In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 300 kilometres from Heidelberg up the Neckar past castle after castle, then across the Hohenlohe Plain into the quiet valleys of the Jagst and Kocher to the grand steps of Schwäbisch Hall: a route of short stages on which the bike gets used at least as often as the engine.
The spirit of the route
Beyond Heidelberg the Neckar Valley narrows. Red sandstone, beech forest and railway tracks crowd up to the river, a castle sits on every other spur, and down below cargo barges inch their way through the locks. From the sliding door you see rowers in the morning mist, swans on the riverbank and, in the evening, the red façade of Hirschhorn in the last light. From Bad Wimpfen the landscape opens up: vineyards around Heilbronn, then the wide Hohenlohe Plain with small residence towns where counts and princes built palaces in close quarters. The Jagst and Kocher have cut deep into the shell limestone; there they meander through meadows and past mills, storks stalk through the floodplains, and the aires are small and quiet. At the end stands Schwäbisch Hall, which with its wooden footbridges, half-timbered façades and the broad flight of steps up to St. Michael looks as if it had been built for an evening on a folding chair.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Heidelberg to Neckargemünd and Dilsberg (approx. 20 km)
- The drive
- From the aire in Heidelberg-Kirchheim, first through city traffic to the Neckar, then on the B37 along the left (southern) bank past Schlierbach to Neckargemünd. The main road is well built, but squeezed between railway, river and slope it has no places to pull over; slow in rush hour. A short, winding road leads up to the hilltop fortress of Dilsberg, with a car park outside the village – you don’t drive into the lanes themselves. Pure driving time under an hour; the day belongs to Heidelberg.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Heidelberg Castle with the Great Barrel and views over the old town and the Old Bridge – by funicular from Kornmarkt or on foot via the Burgweg.
- Philosophenweg on the north bank opposite the old town: in the late afternoon, the classic light on the castle and rooftops.
- Dilsberg hilltop fortress high above the Neckar loop: walled village, castle ruin with a lookout tower and the well tunnel driven into the rock.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: For the city day in Heidelberg: the Wohnmobilstellplatz Heidelberg on Harbigweg in Kirchheim with around 45 marked pitches, electricity and service point (also for passing vehicles for a fee); walk to the stop and take the tram to Bismarckplatz. On the Neckar, then, Campingplatz Unterm Dilsberg on the riverbank below the hilltop fortress or the Campingplatz an der Friedensbrücke in Neckargemünd, both with electricity and toilets/showers, open seasonally – check opening times in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Heidelberg is unsuitable for free camping: riverside and old-town car parks are short-stay and paid, many multi-storeys have height barriers, and motorhomes are directed to the aire. Hiking car parks in the forest around Königstuhl and Dilsberg are for daytime parking.
- Insider tip for campers
- Heidelberg’s low-emission zone was lifted on 1 March 2023 – you no longer need a sticker here. Still, don’t drive into the old town: the Hauptstraße is pedestrianised, the lanes are narrow and the riverside road at Neckarstaden is often jammed. If you fill up with water in Heidelberg, you start the small aires upriver with a full tank.
2Stage 2: Neckargemünd to Eberbach (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- Continue upriver on the B37, past Neckarsteinach, which like Hirschhorn already belongs to Hesse, through the tight meanders to Hirschhorn and Eberbach. The road follows every bend of the river, forest on the left, water on the right; lay-bys are rare, so plan photo stops at the edges of towns. A good half hour’s driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Neckarsteinach with its four castles – Vorderburg, Mittelburg, Hinterburg and the Schadeck ruin, the “swallow’s nest” in the rock; a castle trail links all four.
- Hirschhorn: castle on the spur above the town, Carmelite monastery and town wall, the view from the castle terrace over the Neckar loop.
- Eberbach: old town with four surviving towers of the town fortifications and sgraffito façades; above it the Katzenbuckel, an extinct volcano and the highest mountain in the Odenwald.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Campingpark Eberbach right on the Neckar, a few minutes’ walk from the old town, with electricity and toilets/showers. Next to it the town offers the simple Neckarlauer aire on the riverbank; check facilities and fee on site. Downriver, the Odenwald Campingpark near Hirschhorn-Langenthal lies in a side valley.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The riverside car parks on the B37 are not overnight spots, and in Neckarsteinach and Hirschhorn space between road and river is tight. One night without camping behaviour in a public car park is legally possible, but is mostly ruled out here by signs. In the forests of Hesse and Baden, forest tracks are closed to motor vehicles.
