Zwiefalten: Baroque Architecture and Routes for Active Exploration
Accommodation in Zwiefalten
Baroque architecture and unusual insights
A good reason to get to know Zwiefalten is the Minster of Our Lady, one of the most important buildings of the German Late Baroque. Its history combines monastic tradition with continued use as a church to this day. Until 1803, the minster was the abbey church of Zwiefalten Benedictine Abbey; since 1812, it has been a parish and pilgrimage church. If you are planning a guided tour, you must register in advance. Tours may only be conducted by authorized minster guides from the Catholic parish; self-guided tours are not permitted.
Das Zwiefalter Münster und das ehemalige Schulgebäude am Ufer der Zwiefalter Aach.
Photo: Olga Ernst via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The First Württemberg Psychiatric Museum offers a different way to explore cultural history. It is housed in a former cemetery chapel and provides insight into the development of psychiatric care. For families or travel groups with varied interests, it offers a different choice of subject matter from Baroque church art. The history of art also includes the collection of plans by Zwiefalten monastery master builders Joseph Benedikt Schneider (1689–1763) and Hans Martin Schneider (1692–1768). It is a rare testament to the South German Baroque. The collection adds the work of the two master builders to the picture of monastic architecture, without requiring the same perspective as a visit to the minster.
Explore Zwiefalten by bike
There are also several options for a trip focused on cycling. Zwiefalten lies on the section of the Danube Cycle Path between Sigmaringen and Ulm. The Zwiefalten Alb Cycle Route (R2) is another named route; it is signposted from the car park by the Stationsgaststätte. It runs via Kleinengstingen, Bernloch, Ödenwaldstetten, Aichelau, Aichstetten, Tigerfeld, and Gauingen, then through the Gossenzuger Valley to Zwiefalten. The sequence of place names helps you distinguish this route from the long-distance Danube route and plan your cycling trip according to the route you want to take.
Eight mountain bike trails start in Zwiefalten and lead in all four cardinal directions. So, alongside the named cycle routes, there are several trail directions to choose from. No specific length is given for these eight mountain bike trails; your first consideration may therefore be whether you have in mind a signposted route with a stated itinerary or a mountain bike trail as the focus of your trip.
Hiking trails of varying lengths
The certified premium hiking trail “hochgehpilgert” is 13.2 km long. There are also five well-maintained circular hiking trails around Zwiefalten, ranging from 5.5 to 13.5 km in length. If trail length affects your day’s plans, you can take these distances into account when choosing a route. They indicate different trail lengths, not necessarily walking time or difficulty.
Zwiefalten can also be reached on foot via four other trails: the Black Forest–Swabian Alb–Allgäu Trail (HW 5), the Swabian Alb Southern Edge Trail (HW 2), the Swabian Alb–Upper Swabia Trail (HW 7), and the Reutlingen–Zwiefalten Castle Trail. You can make hiking a focus of your trip or include these named trails in your plans for a visit to Zwiefalten. When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to first decide on the mix of culture, cycling, and hiking you want; your interests provide a practical starting point for choosing a location.
To visit other local pages: Gomadingen, Mehrstetten, Reutlingen, Riederich, Pfullingen, Dettingen An Der Erms, Trochtelfingen and Engstingen.
Back to the main travel overview: Reutlingen.
