Staig: Churches, Art and History

Staig combines church and art history with a setting where different historical periods and leisure activities come together. In the village centre, the former Marienkirche is used as an art gallery, hosting exhibitions by renowned artists from Germany and abroad. The modern Catholic parish church of the Assumption of Mary was built on the neighbouring southeastern slope between 1972 and 1974.

Churches, Art and Architectural History

The new building replaced the Neo-Gothic brick church, built in 1869 beside the late-medieval bell tower. The tower bears the dates 1470/1577. The replaced church was designed by Georg von Morlok, the Stuttgart railway station architect; the modern parish church was built to a design by Ulm architect Manfred Wacker. This allows visitors to trace a sequence from a late-medieval tower to a Neo-Gothic brick building and modern architecture of the 1970s. Steinberg also has a long church history: the Catholic parish church of St Pankratius was first mentioned in 1275, while the present building dates from 1819. The Catholic branch chapel of St Helena has always been served from Staig.

In Harthausen, a district of the municipality of Staig, the Harthauser Radio Museum is a private collection dedicated to the history of broadcasting, from its beginnings around 1923 to the end of the vacuum-tube era around 1970. About 800 exhibits and related literature are on display; Mr Hauf has restored many of the exhibits himself. Check current opening hours and access arrangements before visiting. The churches, gallery and radio collection offer different ways to explore cultural history: while the churches showcase architectural periods from the Middle Ages to modern times, the collection focuses on the development of broadcasting.

Rolling Hills and Leisure in the Municipality

The high plateau between the Danube and the Iller is a landscape shaped by early settlement. It gave rise to the six districts of Altheim, Essendorf, Harthausen, Staig, Steinberg and Weinstetten. They lie in the lowlands and on the hills around the Weihung Valley. Leisure activities in the municipality include hiking, cycling and horse riding; jogging and walking are possible in the woods and open countryside. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can decide whether church and collection history or outdoor activities should be the focus of your time away.

Culture and Routes in the Alb-Donau District

The wider travel destination of the Alb-Donau District offers further historical themes. Hohle Fels near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the site where the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Geierknochenflöte” (“Vulture-bone flute”) were found; both finds are about 42,500 years old. The Stone Age village of Ehrenstein in Blaustein is a Neolithic settlement in the Blau Valley and part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps”. In the wider region, early finds and settlement history sit alongside the more recent church and collection themes of the municipality of Staig.

The monasteries represent different periods, too: Obermarchtal rises directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. Blaubeuren Monastery was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085; today, it consists mainly of Gothic buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. Hiking options in the Alb-Donau District vary in length and character: the 20 “Ice Age Trails” circular routes are 6 to 14 kilometres long and are suitable for day hikes. The family-friendly “Ice Age Tracks” range from 1 to 6 kilometres; the Reflection Path is intended for multi-day tours. Themed cycling routes include the 75-kilometre “Ice Age Valleys” tour, the 115-kilometre “Berg Bier Tour” and the 186-kilometre “Alb Valleys” cycle route, which has been awarded four stars.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Obermarchtal, Ballendorf, Rottenacker, Merklingen, Dornstadt, Nerenstetten, Schelklingen, Lonsee.

Go to the main travel guide: Alb-Donau District.