Alb-Donau District: Ice Age Art, Monasteries and Landscapes

Ice Age art and Neolithic settlements

The Hohle Fels cave, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the place where the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Geierknochenflöte” (Vulture-Bone Flute) were found, is near Schelklingen. Both finds are about 42,500 years old. In Blaustein, the Stone Age village of Ehrenstein is a Neolithic settlement in the Blau Valley; it is part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.” The two UNESCO designations represent different aspects of prehistory: here, a cave with two named finds; there, a settlement that is part of the pile-dwelling World Heritage site. This distinction helps keep the prehistoric themes from being conflated with a single place or period.

Monastery complexes and their historical periods

The former Premonstratensian abbey of Obermarchtal is in the Alb-Donau District. The monastery complex rises directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. The historical context of Blaubeuren Monastery is different: it was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085; the buildings that mainly survive today are Gothic in style and date from 1466 to 1510. The dates therefore refer to different things: at Obermarchtal, they describe the complex’s present form, while at Blaubeuren, they cover both the foundation and the construction period of the Gothic buildings. If you want to compare historic monastery complexes, it is worth distinguishing these time periods rather than reducing both to a single era.

Hiking and cycling

The Alb-Donau District is part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. There are several named hiking options of different lengths and with different focuses. The 20 circular “Eiszeitpfade” (Ice Age Trails) are 6 to 14 kilometres long and are suitable for day hikes. In addition, there are the family-friendly “Eiszeitspuren” (Ice Age Tracks), ranging from 1 to 6 kilometres, as well as the Besinnungsweg (Contemplation Trail) for multi-day tours. This lets you choose between day hikes, shorter family-friendly trails and a multi-day tour, rather than choosing solely by the name of an offering.

The themed cycling routes also differ in length: the “Eiszeittäler” (Ice Age Valleys) tour is 75 kilometres long, the “Berg Bier-Tour” (Mountain Beer Tour) is 115 kilometres, and the “Albtäler” (Alb Valleys) cycle route is 186 kilometres. The “Albtäler” cycle route also has a four-star rating. The distances make the routes comparable in terms of length; the rating is an additional feature of the longest cycle route mentioned.

Water experiences and regional perspectives

The Biosphere Information Centre in Lauterach offers a water experience trail. At the Große Lauter, visitors can experience protected shallow-water zones amid nature. The Schelklingen-Hütten Biosphere Information Centre presents the local wildlife and plant life, geology and history, and offers a wild herb garden and a barefoot path. These offerings have different focuses: a water experience trail, nature observation and a themed introduction to the surrounding area.

Further afield in the region, canoe trips are offered along the stretch between Riedlingen and Ulm. Participants can experience the diversity of the Danube, with its secluded and expansive stretches of river, as well as storks, kites and kingfishers. Canoe trips therefore offer another perspective on the Danube; they should be considered an activity in the wider surrounding region.

Discover more destinations

Breitingen, Börslingen, Ulm, Merklingen, Langenau, Laichingen, Kirchen, Blaubeuren, Blaustein, Erbach, Griesingen, Öpfingen, Ehingen, Rammingen, Nellingen, Rottenacker, Obermarchtal, Dornstadt, Westerheim, Lonsee, Munderkingen, Illerrieden, Amstetten, Schelklingen, Asselfingen, Ballendorf, Berghülen, Bernstadt, Heroldstatt, Holzkirch, Neenstetten, Öllingen, Setzingen, Weidenstetten, Dietenheim, Emerkingen, Nerenstetten, Allmendingen, Staig

For the main travel overview: Baden-Württemberg.