Discover Altshausen
Accommodation in Altshausen
Altshausen offers different ways to explore history, art and nature: Altshausen Castle tells the story of its long past, the parish and castle church of St. Michael houses a special place of veneration, and an adventure trail leads into the Alter Weiher nature reserve. These different highlights can help you decide whether Altshausen is a holiday destination that suits your interests.
Castle History and Sacred Art
Since the second half of the 13th century, Altshausen Castle was the seat of the Teutonic Order’s Komtur and later its Landkomtur. In 1647, the Swedes caused severe damage to the castle and set fire to its main buildings. After the Thirty Years’ War, it was rebuilt in almost the same form. Since 1919, Altshausen Castle has served as the residence of the ducal family of Württemberg; its interiors are not open to visitors. The castle’s historical significance and this restriction on visits are both worth bearing in mind when planning: the castle is part of the town’s history, but its interiors cannot be visited.
The right-hand side chapel of the parish and castle church of St. Michael houses a place of veneration for Blessed Hermann of Altshausen, also known as Hermannus Contractus or Hermann the Lame. The Holy Sepulchre of Altshausen is another sacred highlight. It consists of two large painted canvases, 23 panels and seven arcades, and features a wealth of figures. Unique in its kind and scale, the Holy Sepulchre is considered one of the last such structures in southern Germany. Its many individual pictorial and architectural elements offer tangible points of interest if you are curious about religious art and its design.
In the town centre, the listed Alte Post building houses the Historical Gallery. This adds another cultural venue to the castle history and sacred art. Together, these sights reveal different sides of Altshausen, without requiring you to focus your visit on just one theme.
Hiking to the Alter Weiher
The 5.5-kilometre adventure trail starts at the outdoor swimming pool in Altshausen and leads into the Alter Weiher nature reserve. Its stated length, starting point and destination give you clear guidance if you would like to set aside time for a hike alongside the cultural attractions. Along the trail at Bocksberg, you’ll find a small nature playground, an insect hotel, a barefoot path and a woodchip trail. Nature watching and hands-on activities come together on this route. The stops at Bocksberg are a highlight in their own right; the trail itself continues into the protected area.
More to Explore in the Wider Ravensburg Destination
The wider Ravensburg destination offers further cultural and nature-related attractions. The Humpis Quarter Museum in Ravensburg opened in July 2009. Its permanent exhibition spans five buildings in a late-medieval residential quarter. The museum offers regular public tours and tours that can be booked individually for school classes, children and adults. If you’d like to include a guided tour in your plans, check the current dates.
Achberg Castle is the district cultural centre of Ravensburg district, set high above the Argental valley, and showcases Baroque architecture. It is open to all visitors and offers educational activities for children. The circular hiking trails starting at Achberg Castle pass through varied landscapes: the upland plateau features gently rolling meadows, while steep slopes and ravines line the sides of the Argental valley. Here, culture and landscape can be explored in different ways to suit your interests.
The Allgäu-Oberschwaben Farmhouse Museum in Wolfegg offers a different focus: it vividly shows how people in the region used to work, live and go about their daily lives. The museum preserves 28 historic buildings, some of them several centuries old. The Pfrunger-Burgweiler Ried, meanwhile, covers almost 2,600 hectares and is the second-largest contiguous moorland area in southwestern Germany. These examples show the variety of themes in the wider Ravensburg destination.
Choosing Altshausen as a Holiday Destination
When looking for a holiday apartment in Altshausen, start with the mix of activities you want for your trip: would you prefer to focus on local history, with the castle, church and gallery, or would you also like to explore the adventure trail? The places and route described above offer concrete points to help you decide. If you also consider attractions in the wider Ravensburg destination, you can include cultural activities and landscapes beyond Altshausen in your holiday plans.
Discover more destinations: Fleischwangen, Amtzell, Hoßkirch, Horgenzell, Berg Bei Ravensburg, Schlier, Bad Waldsee, Wangen Im Allgäu.
Go to the wider travel overview: Ravensburg.
