Filstal Industrial Heritage Route
Medium
Lively. Versatile.
On the way on the Route of Industrial Culture in the Filstal
Occupancy
no info available
Parking
no info available
Public transport
Show stops
Tour details
Best time of year
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Specifics of the tour
Cultural highlihts
Path condition
Tour signs
Description
The Filstal in the south-east of the Stuttgart region looks back on an exciting industrial history. Numerous relics and testimonies attest to early industrialisation. Trade and industry are still a living part of the valley and its neighbouring communities today. The Route of Industrial Culture in the Filstal is intended to raise awareness of the industrial past and present of the Filstal and make it possible to experience it.
The Route of Industrial Culture in the Filstal is a cycle route linking numerous sites of industrial culture throughout the Filstal. Some of these places are designated as so-called "anchor points" because of their importance for industrial development, but also because of what they currently offer visitors. The Industrial Heritage Route mainly follows the well-developed cycle path network of the Filstal Route from Wiesensteig to Plochingen. With the logo of the Route of Industrial Heritage always in sight, you can follow the traces of industrialisation in the Filstal. The industrial heritage sites and anchor points are not only easily accessible for cyclists: The Filstal is easily accessible by car via the B10 and B466 trunk roads. Stations related to local industrial history invite visitors to linger at special places along the trail and offer the opportunity to find out more.
Ride along the trail and find out more about the local industrial history.
The backbone of the Route of Industrial Culture is the Filstal Route, which runs along the valley for 67 km between the car park „Bahnhöfle“ west of the municipality of Wiesensteig and Plochingen railway station not far from the Filsmündung. There is a continuous northern route as well as alternative routes in sections via the southern route. The Industrial Heritage Route largely follows the Filstal Route North, but branches off several times to reach the anchor points and other industrial heritage sites. For this reason, the Industrial Heritage Route is also somewhat longer at around 78 km.
Author's recommendation
Thrilling information tailored to the respective location is provided by the
- Portals at some railway stations.
- Info stations on industrial culture along the cycle route.
- Steles at the anchor points.
Directions
The Route of Industrial Culture in the Filstal (RIKF) starts at the railway station south-west of the Reußstein castle ruins, runs through the Hasental valley to the karst spring of the Filsursprung and past the former Josef Lang cardboard factory along the Fils to Wiesensteig. Here it leaves the Filstal route, leads to the former Lamm brewery, to the Wiesensteig mill and via the Schöntalweg back to the Filstal route. At the entrance to Mühlhausen im Täle, the RIKF branches off into the town centre with its historic mills. It crosses under the B 466, passes the industrial estate with the Rothfuß plant and rejoins the Filstal route at the end of the village. On the way to Gosbach, the route passes under the A8 motorway, whose lanes separate from here on the way to and from the Alb plateau. At the entrance to the village, the RIKF turns right together with the Filstalroute Süd, where a short detour to the Obere Mühle Gosbach is signposted.
Continue along the Fils to Bad Ditzenbach. At the entrance to the town, the information station on industrial culture invites you to take a break before the RIKF branches off to the Sanct Bernhard herb house. After crossing the B 466 federal road, a short branch leads to the Vinzenz Therme thermal spa. The RIKF now runs together with the Filstalroute Nord on the former route of the Tälesbahn parallel to the B 466 to Deggingen. There it changes the bank of the Fils, whereby you can reach the old railway station and the former Deggingen wool factory via Bahnhofstraß. On the way to Hausen, a wide view opens up over the Filstal valley with the spectacular Hausen rock face and the Rohrbach valley coming from the north with the Haarberg and Wasserberg in the background. In Hausen, the former Villforth grain mill and Grüner Systemtechnik, a young and prosperous mechanical engineering company, are not far from the route. At the end of the village, the RIKF returns to the Filstal Route North and continues along the Fils. On the way, a detour to visit the historic pumping station in Bad Überkingen invites you to take a look.
