By Vicky · Published Oct. 5th, 2023 · Updated Jan. 12th, 2024
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Dinkelsbühl is a picturesque medieval town in Bavaria and a walking tour takes you to its charming half-timbered houses and historic streets. It’s quieter and less touristy than Rothenberg ob der Tauber, sometimes known as its sister city, but at the same time it is quite a lot smaller.
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Location
This walk starts from Wörnitztor, a gate in the outer city walls of Dinkelsbühl. Park at one of the free lots outside the town walls such as Parkplatz P4. These are easily accessible from the main road. Parking within the town is limited to one hour.
Dinkelsbühl Walking Tour Map
Tips for Dinkelsbühl Walking Tour
- It can be touristy, especially in summer, but when walking around the walls you’ll leave most people (and the cars) behind.
- Reserve restaurants in the summer months
- After Dinkelsbühl, head north on the Romantic Road to explore Rothenberg ob der Tauber, or turn southeast to the walled city of Nördlingen or the cute town of Donauwörth. Alternatively, head to the historic city of Nuremberg.
- Check out other walks on our Germany Hiking Page.
Top Sights in Dinkelsbühl
On this self-guided walking tour you’ll see the main sites and attractions of Dinkelsbühl. You only need half a day or up to one day to explore Dinkelsbühl.
- Wörnitztor
- Haus der Geschichte
- Dinkelsbühl Old Town
- Dinkelsbühl Walls
Dinkelsbühl Walking Tour Route
This walking tour starts from the Wörnitztor.
1. Wörnitztor
Wörnitztor* is one of the town’s impressive gates, half grey and half orange. The gate dates back to the 14th century and provides a great introduction to Dinkelsbühl’s medieval architecture.
Directions: Head through the gate to the little square. The tourist information (open 10am-4pm weekends year-round, weekdays 9am-17:30pm May-Oct and 10am-5pm Nov-Apr) and the Haus der Geschichte are in the building to the left. Even if you don’t visit the museum, you can go into the courtyard and explore the two dungeons on either side.
2. Haus der Geschichte
Key Information: Open May-Oct 9am-5:30pm weekdays, 10-4pm weekends and open Nov-Apr 10am-5pm weekdays, 10-4pm weekends. Tickets cost €4/2 per adult/child. An audio guide (English) is included in the ticket price.
The Haus der Geschichte (Website, Tripadvisor Reviews*) is located in the old town hall. It’s a great history museum, with informative and well-laid-out exhibits. In Medieval Times Dinkelsbühl was an Imperial City and a significant town in the region, so it has an interesting history and you can see many paintings, exhibits and artefacts here.
Directions: Continue walking down the street and you’ll be in the centre of town.
3. Dinkelsbühl Old Town
Dinkelsbühl Old Town* has many historic buildings dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The main square to the right is the Marktplatz. Here, you’ll find many colorful houses with intricate facades.
St. Paul’s Church
The church to the left is St. Paul’s Church, an Evangelical church with a rather plain interior.
Münster St. George
Münster St. George* is a beautiful Gothic church in the heart of Dinkelsbühl and the main church of town. Take some time to explore both the exterior and interior of this impressive church. While the exterior is rather plain, the interior has an intricate altar and a beautiful vaulted ceiling. Additionally, there are beautiful stained glass windows – look out for the fun Pretzel Window, donated by the town’s baker’s guild.
Make sure to walk all the way around the outside of the church as there are interesting crypts and sculptures along the way.
Directions: Continue walking up the main street to the right.
Weinmarkt
Weinmarkt is a charming, broad street lined with half-timbered houses. This area is especially picturesque, and you can enjoy some traditional German architecture here with some lovely restaurants and terraces. The obvious Deutsches Haus, now a hotel, is perhaps the most beautiful house in town.
Directions: Head onwards towards the tower at the end of the street. Just before you get there, detour into a courtyard on the right to see the old Spitalhof. Then continue to the tower.
4. Dinkelsbühl Walls
You can’t walk on top of the walls (they are too thin) but you can walk around the outside and inside of them, passing many towers, gates, and the moat along the way. The first tower you reach is the Rothenburger Tor, a well-preserved town gate with a picturesque tower.
Head out of the gate and around the lake for great views back towards the walls and towers. Return into the city at the next tower, and take the first right to walk along the inside of the walls, past several towers.
History of Dinkelsbühl
Dinkelsbühl grew up around a royal palace of the Carolingian kings in the 8th century. Destroyed neither in the Thirty Year’s War nor during the bombings of the Second World War, Dinkelsbühl remains an authentic medieval town and one of the top stops on the Romantic Road through Bavaria.
Segringer Tor is the next main city gate tower. Walk through this tower, then take the steps leading down into the moat. Here you’ll pass several more towers and then reach a garden. Head right to reach the track and then across a fun wooden bridge back into the town.
After walking along the inside of the walls you’ll reach grand Nördlinger Tor. Leave through this gate and you’ll see a museum in a lovely old building to the left.
The Museum of the 3rd Dimension is a small, slightly strange museum of optical illusions, holograms and trick-eye exhibits. Open Apr-Oct, Tue-Sun, 11am-5pm. Open weekends the rest of the year. Tickets €10/6 per adult/child. You can get a brochure in English to explain the displays.
Keep left on the path around the museum to its backside. Here you can enter a small courtyard and climb up a staircase to walk on this small section of wall. Afterwards, head left along the path through the park by the side of a picturesque moat.
You’ll soon come to a wooden bridge. Head across to walk back towards the centre of town. This is the end of the Dinkelsbühl Walking Tour. From here you can continue wandering around the town further, or grab a cake and coffee in one of the many cafes around the main square.
Best Places to stay in Dinkelsbühl
There are plenty of accommodation options in Dinkelsbühl. They tend to get full in summer, especially on weekends, so book in advance as soon as you know you’re going.
- Hotel Piazza*: A traditional Bavarian hotel with a great location. There’s an excellent breakfast and lovely restaurant and free nearby public parking.
- Romantica Hotel Blauer Hecht*: This well-located hotel offers large rooms and regional specialties in the restaurant. There’s also free parking, an indoor pool and spa area.
- Hotel Deutsches Haus*: A historic hotel in a lovely building right in the centre of Dinkelsbühl, with spacious rooms full of character and antique furniture.
- Hotel Luise-Luisenhof*: A recently renovated hotel in a cozy old building with a great location, friendly staff and free private parking.
After Dinkelsbühl, head north on the Romantic Road to explore Rothenberg ob der Tauber, or turn southeast to the walled city of Nördlingen or the cute town of Donauwörth. Alternatively, head to the historic city of Nuremberg or for more walking tours and hikes in Germany, see our Germany hiking page.
FAQS – Dinkelsbühl Walking Tour
Dinkelsbühl is known for its photogenic, historic town centre and medieval walls complete with many towers.
‘Dinkel’ means ‘spelt’ and ‘Bühl’ means ‘hill’ in German, so Dinkelsbühl could mean ‘spelt hill’. However, the name could also be a corruption of a name, ‘Thingolt’, who was one of the first town administrators.
The best thing to do in Dinkelsbühl is to walk through the medieval town centre and around the old city walls.
You need about half a day to explore Dinkelsbühl since it’s not that big. However, it also makes a nice base for exploring the surrounding countryside.
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