Dillingen on the Danube: A City Walk

Suddenly, there’s an iron tub in front of you. Just like that. On our stroll through the winding alleys of Dillingen’s Old Town, we pass beautiful old gabled houses, saddle roofs, brick buildings, and half-timbered façades.

Then, next to the City and Hofstift Museum – Hofstift refers to a historical ecclesiastical territory governed by a prince-bishop – we unexpectedly come across this peculiar fountain. What looks like the cast of a steel bathtub is actually a replica of the so-called Brandtaucher, the first German submarine.

A submarine? In the middle of Dillingen?

The fact that Wilhelm Bauer was born in the house next door in 1822, and that we’re in the hometown of the man who developed and built the first German submarine in 1850, seems fitting. After all, Dillingen isn’t one of the obvious stops on a trip to Bavaria. It’s a place that subtly holds its own among the urban heavyweights of Bavaria – such as Nuremberg, Munich, Augsburg, Würzburg, and Regensburg – and invites you to relax and simply go with the flow.

The Goldener Saal: Rococo in 3D

Dillingen an der Donau, located between Günzburg and Donauwörth in Bavarian Swabia, is often called the Swabian Rome due to its more than thousand-year history and numerous church steeples.

History greets us at every corner during our stroll through the city. For example, at the Basilica of St. Peter, a cathedral of the Diocese of Augsburg. Its octagonal tower extension was designed by Baroque architect David Mozart. His great-great-grandson later made his mark in music – one Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The proud castle, once the seat of the prince-bishops of Augsburg, is also steeped in history. As is the former Jesuit College University on Kardinal-von-Waldburg-Straße, now home to Bavaria’s central Academy for Teacher Training and Personnel Management.

The Goldene Saal, or Golden Hall, on the upper floor is a feast for the eyes, with its breathtaking fresco depicting the university buildings and the city as they appeared around 1740. The scene features stunning spatial effects and stucco ornaments that seem to grow right out of the ceiling painting.

The Danube River: The Primordial Soup of Kneipp’s Healing Arts

But Dillingen offers much more than historic castles and universities, churches tied to composers’ ancestors, and a fountain dedicated to a submarine inventor. Here, you can follow a trail exploring the legacy of Sebastian Kneipp.

The so called water doctor discovered his famous healing method in this very city during his theology and philosophy studies. Kneipp cured his life-threatening tuberculosis with icy winter baths in the Danube – laying the foundation for his now world-renowned and successful naturopathic practices.

“No matter how cool New Zealand was, in the end, I felt the pull of home. Because, deep down, I belong here.”

The seamless fusion of history and youthful urban life, where tradition and modern spirit converge and a fresh breeze enlivens the old setting, is beautifully embodied by Jakob Lenzer and his café, “Peng & Pane,” on Königstraße.

In his early thirties, Jakob is a baker from the long-established family business Himmelbäck in Lauingen, just five kilometers to the west. The Himmelbäck bakery has been a local institution for 300 years. On this warm early summer day, Jakob sits at one of the tables outside his café, sipping an espresso, and shares his story. After completing his apprenticeship, he ventured far from home, eventually spending over a year working on a kiwi farm in New Zealand – a breakaway from his tranquil roots to the other side of the planet.

“Getting away was important,” he says, adding that he often dreamed of the wider world. But in those distant places, his homeland unexpectedly became a place of longing. “No matter how cool New Zealand was, that’s when I realized I was being drawn back home. And that, in the end, I truly belong here.”

Dillingen’s Laid-Back Baker

After his time away, Jakob returned to Lauingen to work with his parents. Then came the opportunity involving the Dillingen Town Hall. The more than 500-year-old building had been almost completely destroyed in a devastating fire in July 2017, with flames consuming everything but the outer walls, from the roof beams all the way down.

The reconstruction took five years. Once the offices and meeting rooms were restored, the question arose: What – and who – would occupy the newly renovated old café on the ground floor?

The city leadership was clear: They didn’t want a franchise from a global coffee chain. Instead, they sought a regional tenant with local ties. Jakob was the perfect fit, with his dual concept of a bakery and café during the day and a bistro and wine bar in the evening.

