Forests, juniper heaths, dry valleys and open fields define the area around Weidenstetten and the hamlet of Schechstetten. Also located here are RuheForst Weidenstetten/Schwäbische Alb, a forest cemetery offering free guided tours, and the annual Summervibrations event. Nature, burial culture and a special event date give your stay a range of different focal points.
The landscape around Weidenstetten
Weidenstetten and its hamlet of Schechstetten are surrounded by forests, juniper heaths, dry valleys and open fields. The landscape thus combines several different features: forests and juniper heaths alongside dry valleys and open fields. It is well suited to hiking and cycling. When planning your stay, you can therefore start with the activity you have in mind and decide whether you would prefer to explore the area on foot or by bike.
On a clear day, the view from RuheForst stretches across the countryside to the Alps. If this distant view is important to you, take the weather conditions into account when planning; it cannot be relied on as a feature of every visit.
RuheForst and guided tours
RuheForst Weidenstetten/Schwäbische Alb is a forest cemetery in Weidenstetten. Free guided tours led by a staff member provide visitors with more information about this form of burial and the trees, which have been sustainably managed for several generations of forest growth. This means that the focus is not only on the landscape, but also on the forest’s use as a burial place and its management over several generations. A guided tour therefore offers a different focus from hiking or cycling.
If you are planning to join a guided tour, check the date in advance: individual tour dates may change. This allows you to distinguish this part of your visit from your other nature and landscape plans, rather than treating both activities as the same experience.
Summervibrations in the middle of winter
The Summervibrations disco takes place annually in Weidenstetten. The Summervibrations summer party of the same name is held in the middle of winter and attracts thousands of visitors to Weidenstetten each year. The name and the timing therefore create different impressions: it is a winter party, even though “summer party” is part of its name. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the date of the relevant edition in advance.
More things to explore in the Alb-Donau district
Those exploring the wider destination of the Alb-Donau district will find other distinct cultural and nature-related themes. One focus is the Stone Age: Hohle Fels near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the place where the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Vulture Bone Flute” were found; both finds are around 42,500 years old. In Blaustein is the Stone Age village of Ehrenstein, a Neolithic settlement in the Blau Valley. It is part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage property “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.”
Monasteries offer another perspective on the region’s history. Blaubeuren Abbey was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085; its present-day buildings are predominantly Gothic and date from 1466 to 1510. The former Premonstratensian abbey of Obermarchtal is also in the Alb-Donau district. Its buildings rise directly above the Danube and took on their present form between 1686 and 1795.
For hiking in the Alb-Donau district, there are 20 circular “Ice Age Trails” (“Eiszeitpfade”), ranging from 6 to 14 km, for day hikes. The family-friendly “Ice Age Tracks” (“Eiszeitspuren”) are 1 to 6 km long; the Reflection Trail is intended for multi-day hikes. Themed cycling options range from the 75 km “Ice Age Valleys” tour (“Eiszeittäler”) and the 115 km “Berg Bier Tour” to the 186 km “Alb Valleys” cycle path (“Albtäler”), which has been awarded four stars. These distances offer a concrete comparison of the region’s options without reducing the different routes to a single type of tour.
Discover more destinations: Börslingen, Munderkingen, Nellingen, Lonsee, Blaubeuren, Merklingen, Illerrieden, Rottenacker.
For the wider travel overview: Alb-Donau district.
