Schlat – Circular Routes and Fruit-Growing Culture

Schlat lies at the foot of the Alb Mountains at an elevation of 413 to 700 metres. There are several ways to plan your trip: circular hiking trails, the St Andrew’s Church shared by both denominations, and a long tradition of fruit growing. You can tailor your stay to your own interests—with time in the forest, a look at local community life or a focus on regional products.

Hiking: Circular Trails and Other Routes

Schlat is a popular starting point for numerous high-altitude hikes, and the circular trails also offer a range of route options. The Gairen-Seeholz loop is a 9.5-kilometre circular hiking trail. The forest activity trail in Schlater Wald is around 2.8 kilometres long and forms a loop through the forest. Its starting point is east of the “Eiche” hiking car park, at the junction towards Grünenberg.

Both routes are loops, but they differ considerably in length. This gives you a practical point of comparison if you want to choose your hike based on distance. Nearby, hikes around Schlat connect with the adjoining Albtraufgängerweg and Schwäbische Alb-Nordrandweg trails.

St Andrew’s Church and Local Community Life

The Protestant St Andrew’s Church in Schlat has been shared by the Protestant and Catholic congregations for more than 50 years. If you are interested in cultural aspects as well as hiking, this long-standing shared use offers a tangible point of interest and complements the nature and food themes with a glimpse of local community life.

Fruit Growing and Regional Products

Schlat has a long tradition of fruit growing; local farmers sell fresh produce from the region directly from their farms. Fruit grown in Schlat includes strawberries, cherries, plums, mirabelle plums, pears, apples and berries. The selection therefore ranges from berries and stone fruit to pome fruit. If you appreciate regional products, you’ll find a distinct culinary connection to the town alongside its hiking trails.

The Jörg Geiger GmbH manufactory in Schlat offers speciality drinks made from traditional apple and pear varieties. These include single-variety distillates, non-alcoholic Prisecco, apple and pear seccos, and single-variety pear and apple sparkling wines made using the traditional bottle-fermentation method. The Biolandhof Hauser farm in Schlat sells fruit, jam, potatoes, walnuts, apple juice, apple-pear juice and spirits made from its own fruit. In addition, Geiger GbR operates a fruit-juice press, sales outlet and distillery in Schlat. If you’re visiting for a particular product, it’s best to check availability in advance; product and sales details may change.

Hiking in the Wider Destination of Göppingen

In the wider destination of Göppingen, the Löwenpfade trails offer additional regional hiking options. These circular hiking trails in the district of Göppingen are between 3 and 24 kilometres long. At the start of each Löwenpfad, there is an information board with details about the route, an elevation profile and sights along the way. This lets you distinguish the locally described loops in Schlat from the longer routes available across the district and make use of the information at the Löwenpfade trailheads.

Discover more destinations: Wiesensteig, Uhingen, Hattenhofen, Süßen, Geislingen An Der Steige, Adelberg, Rechberghausen, Wäschenbeuren.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Göppingen.