Schwabsoien

Schwabsoien brings together industrial history, church architecture and landscapes. If you are looking for a hotel in Schwabsoien, these different highlights can help you plan your stay: you can explore museums and historic buildings, include the Mill Trail in your plans or explore the wider region by bicycle.

Hammer Mill and Blacksmithing History

Schwabsoien is home to a faithfully reconstructed hammer mill at the Blacksmith Museum. Three heavy tail hammers are powered by a waterwheel connected to them by a large shaft. The mill therefore illustrates not only the hammers themselves, but also the link between water power and mechanics. Historical tools are also on display at the museum. The White Hammer or weapons forge can be traced back to 1806 through the village chronicle.

Carriage Museum and Parish Church

The carriage museum reveals another chapter in the village’s history, with more than 30 historic carriages and sleighs on display. They are still hitched up for various occasions. So, alongside the collection, the focus is also on vehicles that continue to be used beyond the exhibition.

Today’s parish church of St. Stephen adds the village’s architectural history to these themes. It was consecrated on August 5, 1827. The previous church was destroyed in the village fire on September 6, 1823. This sequence of events shows how closely the present-day church is linked to rebuilding after the fire.

Mill Trail and Cycling Loop

The Soier Mill Trail is an experience trail that combines culture and nature. Groups can take guided tours of the Mill Trail and museums year-round, by prior arrangement with the municipality. If you plan to take a tour, arrange it before your trip.

The nearly 125-kilometer auerbergland@venture Route offers a different scale. This cycling loop through the Auerbergland connects the Blacksmith Museum and Mill Trail in Schwabsoien with other museums, sacred buildings and experience trails in the region. These offer two different ways to plan your visit: a themed experience trail and a longer cycling loop linking several stops across the region.

The Schönach and Traces of Charcoal Burning

The landscape also offers points of interest. The Schönach flows through Schwabsoien, Schwabbruck, Altenstadt, Schwabniederhofen and Hohenfurch before joining the Lech. To the west of Schwabsoien, seven springs lie in the source area. They discharge around 350 to 400 liters of water per second at a constant 8 °C.

Further traces of earlier work can be found in the forest and in fields near the forest edge around Schwabsoien: charcoal platforms from the area’s former charcoal-burning industry remain there, reaching up to 15 meters in diameter. Together with the hammer mill and historic carriages, they give the village’s history a tangible, material dimension; the river and springs add the local landscape to this picture.

Discover more destinations: Ingenried, Hohenfurch.

Back to the main travel overview: Altenstadt.