensburg is an OK city (the Altstadt is very nice) but it is a bigger city than we care to cruise around
in. So very quickly we are ready for the rural countryside again and off we go towards the Altmühltal.
This afternoon we head in the direction of Dietfurt and the little village of Mühlbach. The Gasthof we are in search of has also been recommended by Chuck - Charbown - who told us to stop by for a Bier or lunch and meet his old friends - the owners.
Hotel Landgasthof Zum Wolfsberg
Familie Mehringer
Riedenburger Straße 1
92345 Mühlbach im Altmühltal
Tel - 8464/1757 ~ Fax - 8464/8176
Email - info@ZumWolfsberg.de
Herr Mehringer and his lovely wife Renate greeted us warmly and seemed very pleased to meet Chuck's Stammtisch friends. We chatted with Renate over Bier and when we were ready to leave I tried to leave a few Euro to pay for Chuck and Margie's Bier when they arrived later in the month. She would have nothing to do with it and refused to accept any payment for the Bier we were drinking. So thanks again Chuck! Nice place...
Back on the road heading in the direction of Riedenburg
I spot a Sommerrodelbahn and can't resist the need for speed. This was the AltmühlBob at
St. Agatha 6 - Riedenburg and it turned out to be a fun run about a kilometer long. Unlike the concrete or metal
half-tube luge runs that we are used to - this is a raised track and the sleds appear to be secured to the rails
so that you can run hard and don't have to worry about flying off the track.
Larry and I are just like a couple of
kids when it comes to Sommerrodelbahn.
The last time I was in this area I was with my family
and the weather was not so good so we didn't do alot of exploring. It was then that I had spotted the unique little
Castle Prunn and vowed to return on a clear day for pictures and a tour of the
interior. This old castle, built on one of those large vertical Jurassic rocks and towering above the Altmühl
valley, was first mentioned in documents in the year 1037. We followed a backroad up the hill and took the tour
with a small group of Germans. It was easy enough to follow along with the English text provided by the ticket
counter. The castle is open daily, except Mondays, from April thru September.
We return to Weltenburg, are joined by other guests
at the Ferienhof, and receive a special tour of the farm provided by the owners. Another warm and friendly farm
family who go out of their way to show kindness to their guests. Afterwards Larry and I walk a few doors down from
the farm to the Klostergasthof Weltenburg at Alte Dorfstraße 3 where we enjoy excellent Gulasch soup, large
Schnitzels and the very smooth Bier brewed at the Kloster.
(Small Weltenburg church in main village)
