Emerkingen: Sacred Art and Discoveries
Accommodation in Emerkingen
Emerkingen offers special points of interest for a trip combining sacred art and regional discoveries. The parish church of St. James the Greater brings together works of art from several centuries. Also of interest is the Roman Tower, which can be visited by prior arrangement with the municipal administration. In the wider destination of the Alb-Donau district, cultural sites, hiking trails and cycling options add further possibilities for planning your holiday around these local themes.
Dorfmitte von Emerkingen im Alb-Donau-Kreis mit Kirche und Römerturm
Photo: Dr. Eugen Lehle via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Works of art from several centuries in the parish church
The parish church of St. James the Greater brings together different forms of Christian visual art. Among the older works is a Late Gothic Madonna by the Master of Dornstadt, dating from 1430. A Baroque cross from the 18th century is located on the left choir wall. There is also a Crucifixion group in the choir: it is a 1955 copy of an altar by Matthias Grünewald.
Another special feature is a rare Holy Sepulchre image from the 19th century depicting the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ceiling paintings from the Gospels complete the interior. The works differ in their dates and depictions: from the Late Gothic Madonna to the Baroque cross and the 19th-century Holy Sepulchre image, through to the Crucifixion group created in 1955. For travelers interested in sacred art, the church offers several specific themes that can be compared with one another.
Visit the Roman Tower by prior arrangement
The Roman Tower can be visited by prior arrangement with the municipal administration; visits must be registered through the town hall of the municipality of Emerkingen. If you plan to visit, arrange it with the municipality in advance. This allows you to take the applicable visiting arrangements into account when planning your day.
Culture in the wider destination of the Alb-Donau district
Beyond Emerkingen’s works of art, the Alb-Donau district also offers a range of cultural and historical themes. Hohle Fels near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave 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 village of Ehrenstein is located in Blaustein; it is a Neolithic settlement in the Blau valley. It is part of the transnational and serial UNESCO World Heritage property Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.
Monastic complexes also offer different historical perspectives. The former Premonstratensian Abbey of Obermarchtal is in the Alb-Donau district. The monastery complex stands directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. Blaubeuren Monastery was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085; its buildings today date mainly from the Gothic period and were built between 1466 and 1510. Together with the parish church in Emerkingen, these examples show the diversity of religious art and architectural history in the Alb-Donau district.
The Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve is also part of the regional context for appreciating the landscape: the Alb-Donau district is part of this area. The cultural and nature-related themes can thus be considered as distinct focuses for trip planning, without confusing them with the specific attractions in Emerkingen.
Choose hiking and cycling routes by time and distance
For day hikes, the Alb-Donau district has 20 circular routes known as the Ice Age Trails. They are between 6 and 14 kilometers long. The family-friendly Ice Age Tracks offer routes from 1 to 6 kilometers; the Contemplation Trail is also available for multi-day tours. The stated distances help you assess different hiking plans: short routes, longer circular trails for a day’s hike, or a tour lasting several days.
Cycling options also range from shorter to longer distances. The themed routes include the 75-kilometer Ice Age Valleys Tour, the 115-kilometer Mountain and Beer Tour, and the 186-kilometer Albtäler Cycle Route, which has been awarded four stars. The distances provide a concrete comparison of route lengths, while the names identify different themed options.
Plan your trip around your own interests
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Emerkingen, you can plan your stay around local attractions: the works of art in the parish church or the Roman Tower, which can only be visited by prior arrangement. For other activities in the Alb-Donau district, you can choose from separate cultural, hiking and cycling themes.
Discover more destinations: Weidenstetten, Heroldstatt, Langenau, Allmendingen, Blaustein, Berghülen, Illerrieden, Neenstetten.
View the wider travel overview: Alb-Donau district.
