Bergen – Landscape and Local History in Altmühltal Nature Park

Bergen lies in a depression on the Jura plateau and within Altmühltal Nature Park. The landscape, marked hiking trails and historic traces each offer a different focus. If you choose Bergen as a destination for a stay, these features can help guide your decision: the setting provides a scenic backdrop, while archaeological traces, buildings and a period of ore mining reveal different aspects of the town’s history.

Landscape and Hiking Trails

There are marked hiking trails in Bergen. A short distance northeast of the town, Strudbrunnen is located right on the Frankenweg. These are two distinct points of reference: marked trails in Bergen and a named place on the Frankenweg. If you plan your trip around hiking, you can consider the trails in Bergen and Strudbrunnen as separate points of interest. The setting in a depression on the Jura plateau and within Altmühltal Nature Park provides the scenic backdrop.

Traces from Different Eras

Bergen was first mentioned in a document in 1067. A Celtic Viereckschanze (square earthwork) on Heuweg was built around 500 BC and is considered evidence of early settlement. The approximate date of the earthwork and the specific year of the documentary mention represent different historical reference points: archaeological traces from much earlier times and a written mention from the Middle Ages.

The Evangelical Lutheran parish church of St. George is in Bergen and, as of May 1, 2026, is listed as a protected monument. It is a choir-tower church, meaning a church building with a tower above the choir. The lower section of its tower is medieval; the nave dates from 1773. This allows different periods of construction to be distinguished within a single building.

Beneath the village is a historic water tunnel: a curved passage hewn from rock, probably dating from the 18th or 19th century. As of May 1, 2026, it is listed as a monument. Also protected as monuments, rock cellars dating from the 18th or 19th century are located on Bergstraße near the new cemetery and along the road to Wengen. The tunnel runs beneath the village, while the cellars are located in these two areas.

Ore mining is another part of the town’s history: ore was mined in Bergen in open pits between 1693 and 1864. This period adds an aspect of economic history to the older archaeological traces and historic buildings.

Historic Architecture in Nennslingen

Nennslingen, the wider travel destination, also has its own historic points of interest. The Jura farmhouse stands on the northern edge of the market square in Nennslingen. Its core dates from the 16th century; roof-frame timber joints from that period have been preserved. On its south side, Nennslingen’s Evangelical Lutheran parish church of Beatae Mariae Virginis has a burial chapel belonging to the Schenken von Geyern, containing numerous epitaphs of this minor noble family.

Another historic building in Nennslingen is the residential house with a smithy at Kellergasse 1. The older half of the semi-detached house probably dates from shortly before 1540. For practical information about the wider travel destination, the Tourist Information Office at Schmiedgasse 1 in Nennslingen has maps of local hiking and cycling routes, as well as flyers and posters about current events and further information.

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View the wider travel guide: Nennslingen.