In Bad Überkingen itself, the thermal baths, the spa gardens or the historic town centre are worth a visit. The factory premises of Mineralbrunnen Überkingen-Teinach AG loom imposingly on the opposite bank of the Fils. This is where IQ 4 YOU GmbH operates Europe's most modern can filling plant. The RIKF continues along the Fils to Geislingen without changing sides. When you reach Wiesensteiger Straß, turn left onto the Filstal route past the few historic buildings of the Staufenstolln mining settlement in the direction of Kuchen. From here, the RIKF makes a loop through Geislingen's old town: follow the newly developed cycle path to the former Geislingen-Altenstadt railway station with its information station on industrial culture.
At Paulinenstraße turn right and then immediately left again to the Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF) with its factory outlet in the Fischhalle. Crossing Eberhardstraß, you can follow the anchor point signs to the Museum im Alten Bau. The RIKF runs straight ahead through Karlstraß and then turns left to Geislingen railway station. Turning right will take you to other sites of industrial culture – the Kaiser brewery, the „Türmle“ of the former Geislingen machine factory (MAG) and the Straub family burial chapel.
From Geislingen station, head north and through the Seebach industrial estate past the site of the former Portlandcement works. If you turn left at the end of Voße, you will come to the Alb-Elektrizitätswerke with the former granary. The Route der Industriekultur (RIKF) turns right and then left into the vineyards. It now accompanies the Fils, reunited with the Filstal Route North from the town exit. In Kuchen it passes the railway station and at the end of the village turns sharp left into Staubstrasse. A small bridge takes you across the Fils and, together with the Filstalroute S, to the Kuchen workers' settlement and spinning mill with an information station on industrial culture. After a short ride through the industrial park, the trail leads you to the banks of the Fils and along the river to Gingen. At the end of the riverside road you can turn right to the railway stop at the old railway station and to the Buchsteiner company (factory outlet). The RIKF continues straight ahead and then changes to the other bank of the Fils.
&Uml;ber die Brückenstra;e, it passes the Schlagwerk company and follows the Fils to Süßen. At the entrance to the town, the Lauter joins the Fils; the Stahl worsted spinning mill used to stand here. After a short stretch on Brühlstra;e, the RIKF branches off to the left, crosses the Fils, turns right into Jahnstra;e and then left again into Johann Georg-Fischer-Strasse. The Mühlkanal with the Grau’ scher Mühle, Kunstmühle Schuler and the former Süßen mill and wool spinning mill invite you to take a stroll through the winding village centre. A detour to the north along the anchor point signs will take you to the Süßen railway station and the Strassacker art foundry. Not far away are the Süen spindle factory, the Weidmann textile factory and the converted buildings of the former Metallbau Kuntze company. On the Rückweg you can continue straight ahead on Hochstra;e and join the RIKF again through Siegelwiesenstra;e. The main route leads from Johann-Georg-Fischer-Strasse to the right into Kirchstrasse and then passes south of the Municipal Canal. Through a green corridor it continues parallel to the Fils to Salach. After crossing under the railway line, you can turn right through Wilhelmstra;e to the Schachenmayr open-air swimming pool; simply follow the anchor point signs. The RIKF and the Filstalroute Nord pass the impressive factory site of the former Schachenmayr worsted spinning mill, run north through the town centre and then turn left into Zeppelinstraß. If you keep straight on at the crossroads on Hohenstaufenstra;e in the direction of Ottenbach, you can continue to the Schachenmayr workers' settlement.
Über die Felder geht es nach Eislingen, wo die RIKF nach Süden in den Stadtkern abzweigt. On its way to the railway stop it passes the Zeller+Gmelin mineral and chemical plant, a little off to the side are the Benecke-Kaliko artificial leather factory and the old waterworks. If you follow the railway line to the west, you will come to Weckerle Cosmetics (formerly Dr. Scheller) and the historic buildings of the former Ventzki machine factory (now MTD).
