In Emerkingen, two distinct cultural themes take centre stage: St. James the Greater Parish Church and the Roman tower. The church features sacred artworks from several centuries; a visit to the tower is possible by prior arrangement. The church’s works can be distinguished by their period and subject, while visiting the tower requires an additional coordination step.
Sacred art at St. James the Greater
St. James the Greater Parish Church houses a Late Gothic Madonna by the Master of Dornstadt, dating from 1430. A Baroque cross from the 18th century is mounted on the left choir wall. The chancel contains a Crucifixion group, a copy made in 1955 of an altar by Matthias Grünewald. The church also features a rare 19th-century depiction of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the form of a Holy Sepulchre image. Ceiling paintings from the Gospels complete the furnishings.
The chronological sequence ranges from the Madonna of 1430 through works from the 18th and 19th centuries to the 1955 copy. The year 1955 refers to when the Crucifixion group was made as a copy; its reference is an altar by Matthias Grünewald. The subjects also differ: Madonna, Crucifixion, Resurrection and scenes from the Gospels offer different ways to explore the church’s furnishings. The Late Gothic, Baroque and later works can thus be considered separately, without grouping them all into a single style.
Visiting the Roman tower
A visit to the Roman tower is possible by arrangement with the municipal administration; registration must be made through Emerkingen Town Hall. Please arrange your visit with the administration in advance. This makes the organisational step for this part of your itinerary clear, without assuming fixed visiting hours.
Culture and landscape in the Alb-Donau district
The wider destination of the Alb-Donau district offers further cultural and landscape attractions beyond Emerkingen. Near Schelklingen lies Hohle Fels, a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the discovery site of the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Vulture Bone Flute.” Both finds are around 42,500 years old. The Stone Age village of Ehrenstein in Blaustein is a Neolithic settlement in the Blau Valley and part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.”
The monastery complexes also offer a distinct insight into the history of the Alb-Donau district: Obermarchtal Abbey stands directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. Blaubeuren Abbey was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085; its present complex consists mainly of Gothic buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. The Alb-Donau district also includes part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve as a natural setting.
Hiking and cycling in the region
The Alb-Donau district offers a choice of hiking routes in different formats. The 20 “Ice Age Trails” circular routes are 6 to 14 km long and are suitable for day hikes. The family-friendly “Ice Age Traces” range from 1 to 6 km; the Path of Reflection is intended for multi-day hikes. The routes therefore differ both in length and in whether they are designed as day or multi-day hikes.
The themed cycling routes can also be compared by distance: the “Ice Age Valleys” tour is 75 km long, the “Berg Bier Tour” is 115 km, and the “Albtäler” cycle route is 186 km. The “Albtäler” route is stated to have a four-star rating. These specific distances help you compare the regional cycling options by route length; they do not indicate a particular journey time.
Discover more destinations: Westerheim, Berghülen, Bernstadt, Ehingen, Langenau, Ballendorf, Laichingen, Ulm
See the overview of the wider destination: Alb-Donau district.
