Engen: Hegau Landscape and History

Old Town, Museum and Engen’s History

The Engen Municipal Museum + Gallery is dedicated to both the town’s history and art. Its permanent exhibition covers 900 years of Engen’s history, from its beginnings to the present day. It also showcases local archaeological finds and the history of hunters and gatherers around 15,000 years ago. Among the best-known finds is the Venus of Engen.

The museum is housed in the former Dominican monastery of St. Wolfgang. The former St. Wolfgang monastery church was built in 1629. The permanent exhibition and recurring special exhibitions focus on different subjects: the permanent exhibition covers local history and archaeology, while the special exhibitions are devoted to Classical Modernism after 1900. The special exhibition program changes.

Ice Age History in the Brudertal Valley

On the outskirts of town lies the Brudertal Valley, home to Petersfels, one of Europe’s significant Ice Age archaeological sites. Excavations uncovered around 50,000 flint artifacts and 1,000 tools made of bone and antler. In the museum, two dioramas illustrate the reconstructed surroundings of Petersfels and a reindeer hunt from around 15,000 years ago. They provide a concrete link between the archaeological finds and the way people lived at the time.

Engen Ice Age Park also conveys what the landscape was like in the late Ice Age: the reconstructed vegetation around Petersfels is steppe-tundra, including a marsh with tamarisk, cotton grass and birch trees. The park is freely accessible year-round. Since access arrangements may change, check the latest information before your visit.

Hohenhewen also links landscape and history. A 39-hectare area has been designated a nature reserve since 1982. On the summit plateau, around three-metre-high remnants of the castle wall and a tower with a viewing platform have been preserved.

Hiking Trails and Views

The Hewensteig is a six-kilometre premium circular trail to Hohenhewen, with two ascent options. From there, views extend across the Hegau volcanic landscape to the distant Alps of Switzerland and Austria; visibility depends on the weather. The Hegauer Vulkan Tour is a longer regional route, running for around 30 kilometres between Singen and Engen. It passes through the territories of four municipalities and across the volcanic landscape. The two routes therefore differ considerably in length and format.

Two long-distance hiking trails also pass through Engen towards Lake Constance: the Freiburg–Lake Constance Cross-Country Trail and the Black Forest–Jura–Lake Constance Trail. Together with the circular trail and the regional route, they offer different ways to combine your stay with hiking.

More Ideas for Day Trips and Overnight Stays

Another option is Engen Adventure Pool. The facilities described include an 89-metre-long stainless-steel slide leading into an adventure pool with a 15-metre-long current channel, as well as two connected children’s pools with water-play features and slides. An environmentally friendly solar heating system helps maintain comfortable water temperatures. Pool facilities may change; if needed, check the latest information before visiting.

Eligible overnight guests may receive free or discounted services with the Engen Guest Card. To qualify, guests must stay at least one night at a participating accommodation provider. For planning, a joint tourism portal with REGIO Konstanz Bodensee Hegau e.V. provides information on sights, guided tours, restaurants and events. This makes it easier to consider culture, landscape and other interests when planning your stay.

Discover more destinations: Aach, Gottmadingen, Eigeltingen, Radolfzell am Bodensee, Gailingen am Hochrhein, Mühlingen, Öhningen, Allensbach.

View the main travel overview: Konstanz.