At the Danube river.

Bavarian Jura

formerly a sea – today a rocky karst landscape and a wealth of limestone caves   

200 million years ago, forces of nature left behind a rather special landscape in the heart of Bavaria: the Bavarian Jura.

The traces of this former Jurassic Sea, which existed there for millions of years, are somewhat overwhelming for present-day observers: imposing rock formations and picturesque moorland grazed by sheep with delicate orchids and mystical limestone caves are typical for a karst landscape. Rivers meander through mighty rock faces, and man-made castles and palaces dominate the view. A journey through the Bavarian Jura is like a trip into many different worlds: in the history of our earth, in the underworld, in increasingly rare plant and animal kingdoms. 
 

Particularly sensational is a boat trip through the narrow and rocky Danube Gorge, one of the most beautiful and impressive sections of the c. 2800-kilometre-long River Danube. The final destination of the boat trip, which leaves from Kelheim, is Weltenburg Abbey, an old Benedictine monastery with a wonderful, baroque church and also the home of the oldest monastery brewery in the world.