Note: The Albschäferweg is marked throughout with the symbol of a shepherd on a blue background.
In the Swabian Alb, shepherding is still practiced as itinerant sheep farming. The 158-kilometer-long Alb Shepherds' Trail was established to make it possible to experience the importance of itinerant shepherding for landscape conservation in the Brenz region of Heidenheim. The route follows the footsteps of the Alb shepherds between Giengen, Gerstetten, Heidenheim and Neresheim. The award-winning long-distance hiking trail passes sheep farms, juniper heaths and calcareous grassland meadows. Idyllic valleys such as the Wental or the Eselsburg Valley inspire with their unique rock formations. Prehistory can be experienced live in the meteor crater region of Steinheim and on the Gerstetter Alb. In the Lone Valley, you will encounter three of a total of six cave sites in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb, where 40,000 years ago Ice Age hunters carved figures such as the mammoth and the lion man from mammoth ivory and played on flutes, and a geological adventure at the end of the valley below the Charlotten Cave. Neresheim Monastery and Katzenstein Castle tower over the rolling Alb hills on the Härtsfeld, both important cultural treasures along the way.Stage 1: From Giengen to Stetten o. Lontal - Who doesn't know the teddy bear with the button in his ear? Giengen is his home, the Albschäferweg starts there and ends today in Stetten ob Lontal. On the way you will meet the shepherd Ruth Häckh with her sheep and goats and at the end in the archaeopark Vogelherd the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb" and the history of the mammoth hunters from the Lone Valley.
Stage 2: From Stetten o. Lonetal to Anhausen - Two things are a must on this stage - a visit to the Charlottenhöhle cave and its adventure center, and a rest at the lookout pulpit on Domäne Falkenstein with a view of the renaturalized Brenz River in the Eselsburg Valley.
Stage 3: From Anhausen to Gerstetten - The term "cliff" is known, for example, from Rügen, but where should such a cliff be on the Alb? In this stage you will hike along the Heldenfinger Kliff, it is a part of the rocky coast of the Tertiary Sea. On the way, original valleys such as the Kießen or Hungerbrunnen valleys await you.
Stage 4: From Gerstetten to Steinheim - Earth history live! Of all the meteorite craters, the Steinheim Basin is the best-preserved crater in southern Germany, and nature live is also guaranteed. Large heath areas and colorful mixed forests please the eye.
Stage 5: From Steinheim to Zang - Why the trail is called "Albschäferweg" will be confirmed at the sheep farm in Steinheim. More than 600 Merino sheep are at home here. In the Wental valley there are thirty bizarre dolomite limestone rocks - also called the Felsenmeer - unbelievable but true.
Stage 6: From Zang to Heidenheim - From the ski jump to the lake, from the Ostalbhöhe to the Brenztal - variety is guaranteed. A round of treading water in the fresh spring water of the Brenz at the Kneipp facility at the Hammerschmiede will revive tired hikers' calves. Be sure to take a break at Lake Itzelberg.
Stage 7: From Heidenheim to Nattheim - Heidenheim's landmark is Hellenstein Castle. Since this stage is very short (7 km), you can use the morning to visit the town of Heidenheim. The stage ends at the sheep farm of the city shepherdess Karin Wiedenmann.
Stage 8: From Nattheim to Neresheim - Put on your rucksack and set off through forests and the Härtsfeld to the world-famous Neresheim Monastery. The people of Nattheim carried heavy luggage in 1775: the limestone slabs for the floor covering of the abbey church were hewn in Nattheim and brought to Neresheim.
Stage 9: From Neresheim to Ballmertshofen - Katzenstein Castle is enthroned high up on a rocky spur. People ruled, lived and robbed at the castle. Down in the valley, a peaceful rest stop awaits you at the Härtsfeldsee lake. In the Egau valley you can observe beaver tracks and sometimes get your feet wet.
Stage 10: From Ballmertshofen to Giengen - The finale - once again extensive forests, a beautiful chapel and wonderful moorland await. All Albschäferweg hikers are grateful to the sheep in any case - they are the landscape maintainers on the Heidenheimer Alb.
Weekend tours and day tours on the docked circular hiking trails, the Albschäfer-Zeitspuren. Information at www.albschaeferweg.de
Wegbeschreibung
A multi-day hike on the Albschäferweg can be started at any point. You can shorten the tour on paths in the Albverein network.
We recommend starting in Giengen an der Brenz. At the Spitalkirche (intersection Spitalstraße/Wasserschapfgasse) a general information board informs about the hiking trails in the region.
The route is marked with a shepherd on a blue background. Orange signposts show the direction and indicate the distances to the next destination. These signposts are now installed throughout the district of Heidenheim and also allow shortcuts and access routes. You will also encounter the symbol of a yellow ring. This marks the course of the Zeitspuren and other circular hiking trails. The basic trail network of the Schwäbichen Albverein is marked with red, yellow and blue lozenges and Y. The HW 4 with a red bar and the HW 2 with a red triangle. You will also encounter these signs on the Albschäferweg. Please do not be confused by the red, blue and yellow triangles. They are not directional arrows for the Albschäferweg.
The path first leads in the direction of Hermaringen. There to the ruins of Güssenburg and over the Hirschberg to the mouth of the Hürbe and to a renaturalized section on the Brenz. Via Bergenweiler and above Sontheim it goes to Stetten.
From Stetten, hike along the southern edge trail of the Schwäbischer Albverein (HW2 - marked with a red triangle) above the Lone Valley and the Charlottenhöhle cave to the Falkenstein domain above the Eselsburger Valley. In order to get to know the enchanting nature reserve Eselsburger Tal better, we recommend a detour through the valley, which leads on the Albschäfer-Zeitspur "Eselsburger Talgang" from Falkenstein in the direction over Buigen to Herbrechtingen.
Otherwise, from Falkenstein, stay on HW 4, which leads above the valley on a beautiful forest trail to Anhausen. From here it goes to Gerstetten. Passing the Heldenfinger Kliff, the trail leads into the Hungerbrunnen valley and through the Gassental and Säuberes Tal valleys to Gerstetten.
Via Küpfendorf you reach the Stubental and hike along the edge of the Meteor crater in Steinheim to the Wental.
Through the bizarre rocky landscape of the Wental you reach the clearing island of Zang and via the forest settlement of Königsbronn you reach the Herwartstein. Down you go to Lake Itzelberg and then up again in the direction of Heidenheim.
Through the district of Schnaitheim and over the Moldenberg it goes towards Nattheim and from there to Fleinheim and via Auernheim to Neresheim. The next destination is Katzenstein Castle and immediately afterwards you reach the Härtsfeldsee. Now it goes along the Egau via Dischingen to Ballmertshofen.
The next destination is Zöschingen. Passing the wind turbines, the route leads towards Oggenhausen and through the wooded areas of the town of Giengen through the so-called Höllteich and over the Schießberg back to the starting point.
In the individual stage descriptions you will find more detailed informationen.
Ausrüstung
Good footwear (hiking boots) is recommended.
Sicherheitshinweise
The Albschäferweg has a high percentage of near-natural trail sections. You walk on meadow paths and on forest paths and trails. Trails in the forest can be in poor condition due to forestry work. Therefore, please make sure you wear sturdy shoes.
Please keep in mind that there are not refreshment stops everywhere. We therefore recommend that you take sufficient drinks and a backpack snack with you.
At very difficult sections we offer alternatively more comfortable ways.
It is always necessary to cross roads with heavier traffic. Please pay special attention to the traffic.
