Täferrot: Discover the Afrakirche and its history
Accommodation in Täferrot
The Afrakirche gives Täferrot a tangible historical focus: visitors can explore an earlier predecessor, the new church built in 1491, and works of art from different periods. If you’re looking for architectural and art history as well as scenery on your trip, you’ll find a clear local focus here. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can decide whether Täferrot itself should be your main focus or whether you’d like to add destinations in the wider travel region of Ostalbkreis to your plans.
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Photo: Martin Hahn via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
The Afrakirche: architectural history and visual art
A church already stood on the same site before the 1491 building was constructed. Its tower was probably incorporated into the new building. The images inside also tell of different periods: the New Testament scenes on the gallery parapet were created in the 16th century after designs by Albrecht Dürer. The Old Testament scenes opposite were painted after the Thirty Years’ War. Thus, two picture cycles with different historical contexts face one another in the Afrakirche.
Another detail can be found on the choir stalls: among other things, they feature a pretzel, the emblem of the abbot of Lorch at the time. The choir stalls probably came from Lorch Abbey. Details like these make the church especially interesting for travelers who want to explore history not only through dates but also through visible motifs. The possible origin of the choir stalls remains a hypothesis.
Exploring Täferrot and its surroundings
A map shows some of the ways to get to know the landscape in and around Täferrot; it does not cover every possibility. This leaves the local focus open, without assuming a particular route. If you’re planning your trip primarily around the Afrakirche, its architectural and visual history takes center stage. If you’d like to include a range of landscape and historical themes, you can also explore the wider travel region of Ostalbkreis.
Ostalbkreis: the Limes and monastic history
In Ostalbkreis, the Limes connects Roman history with specific places. The Upper German-Raetian Limes has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. In the municipality of Rainau, it runs for about six kilometers through the districts of Buch, Schwabsberg, and Dalkingen. Sections of the Limes and significant individual monuments have been preserved in especially high concentration in Rainau Limes Park. A reconstructed watchtower there offers panoramic views across the Ostalb region.
The route details make the Limes an accessible destination in its own right: the circular Limes hiking trail near Rainau is about eleven kilometers long and takes roughly 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 distance and estimated walking time provide a concrete guide if you’re including hiking days in your trip plans.
Lorch Abbey is another historical highlight. It was founded in 1102 as a burial place by Frederick I, the first Hohenstaufen, and his wife Agnes of Waiblingen. The complex includes a medieval church, the cloister, farm buildings, and the Marsilius Tower. From the tower, you can enjoy views of the abbey complex, the herb garden, the sensory garden, and the surrounding area. The permanent exhibition covers more than 900 years of monastic history, including the decorated choir books of Lorch.
Hiking trails and underground history
For a nature-focused outing, a hike through the Wental Valley toward Steinheim is particularly suitable for families. Along the way, you can discover gnarled trees and unusual rock formations; with a little imagination, you may spot fairy-tale characters and animals in them. The Wental nature trail also offers insights into the natural environment of the ancient river valley. These experiences offer a different focus from church and monastic history.
Those interested in mining history will find another distinct experience in Ostalbkreis at the Tiefer Stollen Visitor Mine. The mine train passes through mineral deposits and small stalactites into sandstone chambers measuring 2,500 square meters and lying 100 meters underground. There, a multimedia show introduces the history of ore mining in the Aalen area. A circular route through the labyrinth of tunnels leads to former underground mining areas with shafts, loading points, and ore extraction chambers.
These themes differ considerably in character, so you can decide which ones you want to shape your trip without trying to combine them all in one place.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Bartholomä, Schechingen, Jagstzell, Abtsgmünd, Stödtlen, Ellwangen, Ellenberg, Adelmannsfelden
To the overview of the wider travel region: Ostalbkreis.
