Skip to content
Skip to navigation
Skip to subnavigation
Skip to search
The Swabian Alb - a striking highland region that rose up out of the Jurassic sea millions of years ago, features a combination of bizarre rock formations and gently rolling slopes. Where now the sheep graze peacefully among the juniper bushes, glowing molten rock once bubbled up into the sky: millions of years ago, the Swabian Alb was one of the most volcanic regions on earth. With its many naturally occurring phenomena and legacies of its geological past, this interesting landscape is a unique, naturally-evolved geology park. It is through this region that the well-signposted Swabian Alb Route runs for around 200 km from Tuttlingen to Nördlingen am Ries or Aalen. The region has a number of castles, palaces and ruins sitting in splendour atop the crags and mountains, and is dotted with attractive historic towns, mainly dating from Roman times or the Middle Ages, lying at the foot of the mountains or in the charming valleys.
You can still find rare prehistoric fossils in the area today or see them on display at one of the region's fascinating museums. The landscape still holds a number of valuable prehistoric treasures within, such as the medicinal springs that are still used to treat a range of illnesses. This geological variety, wealth of fossils and geological attractions, and fairytale dripstone caves with their fantastic underground worlds have really put the Swabian Alb on the map. Keen walkers and nature enthusiasts come to admire the peaks of up to 1,000 metres high, gently rolling mountain ridges, juniper scrub, limestone outcrops, maars, dripstone caves and waterfalls, while enjoying the tranquillity and beauty of this "wilderness paradise". Of course, there's also plenty of opportunity to sample the exquisite wine and the famously good Swabian cuisine.
