Our certified quality Löwenpfad hiking trails take you through our beautiful Swabian landscapes with delightful panoramic views, fascinating nature, and mysterious places. With its sixteen loop trails with distances varying between 3 and 24 kilometres it provides routes for everyone.
The Löwenpfad trail "Steigen-Tour" in Geislingen an der Steige is a hiking loop trail certified by the German Hiking Association. The trail has a distance of 17.8 kilometres. It starts at the car park at Jahnhalle in the centre of the town and from there it focuses on overcoming the ascent to the Alb. The path brings you to the imposing Helfenstein castle ruins and passes the medieval Öden tower, while constantly on the tracks along the Albtrauf in the direction of Amstetten to the Ziegelhütte, where you can have a hearty Swabian meal and enjoy the impressive view of the winding and steep railway line.
The trail continues on one of the oldest trade routes in the Swabian Alb down into the valley to the Straub mill, which offers a large selection of milled products. Along the small Rohrach river you move in the conservation area in the valley before you go steeply uphill again on narrow paths. Passing the Geiselstein with impressive views of the valley, the route continues to the Ostland memorial cross, from where you can see far into the Fils valley all the way down to the Hohenstaufen.
For further information please follow the link: www.loewenpfade.de
Author's recommendation
The old ruins of Helfenstein castle above the town is a real classic among Geislingen's excursion destinations. The castle was built around the year 1100 as the ancestral site of the Helfenstein family. After the county was sold to Ulm, the castle was expanded into a fortress before being discontinued in the 16th century following a decision by the Ulm Council. Today, the castle ruins are a popular place for relaxing and barbecuing, especially in summer. During sunset the city and the castle are covered in beaming sunlight, and on summer weekends the rustic castle tavern invites you to a drink.
The construction of the Geislinger Steige was a difficult undertaking, not least because the railway line had to be blasted into the rocks in many places. A special challenge was the massive Mühltal rock, the so-called "General": During blasting in the mid-19th century, the boreholes were still drilled into the rock by hand in order to place 75 kilograms of explosives in them. The engineers' plans worked out and today we can enjoy the postcard view of the Geislinger Steige from there.
Directions
The Löwenpfad trail "Steigen-Tour" in Geislingen an der Steige is a hiking loop trail certified by the German Hiking Association. The trail has a distance of 17.8 kilometres. It starts at the car park at Jahnhalle in the centre of the town and from there it focuses on overcoming the ascent to the Alb. The path brings you to the imposing Helfenstein castle ruins and passes the medieval Öden tower, while constantly on the tracks along the Albtrauf in the direction of Amstetten to the Ziegelhütte, where you can have a hearty Swabian meal and enjoy the impressive view of the winding and steep railway line.
The trail continues on one of the oldest trade routes in the Swabian Alb down into the valley to the Straub mill, which offers a large selection of milled products. Along the small Rohrach river you move in the conservation area in the valley before you go steeply uphill again on narrow paths. Passing the Geiselstein with impressive views of the valley, the route continues to the Ostland memorial cross, from where you can see far into the Fils valley all the way down to the Hohenstaufen.
Equipment
Non-slip footwear is recommended.
More information
Respectful cooperation in the district of Göppingen. Code of Conduct:
- Please respect path-blockings and quiet zones.
- Please do not leave any rubbish, animal excrements, … e.g.
- Please act foresightful and considerate. Adapt your behaviour to the current situation. Safety comes first.
- Please respect other hikers.
- Please be considerate of animals and nature
- Please plan your trips ahead. Plan your trips during daytime and try to avoid dawn and dusk.
- Please consider entry bans of agricultural areas during vegetation period.
- Please stay on marked paths and avoid forest borders so wildlife can get used to humans.
