Nine stations along the nature trail in the Mutlanger Heide Wild Plant Park invite you to experience, observe and understand nature. There is also the history of the heath over more than 2,000 years and Mutlangen’s role in peace movement protests in the 1980s. Nature observation and two distinct historical perspectives are therefore at the heart of Mutlangen.
Experience nature and get involved
The nature trail in the Mutlanger Heide Wild Plant Park is aimed at children, young people and families. At nine stations, visitors can experience, observe and understand nature; an activity sheet invites them to take part. The stations give the nature theme a clear sequence: the route is not just about walking from one place to another, but also about noticing your surroundings and engaging with nature. The activity sheet complements these observations with an opportunity to get involved.
The Mutlanger Heide and its history
The Mutlanger Heide history trail uses seven information panels to show how the heath has been used over the past 2,000 years. Its starting and ending points provide clear orientation: the trail begins on Rainhaldenweg between Heideschule and Franziskusgymnasium and ends at former ammunition bunkers. The panels span a broad period of history, while the endpoint points to an earlier use of the site. Anyone interested in landscape history will find a different perspective here than on the nature trail: the focus is not on observation stations, but on the changing uses of the heath over a long period.
Peace movement history and another approach to activity
Mutlangen’s image is also shaped by more recent history. In the 1980s, peace movement protests against the deployment of Pershing II missiles brought the town into the international spotlight. This is a different time period from the history of the heath described on the seven panels: here, the focus is on an event in the town’s recent history, while the panels cover 2,000 years of land use. Together, these topics offer several historical perspectives without sharing the same focus.
Another activity option is the Energy Trail, featuring eight neuroenergetic exercises. The exercises can be done during a walk or used as a short break routine at home. These two suggested ways of using the trail set it apart from the history trail panels and the nature stations in the wild plant park. When planning your visit, you can also consider whether you would prefer to explore nature and history or include movement in the form of short exercises.
Ostalbkreis: Roman heritage in Rainau
In the wider Ostalbkreis travel region, Rainau has a distinct focus on the Roman Limes. There, the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes runs through the districts of Buch, Schwabsberg and Dalkingen for about six kilometres and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. In Limes Park Rainau, the finest sections and most significant individual monuments of the Limes have been preserved in a unique concentration. A reconstructed watchtower offers panoramic views across the Ostalb; the Dalkingen Limes Gate is a unique structure along the entire Limes route between the Rhine and the Danube.
A specific hiking option in the Ostalbkreis is the Limes circular hiking trail near Rainau: it is about 11 kilometres long and takes approximately 2.5 hours on foot. The signposted trail leads from the Limes wall and Limes tower between Buch and Schwabsberg through Mahdholz forest, along the Limes and as far as the southern edge of Schwabsberg. The distance and walking time provide a specific time frame for this tour; they refer to the circular hiking trail near Rainau.
Discover more destinations: Böbingen An Der Rems, Ellwangen, Oberkochen, Gschwend, Täferrot, Lorch, Waldstetten, Schechingen.
Back to the wider travel overview: Ostalbkreis.
