Aach: Karst Spring and Historic Old Town

Aach combines a striking karst landscape with a historic townscape. The Aachtopf near Aach is Germany’s largest karst spring by discharge; the historic old town sits on a steep hill and is fortified with defensive walls and a gate tower. Hikes draw attention both to the spring and to the distinctive formations in the limestone. If you’re looking for a holiday apartment, you can decide whether you’d like your stay in Aach to focus mainly on nature, local history or a combination of both.

Karst Spring and Sinkholes

The karst landscape becomes tangible through its distinctive landforms along the Aacher Geißbock hiking trail. Narrow paths descend through large sinkholes in the limestone. These are directly connected to the underground cave system of the Aach spring. Here, visible landforms meet an underground connection to the spring. For travelers interested in geological features, the landscape makes the underground world a topic through its concrete surface formations.

Old Town and Historic Traces

Aach’s historic old town sits on a steep hill and is fortified with defensive walls and a gate tower. A walk up to the old town offers views over Aach, down the Aach valley as far as Friedinger Schlößle, and across the Hegau landscape. The climb thus connects the historic townscape with views of the surrounding countryside. A High Court stone has also been preserved at the northern edge of Aach town forest, near the area known as “Prälatenhau.”

Hikes with Different Highlights

The historic trail in Aach has 13 stops, including the Aach spring. The Aacher Geißbock circular hike also starts at the Aach spring and climbs to the northern edge of Aach’s town hill. It passes the Old Tower of Aach; its route also includes narrow paths descending through large sinkholes. The two routes differ in focus: the 13 stops provide clear orientation on the historic trail, while the Geißbock combines a circular route with the town hill, tower and karst formations.

In the broader Konstanz destination

In the broader Konstanz destination, Mainau Island offers a different focus on nature: its Butterfly House is home to up to 120 different butterfly species and subspecies from the tropical regions of South and Central America, Africa and Asia. The selection of animals may change. Aach’s karst spring and sinkholes therefore offer a contrast to this other nature theme. The well-signposted, 53-kilometer SeeGang premium hiking trail connects Überlingen and Konstanz and passes through the Lake Constance district and the district of Konstanz.

In 14 participating towns in the broader Konstanz destination, overnight guests receive the BODENSEECARD WEST at check-in. It serves as a free travel pass in the district of Konstanz as far as Stein am Rhein and Überlingen, offers a 20 percent discount on Untersee boat trips, and provides reduced admission to museums. Before traveling, check whether your accommodation is in one of the participating towns.

Discover more destinations: Gaienhofen, Steißlingen, Reichenau, Radolfzell am Bodensee, Moos, Litzelstetten, Mühlhausen-Ehingen, Rielasingen-Worblingen

Back to the broader travel overview: Konstanz.