Lonsee combines a rare body of water on the Swabian Alb with juniper heaths, woodland and striking traces of local history. The town is located at the beginning of the Lone Valley, in the heart of the Swabian Alb. For a stay, this offers a blend of waterside scenery, nature and historical details. Those who want to combine nature and culture can choose from several thematic highlights.
Lonesee and the Landscape
Lonesee has existed since 1978. A body of water of this kind is rare on the Swabian Alb; waterbirds in particular make use of the lake. A diverse range of plant and animal life has also become established there. On the juniper heaths near Lonsee, pasque flowers are in full bloom in April on sunny days. This makes the flowers a seasonal natural highlight, while juniper heaths and woodland areas remain a defining feature of the landscape throughout the year.
In 2014, Lonesee was comprehensively renovated, including its dam and island, to protect the water balance. The Lone flows into the lake via a waterwheel. Lonesee also has an adventure trail that offers a range of experiences centred on water and raises awareness of the lake’s sensitive habitat. Water as a natural feature and the protection of its habitat are thus both central themes.
Nature and Different Perspectives
Salachberg is a viewpoint overlooking Lonsee and the surrounding area. Urspring, a district of Lonsee, offers another specific connection to water: this is where the Lone rises from a spring pool at 562 m above sea level. The pool is 6 m deep and 10 m in diameter. The viewpoint and the spring pool offer different perspectives on the local landscape.
If you are particularly interested in the lake, the adventure trail offers a themed way to explore water and its habitat. Pasque flowers, in turn, are a clearly seasonal attraction: they are described as being in full bloom on the juniper heaths in April on sunny days. These are distinct nature themes that you can focus on according to your interests.
Church, Roman Trail and Art
The Protestant St. Mary’s choir-tower church in Lonsee was built in the mid-19th century. Oil paintings of the twelve apostles by Christoph Nikolaus Kleemann hang on its north, east and south walls. The paintings are on wood and measure 77 × 68 cm. The church thus features a precisely identified artistic detail alongside the building’s history.
The Roman Trail begins at the town hall in the town centre. The Roman fort “Ad Lunam” can now be identified in the landscape only by the rectangular arrangement of the hedge strips; an information sign describes the Roman site. The fort dates from 81 to 160 AD. This trace is discovered differently from the apostle paintings in the church: here, through a visible arrangement in the landscape; there, through paintings on three church walls.
Another local artistic feature is the wooden sculpture “Stone Age Man at Lonesee”. It weighs 17 tonnes and stands six metres tall.
A Look at the Alb-Donau District
The Alb-Donau district offers further cultural, historical and landscape-related attractions. Hohle Fels near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the site where the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Vulture Bone Flute” were found; both finds are around 42,500 years old. Blaubeuren Abbey was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085 and today consists mainly of Gothic buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. Regional hiking options differ in length and character: the 20 “Ice Age Trails” circular routes are 6 to 14 km long and are suitable for day hikes. The family-friendly “Ice Age Tracks” cover 1 to 6 km; the Contemplation Trail is designed for multi-day tours.
Discover more destinations: Rammingen, Ă–pfingen, Ballendorf, Heroldstatt, Munderkingen, Holzkirch, Rottenacker, Kirchen
Return to the main travel overview: Alb-Donau District.
