Rietheim-Weilheim: Hiking, Winter and History

Rietheim-Weilheim combines hiking trails, winter activities and historic sites. If you’re looking for a destination with opportunities to get active and explore local history, you’ll find a variety of options here: from walks along the Faulenbach to cross-country skiing on the Rußberg and chapels and historic buildings in Rietheim and Weilheim.

Enjoy Hiking and the Landscape

Eight well-marked hiking trails lead through meadows, forests and valleys. To help you find your way, you can pick up a printed booklet at the town hall in Rietheim featuring eight marked circular hiking routes. There is also a footpath along the renaturalized Faulenbach, ideal for leisurely walks. You can cool your feet in the stream.

Natural attractions to discover while hiking in Rietheim-Weilheim include the Bettelmannskeller cave. The former Fürstenstein Castle is also a hiking destination offering wonderful views of the valley. On the flat plateau of the Rußberg district, the focus is on outdoor recreation, hiking and cross-country skiing. The Löschwasserteich in Rietheim offers a different kind of landscape: it is a large pond with an ecological zone and an outdoor recreation area.

Rietheim-Weilheim is considered an excellent starting point for excursions to the nearby Danube Valley, Lake Constance, the Black Forest and the Swabian Jura. This means you can plan your stay to include more than just local hiking and winter activities.

Winter on the Rußberg

When winter conditions permit, you can go cross-country skiing on the approximately 12.5-kilometre-long Deutsche Bank trail on the Rußberg. This trail connects to an extensive network of trails spanning nearly 70 kilometres. These lengths refer to the individual trail and the larger network, respectively. The Alter Garten ski slope, with a ski lift and floodlighting, is also located between the hamlets of Bulzingen and Lupbühl in Rietheim.

Cross-country skiing and the ski slope are two different options for winter days: the trail offers a named route connected to a larger network, while the Alter Garten is distinguished by its lift and floodlighting. The flat plateau of the Rußberg is also important for outdoor recreation, attracting hikers and cross-country skiers in particular.

Chapels and Historic Buildings

The Maria-Hilf Chapel in Weilheim is a place of interest for many worshippers and invites visitors to quiet reflection and contemplation. It was consecrated in 1856 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Weilheim parish. In Rietheim, the historic castle features the Wiederhold coat of arms above its portal.

The history of the Sylvester Chapel can also be read in a surviving part of the building: the dilapidated chapel, built around 1000, was demolished in 1835, but its tower remained standing. Weilheim’s historic town hall was renovated in keeping with its listed status in 2009 to preserve the historic building. Another historic local site is the Altrietheim Ruins, a castle ruin within the municipal area of Rietheim-Weilheim.

Getting There and the Region

Rietheim-Weilheim can be reached by bus from various directions. In Rietheim, there is a bus stop on Bahnhofstraße; in Weilheim, one is at the corner of Kirchstraße and Jahnstraße. Check the current timetable for specific connections.

The wider travel destination of Tuttlingen district covers 734.4 square kilometres. It includes the southwestern foothills of the Swabian Jura, parts of the Baar region and the valley of the Young Danube. The northern part of the district is home to juniper heaths and the 10-Tausender region, with ten mountains over 1,000 metres high. Among the district’s scenic highlights are the Danube Gorge and the Höwenegg volcanic crater; white limestone cliffs rise above the Danube Valley.

Discover more destinations: Böttingen, Talheim, Mühlheim An Der Donau, Wurmlingen, Gunningen, Bärenthal, Frittlingen, Fridingen An Der Donau

See the wider travel overview: Tuttlingen.