I based myself in Regensburg as I wanted to begin a new trail, the Donau-Panoramaweg. I managed to tackle the first leg, which ran from Neustadt an der Donau all the way to Kelheim, which was almost 24 kilometres long.
To start this trail, I took the train line linking Regensburg and Ingolstadt, the RB 17. After a short while, I was dropped off at the starting point, the town of Neustadt an der Donau.
There was actually a significant stretch of the trail that went through the town. The trail was paved asphalt here, as it was essentially the bike path or side walk, and therefore was not the greatest. However, I eventually reached the edge of the town, and slowly but surely the unpaved earth trail appeared.
I saw fields of hops. I didn't realise this was how hops grew. It's essentially a vine, and these vines are propped up on sticks. I just fields and fields full of these, and for a bit I didn't know what this plant was until I later looked it up.
I eventually found myself next to the Danube, yet on top of a hill. And at some point, I stumbled upon the ruins of a Roman castle, the Abusina. This archaeological ruins is near the town of Eining.
And then the muddy part of the trail begins. The stretch of the trail from Eining all the way to Weltenburg was just simply very muddy. I am glad that I had my hiking sticks with me, as it helped me immensely to remain stable as I navigated the mud, sticking on my boots. However, the positive side was that I actually was able to enjoy the sight of the Danube without any city or urban buildup whatsoever.
Eventually, I found myself at the Weltenburg Abbey. This monastery was found in the 600s, and is one of the world's first monastic breweries. When I got there, there were plenty of people having lunch, visiting the place, and buying beer. I just briefly checked out the surroundings, popping into the church, but eventually I moved on.
And finally, I reached Kelheim. There is the massive Liberation Hall on top of this town. I didn't visit it this time, as I learned that the next leg of this trail actually goes right in front of it. I'll check it out then. For now, I slowly descended the trail, and found the town centre, where I eventually caught a bus that took me to the closest train station.
This was a fun leg. And I am glad that I had hiking sticks now. It makes hiking so much easier with it.
