Hiking trails, nature stations, and historic sites offer a variety of experiences in Starzach. As of July 2023, nine designated hiking routes were shown on a total of five trail maps. The listed routes range from 5.4 to 10 kilometers and lead, among other places, to springs, through wooded areas, and past cultural sites. You can choose a route based on both its length and the destinations listed for it.
Hiking Routes by Distance and Destination
The shorter routes range from 5.4 to 6.6 kilometers. “To Ammelesbrunnen” passes through Härle and the municipal forest, then by Ammelesbrunnen and on to the forest chapel. The 5.7-kilometer “Panoramic Loop to the Wayside Crosses” is another option in this range. “Around Felldorf” covers 5.8 kilometers and passes Mühringer Talblick and the Hebsack sinkhole. The 6.6-kilometer “Around Bierlingen” route takes in the forest chapel, Hummelberg, the panoramic trail, and St. Martinus.
The longer routes can also be distinguished by their waypoints. The 7.2-kilometer “Swabian Sauerland” loop passes the Lohmühle hiking parking area and Eyach railway station. “Sulzau and Siegburg Castle Ruins” is 7.5 kilometers long; the route passes the Neckar Bridge, the Bieringen cemetery chapel, and Eulental Spring. The 9.3-kilometer “From Wachendorf to the Starzel Valley” route includes Wachendorf Castle and the Starzel Valley. The 9.8-kilometer “From Wilhelmshöhe to the Neckar Valley” route passes, among other places, the “Kulturtankstelle” village museum. The “Great Heights Loop” covers 10 kilometers through the municipal forest and passes Ammelesbrunnen. This gives you a choice of routes with different distances and named destinations.
The Neckar Valley, Nature, and Outdoor Activities
The Neckar Nature Trail near Starzach-Börstingen combines nature-related themes with insights into the landscape’s history. Eight stations, some of them interactive, provide information about the river’s ecosystem and how the Neckar Valley landscape formed. There are also themed play opportunities for children and places to sit. Those interested in the area around Sulzau will also find the Schloss Weitenburg Golf Club in the Neckar Valley.
Historic Sites and Museums
Wachendorf Castle is also on the “From Wachendorf to the Starzel Valley” route. The Old Castle at Wachendorf Castle was built around 1500; the gatehouse and New Castle were added in 1555. The date for Siegburg Castle Ruins is less certain: they were probably built in the 11th century and destroyed soon afterwards. Only a remnant of the wall and part of the moat remain.
The Börstingen Village Museum focuses on the history of Börstingen, including the Swabian Sauer Spring and timber rafting on the Neckar. Bierlingen is home to the Swabian-Alemannic Miniature Mäskle Museum. As of September 19, 2024, its collection comprised more than 5,569 miniatures and was considered the world’s largest collection of small Fasnet masks. These historical and cultural themes offer additional destinations alongside the hiking routes, without needing to combine them into a single itinerary.
Regional Overview: TĂĽbingen
The district of Tübingen, within the wider travel destination of Tübingen, stretches from the Schönbuch Nature Park, with its many forests and valleys, in the north to the Alb escarpment in the south. The Neckar, Ammer, and Steinlach rivers have cut through the district’s cuesta landscape. Its scenery includes the wooded areas of the Rammert and Schönbuch Nature Park, high plateaus with far-reaching views, orchards, and vineyards.
Discover more destinations: TĂĽbingen, Ă–schingen, Stetten Am Kalten Markt, Hirrlingen, Weingarten, BĂĽhl, Ammerbuch, Gomaringen.
Back to the wider travel overview: TĂĽbingen.
