Dormettingen: Fossils, Shale and History

Dormettingen offers visitors several distinct themes: fossils, the past and present use of oil shale, remembrance of the Nazi era, and a natural stream landscape. The attractions range from a fossil-collecting site and park to a themed trail and hiking route. When planning your trip, you can weigh up which activities and themes interest you most.

Fossils, Playground and SchieferErlebnis

At the fossil-splitting and collecting site, you can search for 180-million-year-old ammonites and other fossils and take them home with you. The mining-themed playground offers a different focus: its play towers are eight metres high and feature climbing elements and slides.

SchieferErlebnis Dormettingen is a ten-hectare nature and recreation park. The park experience explores the past and present use of oil shale. The SchieferErlebnis circular trail has nine information stations about land reclamation, geology, landscape, nature and raw material extraction. The park also features a large water area with a lakeside terrace and a green hill. Here, themes related to the raw material come together with a varied park landscape.

Remembrance Trail and Historical Context

The approximately three-kilometre-long Remembrance Trail explores the use of oil shale during the Nazi era and leads to a memorial marking an oil shale retort and an open-air exhibition. The exhibition is located in the former Wüste-Werk 7 substation. It documents the fate of concentration camp prisoners and the history of Dormettingen during this period.

The two oil shale themes have different emphases: SchieferErlebnis presents the past and present use of the raw material; the Remembrance Trail focuses on its use during the Nazi era. The exhibition also covers the fate of the prisoners and Dormettingen’s history during this period. This lets you choose between a broader park theme and a specific historical focus.

Schlichem Hiking Trail and Landscape

The Schlichem Hiking Trail runs from its source in Tieringen through Dormettingen to its mouth in Epfendorf. It follows a largely natural stream with waterfalls, rock formations and meanders. Wet meadows, varied woodland, a gorge and floodplain habitats also shape the route. Unlike the Remembrance Trail, the focus here is not on contemporary history, but on the course of the stream and the landscape. These different emphases can help you choose between a historical theme and a route through a range of landscape types.

Hiking in the Zollernalb District

The Zollernalb district has more than 100 signposted circular hiking trails, as well as long-distance and premium trails. When planning, you can distinguish between the specific Schlichem Hiking Trail through Dormettingen and the wider range of hiking options across the district.

Getting to SchieferErlebnis

Mühle in Dormettingen is the nearest public transport stop for SchieferErlebnis. Check the latest stop and service information before travelling. SchieferErlebnis has more than 100 car parking spaces, three bus parking spaces and three accessible parking spaces. Also check the latest information about the facilities before your visit, as operational details may change.

Discover more destinations: Haigerloch, Albstadt, Jungingen, Hausen Am Tann, Hechingen, Grosselfingen, Schömberg, Burladingen.

See the main travel overview: Zollernalb District.