Discover Gschwend: Hike through the fairytale forest and to Hagberg Tower
Accommodation in Gschwend
In Gschwend, two hikes offer clear ideas for a day out: the fairytale forest at Kreuzstein and Hagberg Tower, an Art Nouveau building dating from 1901. Their different starting points make it easy to plan your day around either the landscape or an architectural destination.
Hiking in Gschwend: the fairytale forest or Hagberg Tower
The “Tour 4 ‘Mushroom’” hiking route starts and ends at the natural swimming lake near Gschwend. It passes through the fairytale forest and by Kreuzstein. This loop therefore combines the lake as its starting and finishing point with a route through the forest.
The “Idyllic Road Tour F” starts at Gschwend’s market square and leads through forests and meadows to Hagberg Tower. The tower is an Art Nouveau building dating from 1901, giving this hike a different destination from the loop by the natural swimming lake. Details of both routes may change; check the route information before setting out.
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Gschwend, choosing between these two hiking themes can help you make your holiday plans more specific: are you more drawn to the loop by the natural swimming lake and the fairytale forest, or would you like to hike from the market square to the Art Nouveau building? This way, you can choose a location that suits the excursions that interest you most.
Roman heritage in the Ostalb district
The Limes is a major attraction in the Ostalb district for anyone interested in Roman history. The Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 and runs for about six kilometres through the municipality of Rainau, in the districts of Buch, Schwabsberg and Dalkingen. The most impressive sections and most significant individual monuments of the Limes are preserved in a unique concentration at Limes Park Rainau. A reconstructed watchtower offers panoramic views across the Ostalb region. The Limestor Dalkingen is a unique structure along the entire Limes route between the Rhine and the Danube.
Those who want to combine a hike with this theme can follow the approximately 11-kilometre Limes Circular Trail near Rainau. It takes about 2.5 hours on foot. The signposted route runs from the Limes wall and Limes tower between Buch and Schwabsberg through the “Mahdholz” forest, following the Limes as far as the southern edge of Schwabsberg. Its distance and walking time offer a useful guide for planning your day.
Monastery history and mining in the Ostalb district
Lorch Monastery is another cultural highlight in the Ostalb district. In 1102, the first Hohenstaufen ruler, Frederick I, and his wife Agnes of Waiblingen founded the monastery as their burial place. The complex includes a medieval church, the cloister, farm buildings and Marsilius Tower. From there, visitors can enjoy views of the monastery complex, the herb garden, the sensory garden and the surrounding area. The permanent exhibition presents 900 years of monastic history, including through the richly decorated Lorch choir books.
The Tiefer Stollen Visitor Mine offers a completely different way to explore history in the Ostalb district. During a visit, the mine railway passes through mineral formations and small stalactites into sandstone chambers covering 2,500 square metres, 100 metres underground. There, a multimedia show introduces the history of ore mining in the Aalen area. A circular route through the maze of tunnels also leads to former underground mining areas with shafts, loading points and ore extraction chambers. In the region, monastery architecture and mining history thus offer distinct themes to explore.
Nature experiences in the Ostalb district
The Wental in the Ostalb district also offers visitors the chance to take a closer look at the landscape. A nature trail provides insight into the unspoilt nature of the ancient river valley. A hike through the Wental towards Steinheim is particularly suitable for families. From the path, you can spot gnarled trees and bizarre rock formations; with a little imagination, you may be able to make out fairytale characters and animals in them. This is a nature experience in its own right, alongside the hikes in Gschwend and the cultural destinations of the Ostalb district.
Discover more destinations: Ruppertshofen, Kirchheim Am Ries, Abtsgmünd, Ellenberg, Adelmannsfelden, Leinzell, Unterschneidheim, Waldhausen.
Go to the main travel overview: Ostalb district.
