Discover Schelklingen
Accommodation in Schelklingen
In Schelklingen, varied landscapes meet tangible history: The water level of Lake Schmiechen can change considerably depending on rainfall, while the ruins of Hohenschelklingen Castle tell the story of a striking mountain spur. There are also a historic town walk, hiking options and insights into the art of pottery. This gives you the freedom to plan your holiday around a wide range of interests.
Wasservogel aus Mammutelfenbein, vor etwa 38.000 Jahren im Hohle Fels bei Schelklingen gefertigt.
Photo: Catatine via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Discover landscapes and history
In years with plenty of rainfall, Lake Schmiechen has an extensive surface of water. In dry years, by contrast, it can shrink to just a few small pools. This change makes the lake a sight that cannot be captured in a single image: what you see there varies depending on the year’s rainfall.
The location of the ruins of Hohenschelklingen Castle is also closely connected to the landscape. They stand on a mountain spur whose western side extends far into the Schelklingen Valley, formed by the ancient Danube. If you are interested in the town’s history, you can also take the historic town walk, which has twenty stops. Information about the route is available to download and gives the walk a clear historical focus.
Experience crafts and culture
There is a pottery workshop in Schelklingen Town Museum. Pottery demonstrations and pottery classes can be booked on request, subject to availability. If you would like to include this in your plans, check in advance for a suitable date. This makes the pottery workshop a concrete cultural feature of your stay, without assuming that a visit or class is always available.
The former Benedictine monastery of Urspring lies in the nearby Urdonau bend, close to Schelklingen. It was founded in 1127 and dissolved in 1806. Together with the stops on the town walk, Urspring offers another point of interest for anyone wishing to focus on the region’s history.
Hikes and cycling tours
Several challenging, scenically spectacular multi-day hikes in the Swabian Alb pass through Schelklingen. The Alb Water Tour is a themed route in Schelklingen. The hiking options mentioned therefore range from a themed route to multi-day excursions. If you would like to make hiking the focus of your trip, you can take into account how much time you plan to set aside for such tours when choosing your holiday apartment.
Cycling tours also invite you to explore Schelklingen and the Ach and Schmiech valleys. Hiking and cycling thus offer different ways to experience the landscapes and themes mentioned here. For your holiday planning, it helps to decide first whether you would rather focus on longer hikes, a themed route, cycling tours or culture. This lets you choose where to stay based on the experiences that matter to you, rather than trying to fit every option into a single itinerary.
Schelklingen in the Alb-Donau district
The Hohle Fels cave near Schelklingen is also part of the wider Alb-Donau district destination. 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 Alb-Donau district is also part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve.
When choosing a holiday apartment, you can weigh up your planned priorities: local history and pottery, the Alb Water Tour, longer hikes or cycling tours. Schelklingen offers a range of themes to shape your trip around.
Discover more destinations: Obermarchtal, Illerrieden, Berghülen, Merklingen, Ballendorf, Blaubeuren, Weidenstetten, Rammingen.
Back to the main travel overview: Alb-Donau district.
