Ingolstadt Old Town Running Route

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Length 4.23 km (2.6 miles), terrain flat

For more routes, see Route List.

NOTE: For some other great runs in Ingolstadt, try running along the Danube River. There are paths on both sides of the river, going both directions from the town center. The nicest one to take is on the northern side, heading west towards the Baggersee lake, where you can run as far as you like.

If you're spending some time in boomtown Ingolstadt, here is one of the most interesting runs: circling through the beautifully restored old town on the Danube River (the Donau in German).

Ingolstadt castle gate tower

This home-town of Audi has been booming in recent years, and it shows. The unemployment rate is under 2 percent, and the whole town has a feeling of prosperity. But all the modern activity hasn't hurt the large collection of medieval buildings in the town center.

This short run will pass a lot of the most interesting sights: starting at the castle, it will run up along the old town walls, then head outside the more modern (just 200 years old) fortress defenses outside the old town. It will then go through the nicest old gate tower back into the old town, past the Münster church, head down the main shopping streets, cross the river, pass by more of the fortress bastions, then end up back at the castle again.

Start the route at the Paradeplatz square in front of the gothic castle, the Neues Schloß, dating from the 1400s. This is located in the southeast corner of the old town, near the river.

The Neues Schloß at the Paradeplatz

Facing the gateway to the castle, turn left to head north through the square, then head to the right, going east for a block.

Now you turn left at the first side-street, Unterer Graben. The houses here are built right into the medieval town walls, and you can see the old towers rising above the rooftops.

Houses along the city walls on Unterer Graben

Run north along the street, and it will eventually curve towards the left. After you cross Harderstraße, the street name changes to Oberer Graben.

The street will then go by a fortress bastion (Bastei), and then come to the arched gateway through the green house at Gymnasiumstraße. Turn right and run through the gateway.

You will then cross the street called Auf der Schanz at the zebra stripes, and then enter Hindenburg Park.

Running through Hindenburg Park

The park land was kept free of buildings back when Ingolstadt was surrounded by fortress defenses, to keep the line of fire clear. The town was the most massive Bavarian state fortress back in the 1800s, surrounded by brick bastions and star-shaped fortress walls. But by the 1900s, the fortress was no longer needed, so the land was turned into a public park.

Turn left on the park lawn, and curve around the back-side of the little pond. Then follow the path back towards the bastions towards the left.

You will see cars going through a gate in the biggest bastion walls. Run south towards the gate and go back into the old town.

You will come to Auf der Schanz again, where you turn right and run two blocks to where the street curves to the left.

The Kreuztor city gate tower

Turn left here and run through the most beautiful of the medieval gate towers, the Kreuztor. You are now running eastwards.

You will quickly pass the beautiful gothic Münster church, then head down the pedestrian shopping street, Theresianstraße.

The Münster church

When you get to the main cross street, Moritzstraße, turn right and head south.

Theresienstraße

You'll go by St. Moritz church, the town's oldest. Then you'll pass the old town hall (Rathaus) and then the ugly modern town hall right after it. Just keep running south and the street will cross the Danube River.

The Danube in Ingolstadt

Just after the bridge, turn left on the sidewalk through the riverside park, Klenzepark.

You will go by two more bastions, where you turn left to head across the modern pedestrian bridge, the Donausteg, back to the north side of the river again.

In Klenzepark with bastion fort in background

You will come to a big parking lot for the Stadttheater, with the castle rising behind it.

Now just follow the old wall along the back side of the parking area, heading to the left. Then take the first stair going up over the wall, where you then turn right to run the few steps back to the Paradeplatz.