Hienheim is located at an altitude of 356 metres (1,168 ft) above sea level on the left bank of the Danube opposite the village of Eining, on the road connecting Neustadt to Essing in the Altmühl valley.

Excavations by Leiden University revealed that there was a Neolithic settlement, dating from around 5000 BC, in the area of Hienheim.

The 166 kilometres (103 mi) long Rhaetian Limes, from Hienheim to Lorch, consisted primarily of stone walls up to three meters (ten feet) high and wooden watchtowers, while the 382 kilometres (237 mi) Upper Germanic Limes (running from Lorch northwest to Bonn) was mostly composed of earthen ramparts, trenches and palisades.

The beginning of the border wall is marked by the so-called "Hadrian's Column" (Hadriansäule), a monument erected in 1856 on the road to Kelheim.

The larger portion was assigned to the city of Neustadt; a smaller part with fewer than 25 inhabitants went to Kelheim.

Beyond the borders of Hienheim is a sail plane facility near the village, which attracts aviation fans from all over Germany in summer.