Jakob often speaks about focusing on the essentials. As well as on slow baking – a fitting philosophy that harmonizes perfectly with the relaxed atmosphere of Dillingen’s Old Town.

Everything moves at a gentle pace, free of stress or rush. Calm and unhurried. The same vibe extends to Jakob’s evening concert series, “Peng and Piano,” featuring music and song nights with various artists on Königstraße.

Epic: Luitpoldhain and the Danube Forest

Jakob describes the area around the Dillingen Danube as an “epic landscape.” Whether it’s the Luitpoldhain in Lauingen – a park-like green oasis near the mouth of the Brenz – or the old riparian forest, with its smaller segments of the 60-kilometer-long Danube Forest Premium Hiking Trail. In 2020, this trail was voted the second most beautiful hiking route in Germany by the public.

“You simply have to allow yourself to enjoy the mix of city and countryside here.”

Amid the conversation, Jakob casually drops this wonderful statement: “You simply have to allow yourself to enjoy the mix of city and countryside here.” But where did the café’s name come from? Pane, of course, stands for bread. But Peng? That’s a nod to the popping corks when opening bottles of wine.

You’ll also find quirky names in a warehouse in Gundelfingen, a few kilometers west of Dillingen – at Frau Gruber. This craft brewery, founded by Enzo Frauenschuh and Matthias Gruber, takes its name from their surnames. The two met at the Gersthofen skate park while skateboarding and BMX biking.

What started as a vision became reality in 2017, when Enzo was working as a brewmaster at a major brewery in Augsburg, and Matthias had established a hops wholesale business. Together, they formed the perfect team, launching their first six beers onto the market. Today, they export to 22 countries, with their brews being particularly popular in Japan and Scandinavia.

Frau Gruber’s beers are not only known for their bold flavors but also their creative names: “Velvet Horizon,” “Cannibal King,” “Symphonic Distortion,” and “Hounds of Hell.” Speaking of Hell: they also brew a traditional Helles (traditional German pale lager) and even a Pilsner – though, within their experimental lineup, these classics feel almost exotic.

Cheers! Vanilla Muffin with Ten Percent

It’s the hop varieties that create adventurous flavor experiences and pack the punch. The beer, aptly named “Blueberry Vanilla Muffin,” delivers on its promise. As an Imperial Pastry Stout with over ten percent alcohol by volume, it’s a bold and intense brew that flows down the throat with serious heft.

Enzo and Matthias, the creative minds behind it, love experimenting and tinkering, they say. But no matter how globally they think or how much they travel, they don’t want to leave their roots. The pair often speak about their connection to Bavarian Swabia – even if they aren’t as active on their boards and bikes as they once were.

That’s a pity, because Dillingen has recently made big upgrades in this area. Right next to the Donau stadium, the local sports field, a skatepark and dirt park have sprung up over the last few years.

This space has become a popular hangout for local teens. This afternoon, too, the boys are performing jumps and tricks – some daring, some less so – but everyone seems to be having a great time.

Escaping and Unwinding at the Urban Beach

We leave the adrenaline-filled action behind and head back toward Königstraße. Passing through Entengasse and the Mitteltor, the last surviving city gate tower from Dillingen’s early flourishing in the 13th century. At first glance, the opposite side of the street isn’t particularly inviting. A plain modern building, a post office, an optician, and a dentist’s office dominate the view.

But through a small passage, we discover a truly exciting spot: On the terrace behind the building, an urban beach unfolds, complete with lounges, deckchairs, and plenty of sand. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a sundowner and ease into the approaching evening. The beach is run by the same team that operates the escape room directly below it.

One last stroll down Königstraße before saying goodbye. The street-side cafés are bustling, thanks in part to the teachers enjoying the summer evening after their training sessions at the nearby academy. To the left, Jakob stands in his Peng & Pane café, waving with a smile. He’s happy about his new place, as well as his hometown. He’s back, running a modern café that combines fresh ideas with his family’s age-old craft, as it’s been for 300 years. Or, as one might say: back to the roots.