Asselfingen

Asselfingen between collection and landscape

Asselfingen lies on the edge of the Swabian Alb; north of the village is the Lonetal valley, with its caves and archaeological finds. In the village, the traditional costume and fire helmet museum is a cultural focal point: its collection, assembled by Rudolf Brendle, includes more than 300 fire helmet exhibits. These include helmets from the region and from around the world. When looking for hotels in Asselfingen, these themes can help guide your choice: are you mainly interested in the collection, the landscape north of the village, or combining both in your travel plans?

Fire helmets and Swabian traditional costumes

Alongside fire helmets, the museum displays Swabian traditional costumes as well as blouses, bonnets, aprons, bodices, and petticoats. These named items of clothing form a distinct part of the collection alongside the helmets. Asselfingen thus brings together two different cultural interests: the fire helmet exhibits, which come from the region and from around the world, and traditional clothing with its various components.

Those especially interested in the helmet collection will find concrete points of reference in its size and geographic range. The costumes, by contrast, put the different forms of clothing in the spotlight. The two themes can therefore be distinguished by whether you are more interested in fire helmets or Swabian clothing. Together, they give the museum a clearly defined cultural profile in Asselfingen.

Cultural sites in the wider Alb-Donau-Kreis travel destination

The wider Alb-Donau-Kreis travel destination also offers archaeological and historical themes. The Hohle Fels cave near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the site where the Venus of Hohle Fels and the Geierknochenflöte were found. Both finds are around 42,500 years old. The Stone Age village of Ehrenstein in Blaustein is a Neolithic settlement in the Blau valley and is part of the transnational and serial UNESCO World Heritage property Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps. The cave and the settlement thus represent different archaeological themes in the Alb-Donau-Kreis.

Monastic complexes also shape the cultural offerings in the wider Alb-Donau-Kreis. The former Premonstratensian Abbey of Obermarchtal is located in the district. Its monastic complex stands directly above the Danube and took its present form between 1686 and 1795. Blaubeuren Abbey was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085 and today consists mainly of Gothic-style buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. These dates reflect different building histories: for Obermarchtal, the period when its present form took shape is given, while Blaubeuren’s history combines its founding date with the dates of its predominantly Gothic buildings.

Landscape and trails in the Alb-Donau-Kreis

The Alb-Donau-Kreis is part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. Hiking options in the wider travel destination include 20 circular trails called Eiszeitpfade. Each is 6 to 14 kilometers long and is suitable for day hikes. There are also the family-friendly Eiszeitspuren trails, ranging from 1 to 6 kilometers, as well as the Besinnungsweg, a long-distance trail for multi-day tours. The different trail lengths and the Besinnungsweg’s explicitly multi-day format help you choose an option based on the length of hike you want.

The themed cycling routes in the Alb-Donau-Kreis also differ in length: the Eiszeittäler route is 75 kilometers, the Berg Bier Tour 115 kilometers, and the Albtäler cycle route 186 kilometers. Albtäler has a four-star rating. The routes mentioned range from a 75-kilometer tour to a 186-kilometer cycle route; the figures make it easy to compare their different lengths.

Discover more destinations

Neenstetten, Rottenacker, Staig, Schelklingen, Ballendorf, Langenau, Westerheim, Bernstadt

Back to the main travel overview: Alb-Donau-Kreis.