Stödtlen: Trails, Ponds and the Limes

Discover Stödtlen through specific trail destinations: the pond trail leads to Volkemer Pond, the panoramic trail connects several stops, and a hiking trail maintained by the Swabian Alb Association follows the Limes. There is also a beaver habitat at Krummenweiher and opportunities to see animals at Pfauengarten Animal Park. These varied highlights give you options for planning your holiday around nature, trail stops or history.

Trails with different highlights

The pond trail passes the cemetery and its rebus puzzle on the way to Volkemer Pond. The water is the destination; along the way, the rebus stands out as a distinctive detail at the cemetery. The panoramic trail offers a different focus: it passes the old castle site with its tree trail and continues via Niederroden to Wildenberg Chapel. If you are planning an outing, you can choose between the pond destination and a series of stops featuring the castle site, tree trail and chapel.

Another connection to the Limes is the Swabian Alb Association’s Main Hiking Trail 6. It passes through the municipality of Stödtlen and follows the course of the Limes. This means several trail themes sit side by side: the pond, notable stops along the panoramic trail, and a route that follows the Limes. These destinations give you a sense of what each route offers, without requiring you to combine them into a single tour.

Nature and animal encounters

The pond trail leads to a body of water at Volkemer Pond; Krummenweiher offers a separate opportunity to experience nature. A beaver population has created a habitat there and in the surrounding area. This adds a specific chance to see a habitat shaped by beavers to the trail highlights. At Pfauengarten Animal Park, visitors can see animals from different regions up close. If this experience is important to your plans, check the park’s current visitor information before setting off.

Arriving and choosing where to stay

Free parking is available at the town hall in Stödtlen. Check local regulations when you arrive. When choosing a holiday apartment, the focus of your trip may be the deciding factor: if you mainly want to explore the trails described within the municipality, Stödtlen is a natural place to search. If you are looking instead for a different destination in the Ostalbkreis district, take that destination’s own location into account when making your decision.

A distinct Limes experience in the Ostalbkreis district

The Ostalbkreis district also has its own Limes attractions, with sites in Rainau. The Upper German-Raetian Limes has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site there since 2005 and runs through the districts of Buch, Schwabsberg and Dalkingen for about six kilometres. The best-preserved sections and most significant individual monuments can be found in Limes Park Rainau. A reconstructed watchtower offers panoramic views across the Ostalb region.

The Limes circular hiking trail near Rainau is about 11 kilometres long and takes approximately two and a half hours on foot. It runs from the Limes wall and the Limes tower between Buch and Schwabsberg through Mahdholz Forest, following the Limes to the southern edge of Schwabsberg. The Dalkingen Limes Gate is also part of this regional look at the Roman heritage: it is a distinctive structure along the entire Limes route between the Rhine and the Danube. The Rainau destinations thus offer a separate perspective on the Limes, distinct from the trails through the municipality of Stödtlen.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Rosenberg, Heubach, Schechingen, Rainau, Gschwend, Essingen, Göggingen, Täferrot.

For the main travel overview: Ostalbkreis.