Amper Trails – Dachau to Unterschleißheim

Following the idyllic river Amper downstream from the town of Dachau a variety of river-bank paths, from overgrown, tight trails, to perfect down-sloping flow, to wide tracks, are at the heart of this one-way route. Cutting across fields and following a marvelous, hidden forest trail it finishes in Unterschleißheim covering an exact half-marathon distance.
Frequent S2 suburban trains take you to Dachau to begin the run. In Unterschleißheim a small lake gives an opportunity for a refreshing swim before the S-Bahn (S1) takes you back to Munich.

A few minutes from the train station, a suburban road leads along the river, until we hit the first flow trail on the left bank. After passing a few fields, the trail becomes tighter and increasingly overgrown. This moderately technical path slows us down until the route crosses over the river for more blissful flow and a stretch of wider forest track all the way to the idyllic Amperauen.

A network of river oxbows is crossed via narrow bridges and home to regal swan families, deafening frogs and toads, and romantic water lilies, which makes this beautiful flow trail one of the highlights.

Untamed nature is channeled via weirs and canals as the trail reaches Haimhausen castle and I added a loop for a castle view before the route finally leaves the river valley to cross cultivated fields on wide tracks. Just before reaching our destination a surprising, hidden trail, tiny and moderately technical, is a final gem before lake Unterschleißheim invites for a swim on the edge of the suburban village with the train station.