.The RIKF passes under the railway line and continues with the Filstalroute Süd along the Fils to Göppingen, past the Mahle company, the site of the former Wurster textile company and the Oberes Wehr (Upper Weir) as an example of modern hydropower use. Shortly afterwards you cycle past the Märklin Museum (as of May 2015; relocation planned) before the RIKF returns to the banks of the Fils away from the main roads. On the opposite bank you will see the Leonhard Weiss construction company, the former Bellino enamelling, stamping and metal works, Gelita AG a little further away and, further north, the former crematorium. In the northern districts of the city you will find numerous other sites of industrial culture: the listed villas of the entrepreneurial families Boehringer, Bühler, Märklin, Kuntze, Butz and Adam, the factory owners' villas in Burgstraß, but also the apartment buildings „Colonia Alemannen-, Schillerstra;e“ for workers, the Elektrizitätswerk (Odeon), now used as a cultural centre, and the former Rosenthal & Fleischer corset factory, which now houses the Technical Town Hall. Via Jahnstraß, the RIKF passes the Göpping railway station from the south side. To get to the station and to various anchor points, walk along a footbridge and follow the signs to the anchor points.
From Göppingen station, follow the signs to the anchor points.
From Göppingen station you first have the option of visiting the Friederike Wackler Museum or following the anchor point signs to the Museum im Storchen and the Schuler company. On the way you will pass the former Gaiser steam tannery/shoe factory and Villa Gutmann. The anchor point signs take you back to the railway station, from where you reach the Route der Industriekultur (RIKF) via the footbridge. On its way west, the RIKF passes the Christophsbad with mineral fountains; at six public tapping points, the citizens of Gießen can enjoy the fresh sour water (website AQUA). The terraced landscape park on the banks of the Fils invites you to linger opposite the Bader leather processing plant and the slaughterhouse before you change to the Filstal route north at the newly built hydroelectric power station with its fish ladders. From there you have a view over the extensive factory site of the former Wuerttemberg felt cloth factory D. Geschmay. Via Stuttgarter Straß you come to the machine factory Gebr. Boehringer (today MAG) and the listed main factory of Märklin. At Lehlestraß, the RIKF leaves the Filstal route for a short section to reach the former Salamander AG branch factory, also a listed building, which is now used by Deutsche Telekom. The Route of Industrial Heritage now runs together with the Filstal Route North slightly away from the Fils and the river-accompanying routes of the motorway and the B10 federal road. At the entrance to the town, you reach the town centre and Gerber Park via the anchor point signs; a little further away are the Mühle Röhm and the BEMO model railways. The RIKF leaves the roundabout in the direction of Süden. Via Eisenbahnstrasse it passes the Uhingen spinning mill and the Bosch confectionery with factory outlet. As you cycle across the fields, you can take a look at the sites of the former Uhingen bleachery, mill and finishing plant, Kolberg Percussion and the former gravel works at Lake Epplesee before reaching Ebersbach. In the industrial area are the Bürgerkraftwerke, the SÜDRAD company, Zinser Textilmaschinen (now Oerlikon Textile), the former Haefele hair yarn weaving mill and the former Scheuffelen cloth factory. You can drive over the Hochbrück bridge to the former Louis Schuler AG on the banks of the Fils. On their way to the city museum „Alte Post“, the RIKF and the Filstalroute Nord run through quiet residential streets not far from the railway stop. The site of the former Kauffmann cannery in the town centre is now a shopping centre; Büchenbronner Strasse leads to it via the railway line. The cycle routes lead you through Martinstra;e to the end of the town; in the south you can see the former textile factory Martin & Söhne, the saw and band knife factory Alber and the site of the former company Carl Hildenbrand Flechtartikel.
Before the industrial estate of Reichenbach, where Traub Drehmaschinen is located, the RIKF and the Filstalroute Nord üswitch to the south bank of the Fils via an elegantly curved bridge. To reach the town centre and the Starmix/Electrostar factory outlet, continue straight ahead on Ulmer Strasse through the industrial estate or take Heinrich Otto Strasse back to the north bank of the Fils. The RIKF and the Filstalroute Süd accompany the Fils along its banks, past the former Reichenbach cotton mill and Villa Otto, to Plochingen, where you ücross the Neckar. Not far from the „Hechtkopf“, the point where the Fils flows into the Neckar, the industrial culture information station awaits you at the former Heinrich Otto spinning mill. Crossing the Neckar, you reach the town centre with the former Waldhorn Brewery C. Endriß. The RIKF ends at Plochingen railway station; in the surrounding area are the Dettinger cultural park with the former millstone factory, the Alte Pulvermühle/CeramTec and, a little further west, the Neckar end harbour.
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