Dautmergen on the Schlichem Hiking Trail

The Schlichem Hiking Trail passes through Dautmergen, which is considered the midpoint of the route. There is also the Dautmergen Circular Trail, as well as the Schlichem in the town centre. St. Verena and the half-timbered civic building add a connection to the town’s architecture to the hiking and riverside landscape.

Hiking on two scales

The Dautmergen Circular Trail is an easy, six-kilometre route through the town and up to Girsberg. From the route, views extend across 30 kilometres of the Albtrauf and take in four of the ten Swabian Alb peaks that are higher than 1,000 metres. The trail passes the former Holcim slate quarry and then descends to the Schlichem. If you would like to include more of the river in your circuit, you can extend the route by about one kilometre along the Schlichem.

The Schlichem Hiking Trail offers another perspective on the town. It was established in 2016 as a LEADER project. In the Zollernalb district, the regional Schlichem Hiking Trail runs from Meßstetten-Tieringen to Epfendorf. Small waterfalls, wet meadows and a steep-sided gorge are among the features of the landscape along the entire trail; not all of them are in Dautmergen.

This lets you choose between a circuit through Dautmergen and a longer route.

The Schlichem and the town centre

The Schlichem flows through the town centre as an open stream, bordered by a green belt and old willows. The “Erlebbare Schlichem Innerorts” area (“Experience the Schlichem in the Town Centre”) includes seating stones, a lounger and a picnic area. This means the river as it runs through town also offers specific places to take a break.

The village centre also includes a church, a cemetery, the village square, a playground and the half-timbered civic building. Together with the stream, these places and buildings make up the different parts of the centre.

St. Verena and its architectural history

St. Verena is a single-nave Catholic church with a choir tower. It dates back to 1215 and was extended in 1763; its half-timbered bell storey dates from 1499. These dates place the church, its later extension and the bell storey in different periods of its architectural history.

The church is part of the village centre, which also includes the cemetery and village square. The view of St. Verena adds a topic from the town’s history to the hiking trails and the Schlichem. Its single-nave layout, choir tower and half-timbered bell storey also make it possible to describe the church in terms of specific architectural features.

Practical information for your stay

Landgasthaus Wiesental serves food and has a wheelchair-accessible terrace and an e-bike charging station. Check before your visit whether these facilities are currently available.

The Schlichem Hiking Shuttle is a seasonal service for hikers and cyclists; it operates from May to October. Check before travelling whether the bus runs on your chosen date.

Discover more destinations: Haigerloch, Hechingen, Dormettingen, Meßstetten, Burladingen, Zimmern Unter Der Burg, Tieringen, Nusplingen

Go to the higher-level travel overview: Zollernalb district.