- Insider tip for campers
- Riverside sites such as the Neckarlauer lie in the flood zone: after heavy rain or during snowmelt the Neckar rises quickly and the sites are then cleared. Water levels are shown by the Hochwasservorhersagezentrale Baden-Württemberg (flood forecasting centre). The Odenwald beyond the Neckar Valley – Michelstadt, Amorbach, Miltenberg – is covered in the CampingSpirit guide “Spessart, Main and Odenwald”.
3Stage 3: Eberbach to Mosbach (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- On the B37 via Lindach and Zwingenberg to Neckargerach and Binau, where the valley gradually widens, then opposite Obrigheim through Neckarelz into the Elz valley to Mosbach. Still a quiet riverside route with no climbs, with short drives through Neckargerach and Mosbach-Neckarelz. About 40 minutes’ driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Zwingenberg Castle on the rock above the Neckar and the Wolfsschlucht behind it, a short, damp gorge.
- Margarethenschlucht near Neckargerach: steep path with steps and steel cables along small waterfalls, with the Minneburg ruin above – sure-footedness needed, slippery after rain.
- Mosbach: half-timbered old town with market square and the richly decorated Palm’sches Haus.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilstellplatz Mosbach on Wasemweg with around 15 pitches, electricity and service point, about a kilometre from the old town. Neckargerach has a small aire by the river for an earlier stop.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnight stays are not intended at the car parks for the Margarethenschlucht and at Neckargerach station. In Baden-Württemberg the state forest law prohibits driving and parking vehicles in the forest outside approved roads and car parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Margarethenschlucht is sometimes closed after storms – heed the signs at the entrance. In Mosbach, large supermarkets and petrol stations are on the B27 in Neckarelz; shopping with a long vehicle is easier there than in the old town.
4Stage 4: Mosbach to Bad Wimpfen (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- Back to the Neckar and upriver on the B27 along the right bank via Neckarzimmern to Gundelsheim; for Guttenberg Castle and Bad Wimpfen you cross to the left bank on one of the Neckar bridges. Near Haßmersheim-Neckarmühlbach a short climb leads to the castle; the access road is narrow, and there are car parks at the top. The valley opens up and the first vineyards appear; a good 40 minutes’ driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hornberg Castle above Neckarzimmern, once the seat of Götz von Berlichingen, with vineyards on the slope.
- Guttenberg Castle with the Deutsche Greifenwarte (raptor centre): eagles, vultures and owls, with flight displays over the Neckar Valley in season; castle museum in a Hohenstaufen castle that was never destroyed.
- Bad Wimpfen: the Hohenstaufen imperial palace with the Blue Tower, Red Tower, Steinhaus and arcades high above the river, and down in the valley the Ritterstiftskirche.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilstellplatz Bad Wimpfen with a few pitches, electricity and services, within walking distance of the old town; it is small and fills up quickly. Alternatives are the larger aire in neighbouring Bad Rappenau or Campingplatz Cimbria on the Neckar bank in Neckarzimmern.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnight stays are not intended at the Guttenberg castle car park or along the B27. Bad Wimpfen and Bad Rappenau direct motorhomes to their aires; maximum parking times apply in the old-town car parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Greifenwarte is open seasonally and holds daily flight displays in season; in winter operations are limited – current times and rules for dogs on the castle’s website. The bikes pay off here: the Neckartal-Radweg runs flat along the river, and Bad Wimpfen–Gundelsheim–Guttenberg Castle makes a relaxed half-day loop.
5Stage 5: Bad Wimpfen to Schöntal (Jagst valley) (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- Via Bad Friedrichshall and Neckarsulm to Heilbronn, only a short stop there, then through vineyards via Weinsberg onto the Hohenlohe Plain to Öhringen and Neuenstein. From Neuenstein north across the plateau and down into the Jagst valley to Schöntal. First a built-up area with industrial estates, then open countryside with fields, small villages and narrower country roads. Just under 1.5 hours without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Wartberg in Heilbronn: vineyards, a viewpoint over the Neckar Valley and the city, footpaths between the rows of vines.
- Öhringen: collegiate church with Hohenlohe family tombs and the palace with its court garden in the centre; in Neuenstein, the moated Renaissance palace.
- Schöntal Abbey: former Cistercian abbey with a Baroque abbey church, the splendid staircase of the New Abbey and the tomb of Götz von Berlichingen in the cloister.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Jagstcamp Widdern, an aire on the Jagst a few kilometres downriver from Schöntal, with electricity and service point. Alternatively, the year-round campsite Green Camp Schleierhof near Forchtenberg, on the high ground between the Kocher and Jagst a few kilometres south-east of Schöntal – ask about facilities in advance. If you finish earlier: Heilbronn has a municipal aire, and so does Weinsberg.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Jagst valley you are better off on aires: the valley roads are narrow, field and farm tracks belong to the farmers, and the floodplains are partly nature reserves or FFH (Natura 2000) sites. Overnight stays are not intended in car parks at monasteries and castles.
