Prittriching lies on the Lechfeld, the broad gravel plain that the River Lech built as it flowed north from the Alps towards the Danube. The village is small and agricultural, with a church, farms and a few modern houses, and the countryside around it is flat and open, given over to fields of maize, wheat and potatoes. It is a quiet place with a long view in every direction.
The Lechfeld has a place in European history. In 955, somewhere on this plain south of Augsburg, Otto the Great defeated the Magyar horsemen who had been raiding central Europe for decades, a victory that helped secure his position and led to his coronation as emperor a few years later. Nothing marks the exact spot, but the open landscape makes it easy to imagine the clash of armies.
On the bike, things are relaxed. Roads are straight and smooth, linking villages across the plain, and the Lech, with its chain of reservoirs and riverside woods, runs to the west. Wind can be strong on the open fields, and farm machinery is common, particularly at harvest time. On a clear day, the Alps rise on the southern horizon, a hint of the mountain roads to come.
Prittriching has a village inn and a bakery, which can be a good stop for a simple Bavarian meal or coffee. For fuel, the nearby towns of Königsbrunn and Landsberg am Lech are the best bets. Landsberg is especially worth a visit for its medieval old town, perched on the steep bank of the Lech with a weir and colourful houses. From the Lechfeld, the route heads south towards the German Alpine Road, where flat fields give way to mountains and lakes.