Anyone who thinks "Swigger" is the youth word of the year is wrong.
Swigger was the first name of the IV ruler of Gundelfingen from the 12th century. You can follow in his footsteps on the "hochgehswiggert" trail around, in and above the "Großes Lautertal" recreation area.
Going up and looking down is also the outstanding feature of this tour - hike over juniper heaths and let the path lined with handsome beech trees take effect on you, go into yourself in the Heiligental valley and simply "ratchet" in the Ratzental valley and find inner peace. Sunbathing lawns, numerous refreshment stops and barbecue areas along the "hochgehswiggert" offer plenty of options to make the hike a very special experience.
Even those who prefer something more alpine do not have to travel to the high mountains. The alpine path up to the castle ruins of Hohengundelfingen with its serpentines is in no way inferior to the paths in the mountains 100 km away.
Author's recommendation
Numerous vantage points such as the views from Hohengundelfingen Castle and Derneck Castle make this trail a special experience.
Directions
We start at the Heiligental hikers' car park, which also invites you to barbecue and rest. It has also recently been extended to a parking area for four mobile homes.
After crossing the Lautertalstraße (be careful!) and a wooden bridge over the Große Lauter, we reach the Lautertal foot and cycle path along a sunbathing lawn with barbecue area and watering place. Now follow the Lautertal footpath and cycle path in the direction of Derneck Castle.
At the Münzdorf bridge, take a sharp right up a steep path to Derneck Mountain. Here you can enjoy a great view and the castle courtyard invites you to linger and dine. There is also the possibility of an overnight stay (after registration!).
After visiting Derneck Castle, we pass another barbecue area and come along a path to a playground and barbecue area at the "Breitle".
Then we continue towards Ratzental and along the Breitle, with a beautiful view of the Große Lautertal, until we reach a connecting path from Gundelfingen to Ehestetten. Here we keep to the right and follow the path towards Wittstaig in the Große Lautertal.
At the "Landgasthof Hotel Wittstaig", we cross the Lautertal road again and take the stairs that lead to the alpine path towards Hohengundelfingen. This path winds its way up with some serpentines to the castle ruins. On the former mighty castle complex, built by Swigger the IV of Gundelfingen (about 1160 - 1228), you have an unforgettable view over the Great Lauter Valley and as far as Derneck Castle.
Where a bridge once ran over the moat, we cross it on a path and reach the eaves of the Lautertal valley, which is lined with beautiful beech trees. First we walk along the "Hau" garment towards Birklesgreut and down a steep path through a juniper heath worthy of protection into the Heiligental valley, which is enclosed by core zones on the right and left.
We take the direct route back to the starting point at the Heiligental hikers' car park.
Equipment
Sturdy footwear is recommended.
Safety information
There is an increased risk of falling stones and rocks on the hiking trail below Hohengundelfingen Castle.
In core zones - even on the cleared paths - the danger of falling branches and falling trees is particularly high. Leaving the paths is prohibited.
Your safety is important for us, which is why you will find emergency call badges at regular intervals along the paths, clearly marked with the emergency number 112. By means of the exact location marking, the rescue forces can reach you more quickly in an emergency.
More information
Special features of the trail:
You pass two castles in the Great Lauter Valley that were important at the time and are connected by very beautiful paths.
In parts, you pass through the core zones Heiligental and Tiefental with their unique flora and fauna. In core zones - as in protected forests - the primeval forests of tomorrow are being created. In 2009, forestry management was discontinued, and since then the forest has continued to develop here almost undisturbed. You can follow this development from the cleared paths. However, it will take a long time before a primeval forest-like structure has developed, because the life of a tree often lasts more than 400 years. Old trees and dead wood remain in the forest. In tree hollows, rotten wood and bark, they provide a diverse habitat for numerous animal and plant species, some of which are very rare.
Frequent access to the water of the Große Lauter.
Numerous barbecue and resting areas with playground and sunbathing lawns along the Große Lauter.
Several passages with alpine trail character.
