Neuler can be explored in different ways: via circular routes with clearly stated distances, a sculpture trail and historic religious buildings. When planning, the question is less about choosing one big tour and more about what you want to focus on: a walk through woodland and a valley, a route featuring works of art, or a look at the community’s architectural history?
Circular Routes and Nature Experiences
At around 4.5 kilometres, the Brandberg Circuit is shorter than the 5.3-kilometre Bruder Klaus Trail. The Brandberg Circuit runs through Brandberg Forest, past ponds and over a small bridge across the Haldenbach. The Bruder Klaus Trail leads through the Schlierbach Valley between Neuler and Ramsenstrut. It is intended for hikers and cyclists and focuses on the life and work of Bruder Klaus.
Other circuits offer their own highlights: the Damwild Circuit passes a fallow deer enclosure and offers views towards Schwenningen and Ellwangen an der Jagst; however, wildlife sightings cannot be relied upon. The Eigenweg Circuit crosses meadows and small woods, follows the Blinde Rot for a short stretch and ends at the Mariengrotte above Gaishardt. If you prefer to make a viewpoint your destination, the Panoramablick Circuit takes you to a hill near Bronnen, with views towards the Albtrauf escarpment. Visibility depends on the weather.
The Sixenbach Circuit descends to the renaturalised Sixenbach, where aurochs can be observed, and continues to Lake Espachweiler. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed here either. The Nature Experience Trail runs from Leinenfirst along the Schlierbach Valley towards Neuler. At Leinenfirst is a biodiversity hotspot with hedges, shrubs, a gravel and sand pit, nesting aids, an orchard meadow and information boards. Individual habitat features may change over time.
With its many stops and information boards in the forest, the WaldWunderWeg combines learning, play and family recreation. It is paved, but only partly suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. For the routes mentioned, it is advisable to check local trail conditions before setting out.
Sculptures, Architectural History and Carnival
The Niederalfingen–Neuler Sculpture Trail is 8.3 kilometres long and features more than 80 sculptures. This includes a 5.3-kilometre Neuler Circuit with 52 works. The wooden sculptures were created between 2001 and 2009 by the Sculturies, a loosely organised group of people from various professions brought together by woodcarving. The two distance figures therefore refer to different lengths: the entire trail and the circuit in Neuler.
The religious buildings also tell different chapters of the area’s architectural history. The late Romanesque St. Aegidius Chapel in Bronnen has frescoes dating from the early 15th century. Neuler’s parish church was built in 1746 in the Baroque style on the foundations of an older Gothic church. The Holy Blood Chapel in Schwenningen is a Baroque chapel dating from the mid-18th century.
A recurring part of the cultural calendar is the annual carnival parade, with numerous floats and walking groups. It is considered one of the largest carnival parades in the Ostalbkreis district. Dates and details may change from year to year; if you are planning to attend, check the information for the relevant year.
Places to Eat and the Wider Region
The restaurants listed in Neuler include Landgasthof Bieg, Gaststätte Hirsch, Gaststätte Wagner, Gaststätte Ebert and Die Burghardsmühle. If you plan to stop for a meal, it is best to check current availability in advance.
On the Swabian Ostalb, you can make use of a well-developed network of cycling and hiking trails, which includes 14 signposted circular cycling routes of varying lengths and difficulty. The Ostalb Cycle Route is around 305 kilometres long and divided into six stages and nine connecting routes that can be combined as you choose. It runs through the Ostalbkreis and repeatedly crosses district boundaries; its route also passes through the districts of Heidenheim and Rems-Murr and reaches as far as the Bavarian district of Donau-Ries. This long-distance circuit is on a different scale from the individual trails, which can be explored for their specific landscape and cultural themes.
Discover more destinations: Oberkochen, Lorch, Heuchlingen, Rosenberg, Unterschneidheim, Abtsgmünd, Stödtlen, Schwäbisch Gmünd
For the overarching travel overview: Ostalbkreis.
