Jurasteig Stage 12: Dietfurt - Riedenburg

This route follows stage 12 of the certified "Jurasteig" premium trail, connecting Dietfurt an der Altmühl with Riedenburg on a challenging yet visually spectacular section. As the longest stage of the entire Jurasteig, the path runs parallel to the famous Altmühltal-Panoramaweg starting from the Roßkopf Plateau. Beginning in Dietfurt, the route leads past Mühlbach and Meihern—offering views of the imposing Flügelsberg cliffs, a well-known nesting site for peregrine falcons—before ascending to the Roßkopf Plateau. Here, you are rewarded with magnificent panoramic vistas over the Altmühle Valley and the historical Eggersberg Castle. Passing scenic juniper heaths, bizarre rock formations, and flower-fringed forest borders, the trail guides you through Obereggersberg and along natural oxbow lakes near Gundlfing. A final steep climb toward Jachenhausen opens up a fantastic view over the winding river loop before descending past the Schneiderkapelle chapel directly into the historic center of Riedenburg, the "Pearl of the Altmühl Valley." Excellent, hiker-friendly accommodations and cozy country inns are available in Dietfurt, Meihern, Deising, Obereggersberg, and in wide variety within Riedenburg; wild camping is prohibited. The trail towns are well-connected to the regional public transit network; schedules and bus connections can be easily planned via https://www.bahn.de.