Bernstadt: Castle, Nature and Cycling Tours

Bernstadt combines local history at the castle with nature in the adjacent Langenauer Ried and cycling tours along the Lone. If you are looking for a hotel in Bernstadt, you can plan your trip around whether local history, experiencing nature or cycling is your main priority. For a broader regional perspective, the Alb-Donau district has its own cultural and outdoor activity themes.

Local History at the Castle

The museum in the castle was established and run as a so-called local history room from 1982 onwards. After it was expanded to include the ballroom with its Baroque stucco ceiling, it was fundamentally redesigned and reorganized. Exhibits on local history are on display at Bernstadt Castle. If you are planning to make a visit to the museum a fixed part of your itinerary, check visiting arrangements in advance.

Langenauer Ried and Cycling Tours along the Lone

The Langenauer Ried nature reserve directly borders Bernstadt. It is a former moorland with numerous animal and plant species, where visitors can enjoy the landscape and nature in peace. The Ried thus offers a natural counterpoint to the local history exhibits in the castle. Bernstadt is also the starting point for various cycling tours along the Lone through the Lone Valley. This lets you consider experiencing nature and cycling as different priorities when planning your trip.

Cultural Attractions in the Alb-Donau District

In the Alb-Donau district, Hohle Fels near Schelklingen is a cultural destination: this UNESCO World Heritage cave is where the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Vulture Bone Flute” were found; both finds are about 42,500 years old. In Blaustein lies the Stone Age village of Ehrenstein, a Neolithic settlement in the Blau Valley and part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage property “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.” The sites differ in character: Hohle Fels focuses on the cave and its finds, while Ehrenstein is a Neolithic settlement.

The monasteries in the Alb-Donau district also offer different historical points of reference. Blaubeuren Monastery was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085; today, it consists mainly of Gothic buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. The former Premonstratensian abbey of Obermarchtal lies directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. The dates distinguish Blaubeuren’s foundation and later Gothic building phase from the creation of Obermarchtal’s present form.

Walking and Cycling Routes in the Region

For walking, the Alb-Donau district offers 20 circular “Ice Age Trails,” ranging from 6 to 14 km in length and suitable for day hikes. The family-friendly “Ice Age Tracks” are 1 to 6 km long; the Path of Reflection is intended for multi-day tours. The walking options mentioned thus range from shorter distances to a route that takes several days.

Themed cycling routes in the Alb-Donau district include the 75 km “Ice Age Valleys” route, the 115 km “Berg Bier Tour” and the 186 km “Albtäler” cycle route, which has been awarded four stars. Albtäler is therefore the longest of the three routes mentioned.

Discover more destinations: Blaustein, Amstetten, Nellingen, Merklingen, Schelklingen, Breitingen, Illerrieden, Kirchen

Go to the main travel overview: Alb-Donau district.