Staig brings together an art gallery in the former Marienkirche with a multifaceted history of churches and collections. The Harthausen Radio Museum focuses on the history of broadcasting; the municipality also offers a range of leisure activities in its woods and countryside. When planning your visit, it is worth keeping the scale in mind: Staig is one of the municipality’s six districts, and some of the interesting church and collection-related sites are in other districts.
Churches and Art in Staig
In the centre of Staig, the former Marienkirche is used as an art gallery. It hosts exhibitions by renowned artists from Germany and abroad. If you would like to include an exhibition in your stay, check the current dates in advance.
The Catholic parish church of the Assumption of Mary represents another chapter in the area’s architectural history. The modern church was built on the neighbouring south-eastern slope between 1972 and 1974. It replaced the neo-Gothic brick church built in 1869 next to the late-medieval bell tower. The church was designed by Georg von Morlok, the architect of Stuttgart station. The tower dates to 1470/1577; the plans for the new church were drawn up by Ulm architect Manfred Wacker. These dates take you from the medieval tower, through the 19th-century church building, to the modern parish church of the 1970s.
In Steinberg, the Catholic parish church of St Pankratius adds to this chronology: it was first mentioned in 1275, while the present church building dates from 1819. The Catholic chapel of St Helena, a subsidiary church, was also always served from Staig.
Radio History in Harthausen
In the district of Harthausen, the privately run Harthausen Radio Museum is devoted to the history of broadcasting. Its collection spans the period from the beginnings around 1923 to the end of the valve era around 1970. Around 800 exhibits and related literature are on display; Mr Hauf has personally restored many of the exhibits. The collection thus combines a long historical period with objects and accompanying literature. If the museum is a key factor in planning your trip, check the current opening hours and access arrangements in advance.
Landscape and Leisure in the Municipality
The landscape is characteristic of the municipality of Staig as a whole: the high plateau between the Danube and the Iller is an area shaped by early prehistoric settlement. The six districts of Altheim, Essendorf, Harthausen, Staig, Steinberg and Weinstetten grew out of this landscape. They lie in lowlands and on the hills within and around the Weihung Valley. The landscape and settlement history therefore encompasses the entire municipality, not just the centre of Staig.
Leisure activities in the municipality include hiking, cycling and horse riding, as well as jogging and walking in the woods and countryside. Outdoor activities therefore provide a distinct focus for your trip alongside the churches and collections.
More Cultural Highlights in the Alb-Donau District
Beyond the municipality, the wider destination of the Alb-Donau district offers further archaeological and cultural-historical attractions. Near Schelklingen lies Hohle Fels, 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. The Stone Age village of Ehrenstein in Blaustein offers a different prehistoric perspective: the Neolithic settlement lies in the Blau Valley and is part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage property “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.”
The monastery towns also offer distinct historical highlights. The former Premonstratensian abbey of Obermarchtal stands directly above the Danube; the monastery complex took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. Blaubeuren Monastery was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085. Its buildings, which date mainly from the Gothic period, were constructed between 1466 and 1510. The Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve provides a wider landscape setting for the Alb-Donau district.
More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Neenstetten, Heroldstatt, Westerheim, Ă–pfingen, Nellingen, Nerenstetten, BerghĂĽlen, Breitingen.
Go to the main travel overview: Alb-Donau district.
