Engen combines the volcanic landscape of the Hegau with a historic old town and an exceptional Ice Age history. Hohenhewen is considered Engen’s local mountain; on the outskirts of town, Brudertal and Petersfels form an important Ice Age archaeological site. As you explore the town, you’ll encounter different facets of its history and landscape.
Old Town, Guided Tours and Museum
The historic old town invites you to stroll and linger. Guided walking tours explore Engen’s past and present, including the inscription on the Romanesque portal of the Catholic town church. A guided tour therefore offers a direct way to discover the town’s history and a detail that is easy to overlook.
The Engen Municipal Museum + Gallery is housed in the former Dominican monastery of St. Wolfgang. Its permanent exhibition covers 900 years of Engen’s history, from its beginnings to the present day. Topics include local archaeological finds, the history of hunter-gatherers around 15,000 years ago, and the Venus of Engen. The museum also presents regular special exhibitions on Classical Modernism after 1900; the exhibition program changes. The former monastery church of St. Wolfgang was built in 1629.
Petersfels and the Ice Age Landscape
Brudertal, with Petersfels on the outskirts of Engen, is one of Europe’s important Ice Age archaeological sites. Excavations uncovered around 50,000 flint artifacts and 1,000 tools made from bone and antler. Two dioramas in the museum depict the area around Petersfels and a reindeer hunt around 15,000 years ago. The archaeological finds and their interpretation place the visit in a time frame that extends far beyond the town’s history.
Engen Ice Age Park explores the area’s landscape history by reconstructing the late-glacial steppe-tundra vegetation around Petersfels. This includes a marsh with tamarisks, cotton grass and birch trees. The park is open year-round and free to visit. As access conditions can change, it’s a good idea to check the latest information before your visit.
Hohenhewen and Trails Through the Hegau
The landscape and protected area around Hohenhewen are closely tied to the character of the surroundings: 39 hectares of the mountain have been designated a nature reserve since 1982. The Hewensteig is a six-kilometer premium circular trail to Hohenhewen, with two ascent options. Views along the route extend across the Hegau volcanic landscape to the Alps in Switzerland and Austria; depending on visibility, distant views are weather-dependent.
On the summit plateau of Hohenhewen, remains of the castle wall about three meters high and a tower with a viewing platform have been preserved. The wider route network offers a different perspective: the Freiburg–Lake Constance Cross-Regional Trail and the Black Forest–Jura–Lake Constance Trail pass through Engen on their way toward Lake Constance. These routes offer different scales for planning, from a six-kilometer circular trail to long-distance routes.
More Activities and Choosing Where to Stay
Engen Leisure Pool complements the cultural and landscape attractions with activities in the water. An 89-meter stainless-steel slide leads into a leisure pool with a 15-meter-long current channel. There are also two connected children’s pools with water-play features and slides. An environmentally friendly solar heating system helps maintain comfortable water temperatures. As the facilities may change, check the latest information when making specific plans.
Engen’s guest card may also be relevant when choosing accommodation: eligible overnight guests staying at participating accommodation providers may receive free or discounted services after at least one night.
Discover more destinations: Gaienhofen, SteiĂźlingen, Gailingen am Hochrhein, Seelfingen, Radolfzell am Bodensee, Tengen, Konstanz, Allensbach.
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