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Along the Vils
Along the Vils
All in green
The river is green, the meadows and forests around it are green. The Guzzi V 11 Sport is green. And the area of the rev counter, in which we move on this leisurely tour along the Vils in Lower Bavaria, is green.
Egbert Schwartz
04/04/2002
“It’s so green …” I sing to myself under my helmet. But not because Spain’s blossoms are blooming around me, but a lush, green landscape with a river that is also shimmering green. The latter is the “Grobe Vils” on its way to the Danube. Whose run Klaus and I want to follow on our weekend tour. Two days should be enough, because the Vils lures with curvy brevity: “Total length 97 kilometers” is what the lexicon for this “right tributary of the Danube” says. And that it rises “with two source streams, the Great and the Small Vils, near the Isar / Inn watershed”. To be more precise, near the village of Gerzen, the two arms of the Vils spread out in an almost 90-degree Vau towards their sources. Just right for the real Guzzist: a river in V2. The tour starts at the geographic crankshaft: over small country roads from Gerzen along the almost 40 kilometer long connecting rod »Kleine Vils« to its source. We are already traversing some villages that were named after the river when they were christened: Vilssattling, Langenvils, Vilsheim. A “Ver-Vils-ung” that will accompany us to the mouth near Vilshofen. But first we are at its origin: Here, on the country road from Vatersdorf to Arndorf, the Kleine Vils seeps out between the blades of grass and makes its way to the east as a stream. A clear thing. It becomes more difficult at the second connecting rod eye, the source point of the big sister around 15 kilometers south. “You can’t really say where the Grobe Vils comes from,” explains a teacher in Taufkirchen, “as there are two options that the locals argue about: either in a meadow near Seeon or in a pond near Horgersdorf. You can only really see it in heavy rain, when the water is flowing properly. ”We try the pond to which a farmer roughly explains the way to us. And indeed – after a short, for the V 11 somewhat agonizing off-road interlude and a short walk, we discover a thin trickle that meanders from the pond in the direction of Taufkirchen: the small Grobe Vils. Already in the village, it receives invigorating nourishment from two narrow watercourses and gushes as a passable brook behind the town sign.Taufkirchen – the name actually comes from a small baptistery that was built here at the beginning of the seventh century for the surrounding farms. A few hundred years later, the Barons von Puech, the first tourism experts on the Vils, smelled good business and bought the place from the Fugger clan in 1672. And thus also acquired the rights to the »first Brauheusl allda«, which had recently been built. In order to boost beer sales, the clever Puechs relocated the flourishing Adlberger Markt to Taufkirchen in 1689. And six years later, to fill the pecuniary measure, they packed the bones of a Roman youth in the shrine of the local castle chapel, baptized them as “St. Victor” and organized a profitable pilgrimage to the tomb every year. Pretty clever, these puechs. We roll further down the river and from Velden can even choose between two routes along the now clearly grown stream: either quickly and directly on the B 388 or small and winding through Ober- and Unter-Vilslern. We choose the latter variant. A poster announces »Barn-Rock« for this evening – disco in the barn, a kind of youth edition of the »Musikantenstadl«. We make a short detour to the signposted haystack, but instead of Robbie Williams, Patrick Lindner and Co. are apparently more popular here. Nothing for us. We flee to Vilsbiburg, rumbling through the wonderful historic old town, where the Guzzi lets the old city gate shake a little, only to twirl along the increasingly playful, curving Vils, highly motivated. This is now about to become one of the greatest events in the life of a river, like coming of age: it will be dammed. It proudly presents itself between Marklhofen and Reisbach as a 100 hectare wide expanse of water – the Vilstalsee. We enjoy the summer oasis, take off our leather clothes and let the Guzzi cool down on the shore between campers and surfers. It’s already afternoon and we should still make some distance. But before that there is still Warth Castle, where a damsel named Wolfsindis resided in the distant past and is now known as the “saint of the Vilstal”. The background: Her pagan father had the newly professed Christian dragged to death by a horse. The small spring at which she died was then said to have healing powers and what is known as Wolfsindiswasser was drawn from it. The faithful still make a pilgrimage to the small chapel, which was later built next to it, at the beginning of September. A few meters later, in the Niederreisbach district, we hit the brakes again, but for a more mundane reason: In a garden next to the street, a Trabant and a Russian Moskvitch are rotting in post-socialist unity. “Motorcycle and Rolleroldies – Small Museum, Buying and Selling”, informs a weathered sign above the unfortunately locked shop door. Various aging two-wheelers, mainly of eastern origin, can be seen through the window: MZ of all years of construction, Simson Schwalbe and Sperber, Jawa, an old Kreidler. In the back a