- Insider tip for campers
- Heilbronn has had no low-emission zone since 1 January 2024, but the city centre remains impractical with a motorhome. Stop at the Wartberg or at a winery on the edge of town instead of in the city. On the Hohenlohe Plain, fill up in Öhringen; petrol stations are rare in the valleys. Some wineries and wine cellars around Heilbronn and Weinsberg have their own small motorhome spots – ask the business about conditions rather than simply parking up.
6Stage 6: Schöntal to Kirchberg an der Jagst (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- Up the Jagst via Krautheim, Dörzbach and Mulfingen to Langenburg and Kirchberg. The roads alternate between the valley floor and short, steep climbs to the little towns on the spurs; some sections are narrow, and meeting tractors and farm machinery is normal. The climbs up to Langenburg and Kirchberg are winding. About 1.5 hours’ driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Krautheim Castle with its well-preserved castle chapel high above the Jagst.
- Langenburg: palace of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg on the spur above the Jagst loop, palace garden and views into the Jagst valley.
- Kirchberg an der Jagst: palace and a narrow little town on the ridge, with views into the valley from the town wall.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilstellplatz Kirchberg/Jagst with a few pitches, electricity and services, close to the town; about a kilometre away, the motorhome pitches at Haus Jagstblick. Langenburg has a small aire with electricity and water. Both are small – arrive in the afternoon.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Jagst floodplains are partly nature reserves; overnight stays on riverbanks, in hiking car parks or on field tracks are not allowed. The small municipal aires are the legal and usually inexpensive solution.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Kocher-Jagst-Radweg links both valleys into a loop of around 330 kilometres; for a section, the stretch from Langenburg down the Jagst to Mulfingen works well. The Jagst is also a calm paddling river – there are canoe rentals in the valley, and at low water restrictions on paddling sometimes apply; ask the rental company about the rules.
7Stage 7: Kirchberg an der Jagst to Schwäbisch Hall (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- South across the plateau via Ilshofen, then down into the Kocher valley to Schwäbisch Hall. Well-built country roads, ending with a long descent into town. A narrow hill road leads to the Comburg in the Steinbach district. A good 40 minutes’ driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Schwäbisch Hall’s market square with the broad flight of steps up to St. Michael’s Church, town hall and half-timbered houses; in summer open-air theatre is staged on the steps.
- Hällisch-Fränkisches Museum in the old town with town and regional history, including records of salt boiling and Jewish life in Hohenlohe.
- Großcomburg: former Benedictine monastery standing like a castle on the hill above the Kocher, with ring wall, wall walk and a Romanesque wheel chandelier in the collegiate church.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Campingplatz Am Steinbacher See in the Steinbach district, below the Comburg near the Kocher, with electricity, toilets/showers and service point; you reach the old town on foot or by bike along the river. Closer to town is the Wohnmobilstellplatz Auwiese on the Kocher, with electricity and services, around a kilometre north of the old town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Parking time limits apply in the old town and along the Kocher banks; overnight stays are on the aire or the campsite. The car parks at the Comburg are for daytime parking.
- Insider tip for campers
- Schwäbisch Hall’s old town is hilly, narrow and partly pedestrianised – park the camper and walk across the covered wooden footbridges over the Kocher. Schwäbisch Hall has no low-emission zone. For shopping and fuel, use the supermarkets on the arterial roads.
8Stage 8: Schwäbisch Hall to Braunsbach via Wackershofen (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- A short hop north-west to the open-air museum in Wackershofen, then back to the Kocher and downriver through the narrow, wooded Kocher valley to Braunsbach. A short, quiet stage, with a narrow, winding road in the Kocher valley.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hohenloher Freilandmuseum Wackershofen: rebuilt farmhouses, mills and workshops from several centuries, plus old breeds of farm animals and cottage gardens – allow half a day.
- Kochertal Bridge of the A6 near Geislingen am Kocher: the carriageway lies around 185 metres above the valley floor, and it is considered the highest bridge in Germany – impressive from below in the valley.
- Braunsbach: Rabbinate Museum in the former rabbinate building and the village centre rebuilt after the 2016 flash flood.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Naturcamping Braunsbach on the Kocher, with electricity, toilets/showers and service point, right on the Kocher-Jagst-Radweg. Alternatively, back to Schwäbisch Hall to Campingplatz Am Steinbacher See.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The open-air museum has large visitor car parks for the day, not overnight. In the Kocher valley the same applies as on the Jagst: riverbanks, floodplains and forest car parks are not places to sleep.
