The Lech is one of the last semi-wild rivers in Central Europe. Fed by snowmelt and glacial runoff from the Alps, it runs fast and clear through a braided gravel channel that shifts with every major flood. Peiting sits on its eastern bank, and the stretch of river valley here — known as the Lechtal — is managed as a nature reserve, with riparian woodland, gravel banks and wet meadows that together support an unusually rich fauna. Kingfishers are common along the quieter backwaters; grey herons, cormorants and — in spring and autumn — migrating waders and waterfowl use the gravel banks.
The Lechradweg, the long-distance cycling route that follows the river from Füssen to Augsburg, passes through Peiting and provides easy access to the best stretches of valley. The path is mostly flat, well-surfaced and clearly signposted. Going south from Peiting takes you deeper into the gorge-like sections where the valley narrows and the water runs fastest; heading north the landscape opens into broader floodplain meadows.
For birdwatchers, the early morning hours are most productive — the valley tends to collect mist overnight and the light at dawn can be spectacular. The Lech floods regularly in early summer and after heavy rain, which keeps the floodplain vegetation diverse and the birdlife varied.