Garelli moped and a dilapidated Vespa. Even the Guzzi can take a look. The path is now increasingly winding, and again and again we cross the peacefully rippling Vils on narrow bridges, let the V11 grumble cautiously through the peasant villages dozing in the afternoon sun. Past rustic inns with rustic benches in front of which field workers treat themselves to a cool drink. In the area around Adldorf there is ennobled beer on the tables ?? that of the Counts of Arco on Valley. The »crown of the art of brewing« is produced in a castle, in whose generously designed inner courtyard there is even a public outdoor pool. Brilliant! But suddenly it gets loud. A parade of historic motorbikes and teams roars majestically inside. We reverently clear the field. Vilshofen and with it the grand finale of the Vils is approaching: Together with the Wolfach, it flows into the mighty rolling Danube. Before that, their small, local side springs still serve as raw material for the local brewery. For the dark and tasty Wolferstetter beer. Cooling nutrient for sometimes heated discussions: since 1919, on Ash Wednesday in Vilshofen, the farmers of the area have come together for the cattle market and listened to the rallies of parties and associations. The beginnings of “political Ash Wednesday”. Later, the CSU traditionally met every year in the Wolferstetter Keller on a hill above the old town. When she moved to Passau, the “Reds” moved in with the SPD, who apparently liked the dark beer just as much as the politically more neutral wheat beer that has been brewed there since 1591. At some point we stand on the last bridge that spans our now familiar green river. The Danube sloshes in sight. Delicate green sprouts from the walled bank fortifications. We don’t have to search anymore, because unlike its origin, the end of the Vils is clearly identifiable. And that of our tour as well. Now it’s off to the freeway and home. The pointer of the tachometer swings up. This time he stays hard on the red zone for a long time.
Info
Admittedly, Lower Bavaria is less spectacular than the alpine south of the Free State. But the nice people, many historical places and last but not least the Vils are worth the trip.
If you want to start the tour at the springs, choose Taufkirchen as your starting point, located just under 50 kilometers northeast of Munich and accessible via the A 92 to Deggendorf. If the mouth of the Danube is more attractive, choose Vilshofen as a starting point. Is located directly on the A 3, Regensburg ?? Passau. Accommodation Travelers to the Vils do not have to worry about inexpensive accommodation. Simple private rooms are available for as little as ten euros per person. For example at Franz Schwinghammer, Josef-Winter-Strabe 25, 84163 Marklkofen, phone 08734/1204. Those who make do with shared showers will also find rooms in the low-budget category in hotels and country inns. At Gasthof Wolferstetter Brau, Stadtplatz 14, 94474 Vilshofen, phone 08541/7230, one person pays from 20 euros including breakfast. Also in 84175 Gerzen at the Gasthof Kock, phone 08744 / 9610-0, and the Gasthaus Bergmeier, phone 08744/250. Campers will find a well-kept place with a restaurant and log cabins for rent in Marklkofen at the Vilstalsee. The city administration of Vilsbiburg, phone 08741/3050, or www.vilsbiburg.de, invites you to take a “stroll through the historic old town” with a brochure. Classic car enthusiasts can also get in touch with the local classic car club (Peter Perzl, phone 08741/4152). In Adldorf, it is worth visiting the private castle brewery “Graf Arco auf Valley” with an outdoor pool in the castle courtyard. The Vilstalsee with its bathing beach and lake and fishing festival in June and July also offers cooling. Jokers get their money’s worth from April to October in the Bayern Park near Reisbach with a summer toboggan run, paddle steamer, carousels, horse riding track, wild water run, wildlife park, etc., phone 08734/817, Internet www.bayern-park.de. In addition, a farmer’s museum can be visited in Krohstorf, telephone 09952/477, and in Aldersbach from April to October the museum of one of the world’s oldest breweries, telephone 08543/96040, Internet www.aldersbacher.de. In the nearby Aidenbach in July and August, the historical »Aidenbach Farmers’ Battle« is re-enacted as an open-air game and traditionally a classic car rally with motorcycles and cars is held in this context. Further information and room directories are available from the Tourist Office, Obere Stadt 1, 84130 Dingolfing / Ndb., Telephone 08731 / 87-166, Fax -100, or www.lra-dgf.bayern.de and from Bayern Tourismus, Prinzregentenstrabe 18 / IV, 80538 Munich, phone 089/2 12 39 70, e-mail btm@bayern.btl.de. Literature We did not find any special travel literature about the Vilstal. It is mostly dealt with in regional guides about southern Lower Bavaria. The general map, Grobblatt 8, Bayern Sud, in 1: 200000, offers the best overview. The »Niederbayern und Eastern Upper Bavaria Adventure Guide« in 1: 170000, which has been put into map form and also contains brief descriptions and information addresses of numerous municipalities in the region on the back, can also be used. You can get it for 2.50 euros at Publicpress, Muhlenstr. 15, 59590 Geseke, phone 02942/5584. Time required: three days Distance covered: 136 kilometers
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