Discover Blaustein: Hiking, Cycling and Culture

In Blaustein, you can tailor your stay by choosing between hiking, cycling, culture and water activities. Specific highlights include the Lauterfelsensteig, other hiking routes through the Kiesental, the Ehrenstein Stone Age Village, water play areas in Klingenstein and Herrlingen, and Bad Blau. If you are looking for a hotel, you can first consider which of these options will be a priority for your trip.

Hiking in Blaustein

The Lauterfelsensteig is a quality hiking trail and circular route that the German Hiking Association has awarded the distinction “Traumtour” (“Dream Tour”). The circular route describes the type of tour; the “Traumtour” distinction is a separate accolade from the German Hiking Association. Other hiking routes in Blaustein lead through the Kiesental. You can therefore choose between an award-winning circular route and other paths through the Kiesental as different hiking options when planning your trip.

Cycling and cultural attractions

Short cycling detours

The Ehrenstein Stone Age Village and Villa Lindenhof can be reached from a cycle route via short detours. Check current route conditions before setting off if you are planning to take one of these detours.

A cycle route along the Blau

Within Blaustein, a cycle route runs mostly alongside the Blau. The river is therefore a specific geographical reference point when planning a cycling tour in Blaustein.

The Ehrenstein Stone Age Village in Blaustein is a Neolithic settlement in the Blau valley and is part of the transnational and serial UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.” For travellers interested in prehistory, this is a specific cultural highlight of the area; Ehrenstein can also be reached via a short cycling detour.

Water activities in Blaustein

Blaustein has water play areas in Klingenstein and Herrlingen. For facilities with pools and a sauna, Bad Blau is another option: it offers an outdoor brine vitality pool, a swimming pool, a children’s area, a water slide and an adventure pool. The sauna area includes six saunas and a brine steam bath. A replacement project is underway for the outdoor brine vitality pool. Check current details about the facilities with the operator before planning your visit around them.

More highlights in the wider Alb-Donau-Kreis destination

The wider Alb-Donau-Kreis destination is home to other cultural attractions, including Hohle Fels near Schelklingen, a UNESCO World Heritage cave. The “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Vulture Bone Flute” were found there; both finds are about 42,500 years old. The former Premonstratensian Abbey of Obermarchtal is also in the Alb-Donau-Kreis. Its monastic complex rises directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. Blaubeuren Abbey is also in the Alb-Donau-Kreis: it was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085 and today consists mainly of Gothic-style buildings dating from 1466 to 1510.

The Alb-Donau-Kreis is part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. Regional hiking options include 20 circular “Eiszeitpfade” (“Ice Age Trails”), which are 6 to 14 km long and suitable for day hikes. The family-friendly “Eiszeitspuren” (“Ice Age Tracks”), ranging from 1 to 6 km, and the Besinnungsweg (Contemplation Trail) for multi-day tours are additional options. This means there are different types of tours to choose from: day hikes, family-friendly trails and multi-day tours.

Cycling routes in the Alb-Donau-Kreis also vary in length: the “Eiszeittäler” tour is 75 km long, the “Berg Bier-Tour” is 115 km and the “Albtäler” cycle route is 186 km. The “Albtäler” has been awarded four stars. These regional routes offer a separate point of comparison when planning a cycling trip in the Alb-Donau-Kreis.

Discover more destinations: Amstetten, Nerenstetten, Öllingen, Griesingen, Ulm, Westerheim, Staig, Asselfingen.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Alb-Donau-Kreis.