Naab River Valley

A very easy day today. A leisurely drive along the Naab River Valley with the small villages along the way being very popular with cyclists and day trippers. The very fertile valley was farming everything from cereal crops and mixed vegetables to dairy. 

Our first stop was in the village of  Pielenhofen where morning tea was awaiting. Pielenhofen is noted for its Abbey which was formerly a Cistercian Nunnery, established in 1240. In 1802 it became the parish church before becoming a school for girls in 1838. Today it is partly a school for the Regensburg Boys Choir as well as the parish church. Quite a few people were sitting around enjoying the ambiance of the village. We enjoyed a coffee overlooking the Naab. 

A little further up the river we stopped in the village of Kallmünz, another popular village catering for the holidaymakers passing through. We  wandered around the village before enjoying lunch in the shade. The main attractions of Kallmünz are the ruins of the Kallmünz Castle above the town on a cliff and the old stone bridge over the Naab River. We gave the climb to the castle a miss, but it did add to the scenic outlook of the village.  

Moving right along ...  after lunch we visited another of the small villages along the Naab, Burglengenfeld, and another castle!  We did stop for a quick look at the castle which originates from the 10th century,  and the current appearance dates from the first half of the 12th century. The keep was added and castle enlarged by Wittelsbach family around 1123-1146. The castle is enclosed by 800m long curtain wall. 

The day was getting hotter so we drove a little further along the valley to Schwandorf and parked alongside the Naab, where we are spending the rest of the day and evening.