The 12 km Danube Experience Hike gives Rottenacker a clear focus: the circular trail crosses a ridge, passes the “Tiefer Brunnen” spring basin and follows the Danube. There is also St. Wolfgang Church and the Heppenäcker recreation and swimming lake to the southeast—offering a choice of culture and exercise as well as swimming and relaxation.
An Overview of the Danube Experience Hike
The Danube Experience Hike starts at the “Wirtles Haus” Museum or at the town hall. The circular trail crosses the ridge, passes the “Tiefer Brunnen” spring basin and follows the Danube back to the museum. The route is 12 km long in total, with each of its two sections measuring 6 km. The sections divide the total distance into two equal parts, providing a clear guide for planning the route.
Key points along the way include the ridge, the spring basin and the Danube. The route thus connects several landscape features in a circular trail that starts and ends at the museum in Rottenacker. The route length and its division into sections make the scope of the hike easy to understand.
Church History and Recreation by the Lake
The present-day St. Wolfgang Church in Rottenacker was built in 1485. Its history also includes renovations in 1882 and 1963. This means that, alongside the historic construction date, there are two later phases to consider when looking at the church’s history.
Nearby, southeast of Rottenacker, lies Heppenäcker recreation and swimming lake. It has a sunbathing lawn, sanitary facilities and a kiosk; visitors can swim, sunbathe and relax. Unlike the fixed 12 km circular route, the lake offers a different focus for activities: relaxation and swimming take centre stage here, while the trail is about hiking and its landscape features.
More to Explore in the Wider Alb-Donau District Destination
The wider Alb-Donau District destination offers a distinctive look at cultural history and prehistory. Hohle Fels near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the discovery site of the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Geierknochenflöte” (Vulture-Bone Flute); both finds are about 42,500 years old. In Blaustein is the Ehrenstein Stone Age Village, a Neolithic settlement in the Blau valley. It is part of the transnational, serial UNESCO World Heritage property “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.” The two places represent different kinds of evidence: a cave with archaeological finds and a settlement in a valley.
The monasteries in the Alb-Donau District also offer a range of historical points of interest. 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 and today consists mainly of Gothic-style buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. For Obermarchtal, the period when it took its present form is specified, while the details for Blaubeuren cover its founding and the construction period of its predominantly Gothic buildings.
Hiking in the Alb-Donau District ranges from day hikes to multi-day tours. The 20 “Eiszeitpfade” (Ice Age Trails) circular routes are 6 to 14 km long and suitable for day hikes. The family-friendly “Eiszeitspuren” (Ice Age Tracks) are 1 to 6 km long; the Besinnungsweg (Contemplation Trail) is intended for multi-day tours. This makes it possible to distinguish the options by length and tour format without treating the shorter trails as equivalent to the longer hikes.
There are also cycling routes of varying distances: the “Eiszeittäler” (Ice Age Valleys) route is 75 km long, the “Berg Bier-Tour” 115 km, and the “Albtäler” cycle route 186 km; the latter has been awarded four stars. The Alb-Donau District is also part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve.
Discover more destinations: Griesingen, Neenstetten, Blaubeuren, Öpfingen, Nerenstetten, Blaustein, Börslingen, Langenau
Back to the overview of the wider destination: Alb-Donau District.
