Castle rooms, historic modes of transport and cave landscapes offer different ways to explore the history and landscape of Heidenheim and its immediate surroundings. Museums are a central feature of Heidenheim itself; the Heidenheim Brenz region also has karst formations, rivers, forests and heathland. When planning your trip, you can choose your focus based on whether you are particularly interested in castle and transport history or in caves, geological history and nature.
Castle history and transport at the museum
The Hellenstein Castle Museum extends across several rooms of the Lower Castle. Duke Friedrich I of WĂĽrttemberg had it built around 1600. The former ducal stable houses small temporary exhibitions on historical topics. Architectural history and changing historical themes are thus presented side by side, so a visit is not limited to a single subject.
The castle church is also part of the cultural program: during the season, it provides the setting for the “Museum Music” concert series. If a concert is a deciding factor in your trip, check the dates in advance. The Museum of Carriages, Coaches and Carts on Castle Hill offers a different historical perspective. It is housed in the castle’s former granary and documents the history of land transport up to the invention of the automobile. Its subject is both travel and the movement of goods in towns and the countryside. Transport history thus complements the castle museum’s themes by exploring how people and goods got around.
Caves and geological history nearby
Charlottenhöhle in Giengen-Hürben is in the immediate surroundings of Heidenheim. It is 532 meters long, is one of the longest show caves in southern Germany, and is the longest accessible dripstone cave in the Swabian Alb. It is also a destination that can be reached on cycling and hiking tours. Its length and classification help explain why the cave is a prominent feature of the region.
The interactive HöhlenSchauLand experience museum, with its modern exhibition technology, offers another way to explore geological history. Visitors can, among other things, crawl among bats, “carve” mammoth ivory, crawl into a bear’s den and take a quiz on archaeology and science. The HöhlenHaus at the HöhlenErlebnisWelt provides information about the history of Charlottenhöhle and the beginnings of human culture in the region more than 35,000 years ago. The HöhlenHaus grounds also include an adventure playground and a water play area by the Hürbe. Food and drinks are available at the HöhlenHaus every day it is open.
The Steiff Museum is also located nearby, in Giengen an der Brenz. It has a 15-meter-long Steiff snake slide, described as the world’s first walk-through Steiff animal. Near Niederstotzingen, Vogelherd Cave has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 9, 2017. Together, these places offer different points of interest: interactive geological history, a distinctive museum attraction and a cave with UNESCO status.
The Brenz region, hiking and landscape
The 52-kilometer-long Brenz River runs through the Heidenheim Brenz region. Its landscape features karst formations, lively river courses, forests and heathland. For those who want to focus on the cultural landscape, the Albschäferweg is a long-distance trail of regional significance: the certified 158-kilometer trail runs through the Heidenheim Brenz region, a cultural landscape of the Swabian Alb shaped by migratory sheep farming. The trail is dedicated to the shepherds and their flocks, linking the landscape with the tradition of sheep farming.
The Eselsburger Valley is another natural area. For amphibians and reptiles, it is by far the most valuable habitat in the district of Heidenheim. Along with the river, forests, heathland and karst, it shapes the natural side of the region. Heidenheim and its immediate surroundings therefore offer a choice of cultural attractions, interactive cave experiences and a region shaped by its landscape and sheep farming.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Steinheim am Albuch, Herbrechtingen, Heidenheim an der Brenz, Giengen an der Brenz, Niederstotzingen, Königsbronn, Dischingen, Nattheim, Gerstetten.
Back to the main travel overview: Baden-WĂĽrttemberg.
