For the first time ever, you can take the public bus to the top of the Hesselberg. The Limeseum with the Ruffenhofen Roman Park has also recently become a stop on the "Hesselberg-Limes Express". This has been made possible by the district of Ansbach with the redesign of bus route 825, which runs between Dinkelsbühl and Wassertrüdingen and was adapted to the train connections as part of the reactivation of the Hesselberg Railway. The aim was also to make the line more attractive for guests from near and far.
"The adaptation of the bus routes to the Hesselbergbahn has led to an overall improvement in local public transport in the southern district of Ansbach. The combination of train and bus opens up new possibilities for the citizens here as well as in the conurbation," said District Administrator Dr. Jürgen Ludwig, who tried out the service himself and took the bus from Gerolfingen to the Hesselberg summit. Line 825 runs Monday to Friday between 5 am and 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday between 8 am and 7 pm or 8 pm. For journeys from Wassertrüdingen station, it is possible to take the "Hesselberg-Limes-Express" directly to the summit Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays between 9 am and 6 pm or 7 pm. Coming from Dinkelsbühl, the first opportunity to get to the "Hesselberg" stop during the week is at 10.52 a.m. from the Dinkelsbühl bus station, with the last journey departing from Dinkelsbühl at 4.41 p.m.. On Saturdays there are various departures between 7 am and 8 pm, on Sundays from 12 pm to 7 pm. The Hesselberg will be served until November 1; in winter, road conditions do not allow for continuous service. Summit climbers can then explore the Hesselberg themselves from the Gerolfingen stop, Gasthaus Rötter, for example. The exact connections can be called up at any time at www.vgn.de. The Ansbach district public transport team will also be happy to answer any questions or suggestions you may have at oepnv@landratsamt-ansbach.
The transport association Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg (VGN) is also promoting the line as part of its leisure tips. Ulrich Büscher, responsible for leisure transportation at VGN, said: "For 25 years now, the leisure lines have been an integral part of the VGN service. They are popular with day-trippers from the city centers as well as vacation guests. We also see that more and more people are using the lines for leisure mobility in their home region, be it for a weekend trip or on vacation at home. We also recommend the Hesselberg-Limes-Express for this." There are 36 leisure lines this year. According to Büscher, the format was used by around 140,000 passengers in 2024 - a record result.
Udo Heinz reported that experience has shown that it takes a while for the leisure lines to be used by passengers. He is the line manager at the transport company Rombs and confirmed that passenger numbers continue to increase as the weeks go by. Particularly during the Whitsun vacations, interest is expected to increase.
For Dr. Matthias Pausch, the director of the Limeseum at Ruffenhofen Roman Park, the bus stop is the fulfillment of a long-held wish. School classes in particular should now find it much easier to get to the Roman Park. Gerolfingen's mayor Karl Fickel sees the leisure line, as well as the work on the toilet facilities at the Hesselberg summit, as a sign "that something is happening".
Regina Bremm, Managing Director of the Romantic Franconia Tourism Association, can warmly recommend a trip on the "Hesselberg-Limes Express" to day trippers. Especially those who love decelerated travel are in the right place here. In addition to the Hesselberg and the Limeseum, Wassertrüdingen and the picturesque old town of Dinkelsbühl are always worth a visit.