At any rate, a hefty 3,200 metres need to be climbed on the just under 60 kilometre Danube Peaks Trail. This German low mountain range used to be considered nothing more than good practice for the Alps, the "real" mountains. But this mindset has now changed as you can still go on a very demanding and high-level hike in the Danube Valley. Once hikers have scaled the Lemberg, they find themselves standing on top of the highest mountain in the Swabian Jura at an elevation of 1,015 metres. The reward? Vistas stretching across to the Alps and the Black Forest.

Other highlights on the Danube Peaks Trail include the medieval town of Mühlheim an der Donau and the juniper heaths. The Danube Valley narrows as you hike along the final stage of the trail from Fridingen to Beuron Archabbey. This part of the valley is also known as the Swabian Grand Canyon.