The best walks and hikes around Autobahnsee

A beautiful 2.5km long path leads completely around the motorway lake. Numerous benches and sunbathing lawns invite you to linger. A children's playground, barbecue areas, toilets and a beer garden are also on site. Swimming in the lake is possible in summer.

Beautiful beer garden with a view of the lake.

A great way to spend a fun day with children. The trail is very varied.

The jungle path on the Lech is a nature trail about 4 kilometers long in the “Lechauen Nord” nature reserve near Augsburg. It leads along the Lech and its tributaries through remnants of floodplain forest and heathland. At 17 stations, information boards provide information about the diverse flora and fauna of the floodplain forest as well as about landscape development and maintenance. For children, there are special boards with research assignments, game suggestions and stories that make the nature experience interactive. QR codes on the boards also provide access to further information, including aerial and underwater recordings and audio modules with animal sounds. The entrance to the jungle path is at the car park at the Europaweiher, and there are additional parking spaces at the Gersthofen tennis club. The path is accessible all year round and is suitable for families, school classes and nature enthusiasts who want to explore the Lechauen on their own. Guided tours are offered by the Augsburg Environmental Station. You can find more information on the Lifeguide Augsburg website.

The Branntweinbach is a historic stream in the north of Augsburg that originally originated in what is now the Hammerschmiede area and ran north through fields before finally flowing into the Lech opposite Stettenhofen. The regulation of the Lech in the 19th century caused the groundwater level to sink, which led to the Branntweinbach drying up. In 1996, a project was initiated to re-irrigate the Branntweinbach. Since there was no natural water available on the east side of the Lech, a pipeline (culvert) was laid under the Lech to take water from the Lech side canal to the west. The water pressure now allows one cubic meter of water per second to reach the east bank. There it emerges in an artificial spring and initially feeds the newly created Chardonnaybach, which flows into the Branntweinbach after 850 meters. The re-irrigation of the Branntweinbach has led to the development of valuable wetland habitats. The presence of the beaver in particular has contributed to the return of amphibians, dragonflies, reptiles and typical marsh plants. However, the activities of the beaver also mean that pedestrian paths are permanently flooded and the water no longer follows the planned course. Nature conservation is currently trying to specifically direct the activities of the beaver so that the water flows through again. The Branntweinbach and its surroundings are popular destinations for hikers and nature lovers. A nature trail, known as the “Jungle Trail in the Lechauen North”, leads through parts of the biotope and offers informative panels on the flora and fauna of the region. Guided tours are offered by the Augsburg Environmental Station. The re-irrigation of the Branntweinbach is a successful example of renaturation measures that bring both ecological benefits and create recreational opportunities for the population.

The Chardonnaybach is an artificially created stream in the "Lechauen Nord" landscape conservation area near Gersthofen, north of Augsburg. It was created in 1996 to re-irrigate the Lech floodplains east of the Lech and thus revitalize valuable wetland habitats. Origin and course: As there was no natural water available on the east side of the Lech, a pipeline (culvert) was laid under the Lech to take water from the Lech side canal to the west. The water pressure now allows one cubic meter of water per second to reach the east bank. There it emerges in an artificial spring and initially feeds the newly created Chardonnaybach, which flows into the Branntweinbach after 850 meters. Ecological significance: The re-irrigation allowed wetland habitats to develop again in the previously dried-up Lech floodplains. The presence of the beaver in particular has contributed to the return of amphibians, dragonflies, reptiles and typical marsh plants. However, the activities of the beaver also mean that pedestrian paths are permanently flooded and the water no longer follows the planned course. Nature conservation is currently trying to specifically direct the activities of the beaver so that the water flows through again. Leisure and recreation: The Chardonnaybach and its surroundings are popular destinations for hikers and nature lovers. A nature trail, known as the “Jungle Trail in the Lechauen Nord”, leads through parts of the biotope and offers informative panels on the flora and fauna of the region. Guided tours are offered by the Augsburg Environmental Station. Getting there: The source of the Chardonnaybach is located east of the Lech near the Gersthofen tennis club. The stream runs directly under the high-voltage power line in the “Lechauen Nord” landscape conservation area. The Chardonnaybach is a successful example of renaturation measures that bring both ecological benefits and create recreational opportunities for the population.

In 1898, a further reconstruction of the riverbed began near Gersthofen with the initially three-kilometer-long Lech canal for the construction of a power plant. The combination of a dam and a run-of-river power plant in the river that is common today was not yet technically manageable at the time. A large part of the river water was channeled into the first canal section at the Gersthofer Lech weir at the level of today's Augsburg garbage mountain, at the end of which the first large hydroelectric power plant on the Lech went into operation in 1901 with the Gersthofen power plant. Today, the 10 km-long canal branches off from the Lech at the Gersthofer weir and flows back into the river after the Gersthofen, Langweid and Meitingen hydroelectric power plants. These three hydroelectric power plants were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list on July 6, 2019. This would not have been possible without the Lech weir and the Lech canal.

Nice beer garden, but now in winter only open Wed to Sun and only until sunset