- Insider tip for campers
- The open-air museum is open seasonally, roughly from spring into autumn; outside the season there are only occasional event days – check beforehand. From Braunsbach a bike ride down the Kocher to Künzelsau is worthwhile. If you want to continue south: the Swabian Alb from Stuttgart is covered in the CampingSpirit guide “Swabian Alb”, and the Tauber and Rothenburg in the guide to the Romantic Road.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- German law distinguishes between parking and camping: in public car parks without a prohibition sign, a motorhome may stay one night to restore the driver’s fitness to drive – without tables, chairs, awning, stabilisers or levelling ramps and without emptying grey water. Several nights or camping behaviour count as camping and are only allowed on campsites and aires.
- The route runs through Baden-Württemberg and, with Neckarsteinach and Hirschhorn, briefly through Hesse. In both states, motor vehicles may only be driven and parked in forests on approved roads and car parks. Nature reserves in the river and valley floodplains of the Neckar, Jagst and Kocher are off limits, as are farm tracks. Signposted overnight bans on excursion, castle and riverside car parks take precedence; fines are set by the municipalities.
- The network of municipal aires is dense, but the sites are often small – four to fifteen vehicles is typical. On top of that, wineries and farms take in motorhomers. Useful aids are park4night, Campercontact and printed aire guides; fees and facilities change, so check on site.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Fresh water and waste disposal are available at most municipal aires and campsites, often with coins, card or via an app; passing vehicles pay a small fee at larger sites. In winter, water taps at small sites are often turned off.
- Empty grey water only at the service point, and the cassette only into the marked inlet – drains and riverbanks are off limits, as are formaldehyde-based additives at many service points.
- Tap water is drinking water; fountains in villages and at cemeteries often carry the notice “Kein Trinkwasser” (not drinking water).
- Gas: grey 11 kg and 5 kg exchange cylinders are available at petrol stations, DIY stores and campsites; refillable cylinders and gas tanks are filled at LPG (Autogas) stations with an ACME connector, which are well spread around Heidelberg, Heilbronn and Schwäbisch Hall. Foreign exchange cylinders are not swapped.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t as for cars – 50 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h outside, no general limit on the Autobahn (recommended speed 130 km/h). Over 3.5 t up to 7.5 t: 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 100 km/h on the Autobahn; over 7.5 t: 60 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on the Autobahn. Car-and-caravan combinations: 80 km/h outside built-up areas and on the Autobahn, 100 km/h on the Autobahn with Tempo 100 approval.
- Low-emission zones: Heidelberg (since March 2023), Heilbronn (since January 2024) and Mannheim (since August 2024) have lifted their low-emission zones; Mosbach, Öhringen and Schwäbisch Hall never had one. Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg most recently kept their low-emission zones – if you are coming from there, check the current status with the Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environment Agency) or the Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart.
- Tolls: there is no vignette for cars and motorhomes in Germany. The HGV toll applies to goods vehicles over 3.5 t; vehicles registered as motorhomes are generally not affected – if registered as a lorry, check the registration document and operator details.
- The Neckar Valley between Heidelberg and Mosbach is tight: bridges, underpasses and town through-roads sometimes have height and weight restrictions, and old towns such as Bad Wimpfen, Mosbach and Schwäbisch Hall are largely pedestrianised. Set your satnav to your vehicle’s dimensions.
- Winter: the Hohenlohe Plain lies at around 400–500 m and is often icy in winter. In ice, snow and slush, tyres with the Alpine symbol are mandatory; plain M+S tyres are no longer sufficient.
- Rear racks: a warning panel is not required in Germany, but number plate and lights must remain visible. Alcohol: 0.5 per mille, 0.0 for new drivers and under-21s. Mobile phone at the wheel only with a hands-free kit.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Bikes or e-bikes with a sturdy rear rack and a lock – the Neckartal-Radweg and Kocher-Jagst-Radweg are flat and car-free for long stretches and on the short stages spare you many a battle for parking.
- Binoculars for the birds of prey at Guttenberg Castle and for storks, grey herons and kingfishers in the Jagst and Kocher floodplains.
- Hiking boots with grippy soles for the wet steps and cable sections of the Margarethenschlucht and the steep castle paths.
- Levelling ramps: the small aires on the Jagst and Kocher and in the castle towns are often sloping.
- Shatterproof wine box with compartments for bottles from the wineries around Heilbronn, Weinsberg and along the Neckar.
- Smartphone with a water-level app or a bookmark for the Hochwasservorhersagezentrale – riverside campsites and aires on the Neckar and Kocher are cleared when the water rises.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
