I had no idea Buttenwiesen was along the Via Danubia. Did you? It sounds more exotic than it really is — a mere 2850 km hiking route along the entire Danube River.
Yeah, that’s sarcasm. A mere 2850 km? Who’s got that kind of time?
It’s all right if you don’t, just so long as what little you do, you’re hiking the region right here in Bavarian Swabia.
There’s something wonderful about the Danube; it’s been traveled by everyone from the Romans to Napoleon, right down to modern day travelers on cookie-cutter river cruisers. But you really do need to come inland here. How else are you going to see the modern works of art along the Skulpturenweg, or Sculpture Trail?
You know a town in Bavarian Swabia isn’t going to disappoint if you’re looking after old churches either. Some are “modern” by German standards, like the St. Martin Church in a district known as Pfaffenhofen an der Zusam — it was built in the 1720s. What? That is young considering the St. Trinity Church is a Gothic church from the 1400s, and the St. Stephen Church in the village of Hinterried is even older that that.
Buttenwiesen even has an old Jewish history. The town’s synagogue had been here from the mid-19th century, as well as its Jewish cemetery. If you’re one to appreciate religious art, or art in any form, you need to see the pieta in Lauterbach’s 18th century chapel.
You don’t need to spend every minute in Buttenwiesen looking at old churches, ya know (ain’t nothing wrong with that though). This is Swabia, so find yourself a proper hiking trail, and look around. There’s a good number of bicycle trails, too. A really relaxing way to just enjoy the scenery is at the solar-powered swimming pool. Forget that — it’s got a waterslide. Look out below…
For the most part, Buttenwiesen has everything and anything you could ask for: old churches, a scenic route, and some of the prettiest countryside in the world. Huh… no wonder everyone seems to love the Danube, and Buttenwiesen for that matter.