View of the Neuburg Danube Gorge from Finkenstein

4 km west of Neuburg, directly on the Danube, rises steeply over the Danube of the Finkenstein. From 200 meters above the Danube located rocks enjoy a great view down into the Danube valley. The rock is located in the middle of the 4.2 hectare nature reserve Finkenstein.

In the west of the Neuburg-Schrobenhausen district and in the adjacent Donauries district, the Danube flows in a valley that is bordered to the north by the Southern Franconian Jura and to the south by the Aindlinger Terraced Staircase. Towards the east, the valley narrows, and the Danube flows into the Danube Gorge, which is a few hundred meters wide. The "Nature 2000" area stretches from Neuburg to the western district border. It essentially includes the Danube floodplains between Bertoldsheim and Stepperg and the adjacent Danube Gorge at Finkenstein. The floodplain, which is very narrow here, is bordered to the south and north by the steep slopes of the Franconian Jura. This area is of European importance as the largest, self-contained floodplain forest complex in Bavaria with large backwater and floodplain stream systems. It is one of the few areas on the Bavarian Danube with a high groundwater level and frequent flooding. The floodplain forests in the Lech estuary and the backwaters are of great ornithological importance for woodpeckers, collared flycatchers, marsh harriers and kingfishers, among others. The endangered great crested newt and yellow-bellied toad are also still native there. In the Danube breakthrough valley you can also find the Jura slopes and their typical vegetation, such as lean grasslands, juniper heaths and rock crevices, as well as steep slope forests with transitions into the hardwood floodplain. This area is also the only location in the world for the Bavarian feather grass (Stipa bavarica). The development goals in this area include promoting the dynamics of the river in the floodplain, improving the structure of the forests and expanding the softwood and hardwood floodplains on areas that have previously been used intensively for agriculture.The various habitats in this area are natural, eutrophic lakes, near-natural dry limestone grasslands, moist tall herbaceous meadows and alluvial forests, lean lowland meadows, limestone cliffs with crevice vegetation and woodruff beech forests. Rare species such as orchids, including the lady's slipper, winter horsetail, the world's only occurrence of Bavarian feather grass, yellow-bellied toad, great crested newt, agile frog, beaver, gentian and blue butterfly are still native to this landscape. Source: neuburg-schrobenhausen.de/index.php?id=1375,95

Leave the Danube Cycle Path and after a short climb you will enjoy this wonderful view. After the subsequent descent, the legs are ready to tear down more KM.