Allmendingen: Castle, Forest Outdoor Pool and Hikes

A castle in the town center, the forest outdoor pool, and several hiking and cycling tours offer different ways to experience Allmendingen. When planning your trip, you can combine local history, time outdoors, and tours of varying lengths and durations.

Castle and Local History

The well-preserved castle in the center of Allmendingen bears witness to the era when, in the 15th century, the Imperial Knights of Freyberg, who held their lands directly from the emperor, settled there with the rights of village and judicial lordship. The reference to these rights of rule gives the building a historical significance beyond its location in the town center. If you are interested in the history of a destination, the castle offers a tangible point of connection.

Forest Outdoor Pool and Time Outdoors

The Allmendingen forest outdoor pool has large, sunny lawns for lounging and shaded places to relax beneath mature trees. This provides a choice of different outdoor spaces: open areas in the sun and spots in the shade of the trees. Which ones appeal to you depends on how you want to spend your time at the forest outdoor pool.

Compare Hikes and Cycling Tours

The main route of each hike, “Across the Lichse into the Weite Valley” and “Across Hausener Berg into the Siegen Valley,” is 11 kilometers long. The first tour offers an 8-kilometer shortcut and takes 2 to 2.5 hours. A 7-kilometer shortcut is possible on the second, which takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The time ranges overlap. So, when comparing the tours, consider their different shortcut lengths as well as their stated durations.

“Via Altheim to Lake Schmiechener See” is an 11-kilometer tour for hikers and cyclists; an 8-kilometer shortcut is also listed. If you are deciding between walking and cycling, this is the tour that explicitly accommodates both ways of getting around. Another option is the 17-kilometer tour “Cycling and Hiking Across the Hochsträß”: it is listed as taking 2.5 hours on foot and 1.5 hours by bicycle. These times are estimates.

The route lengths, shortcuts, and times help you distinguish the tours according to your preferred timeframe without assuming they require the same effort. Check route conditions before setting out; they can change. This keeps your plans focused on the specific routes rather than relying solely on the total number of kilometers.

More to Explore in the Wider Destination of the Alb-Donau District

In the Alb-Donau District, Hohle Fels near Schelklingen offers another cultural and historical point of interest: the cave is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the discovery site of the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Vulture Bone Flute.” Both finds are about 42,500 years old. The Stone Age settlement of Ehrenstein in Blaustein is also part of this regional context. It is a Neolithic settlement in the Blau Valley and part of the transnational, serial UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.”

The Obermarchtal Abbey complex stands directly above the Danube and acquired its present form between 1686 and 1795. Blaubeuren Abbey was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085; today, it consists mainly of Gothic-style buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. These two examples offer different historical periods and architectural histories within the Alb-Donau District.

There are also regional options for longer tours. The Alb-Donau District is part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. Hiking options include 20 circular routes on the “Ice Age Trails,” ranging from 6 to 14 kilometers and suitable for day hikes. They are complemented by the family-friendly “Ice Age Tracks,” ranging from 1 to 6 kilometers, and the Reflection Trail for multi-day hikes. Themed cycling options include the 75-kilometer “Ice Age Valleys” tour, the 115-kilometer “Berg Bier Tour,” and the 186-kilometer “Albtäler” cycle route, which has a four-star rating.

Discover more destinations: Obermarchtal, Ulm, Ballendorf, Merklingen, Börslingen, Blaustein, Heroldstatt, Emerkingen.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Alb-Donau District.