Educational trails
There are different educational trails in the Geopark where you can learn more about the fascinating landscape of the Swabian Alb. The topics range from the Jurassic Periods, a metor crater up to tufa.
Geological educational trail Schwäbisch Gmünd
The scenery varies widely along the route (5 km) of this educational trail which leads from the keuper sandstone layers of Stubensandstein and Trossingen
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Geo hiking trail Balingen-Zillhausen
In Balingen-Zillhausen, the open layers of Brown Jurassic rock (Dogger) are particularly impressive. This geological feature is the focus of the Geo Hiking Trail
Geo hiking trail Balingen-Zillhausen
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Neandertal path
The Neandertal path is not a classic educational trail but a sort of informative hiking path. It starts at the Geopark Infocentre "Höhle des Löwenmenschen"
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Riverbank trail "Lebendige Lauchert"
The educational trail "Lebendige Lauchert" provides information on water as a habitat and the scenery and history of the Lauchert River. You can find out all sorts
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Aalen-Wasseralfingen mine path
The mine path in Wasseralfingen is a circular walk which connects all the points above ground relating to mining history. It begins at the Tiefer Stollen mine which is open to visitors and is around 3.5 km long.
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Primordial Ocean Path Gerstetten
The primordial seas have left behind reefs and a phenomenal cliff here. In the Coral Reef Museum in Gerstetten, you can admire the fossilized corals and other sea dwellers. If you
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GEO TRAIL Wiesensteig
The Wiesensteig GEO TRAIL leads you across the Sommerberg mountain to geological windows in which nature reveals a glimpse of rock millions of years old from
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Tufa path in Wiesaz valley
The Gönningen tufa educational trail has a length of around 5 km and runs from Gönningen Town Hall through the idyllic Wiesaz valley to behind the Gönningen
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Geological educational trail on oil shale
On the banks of the Schömberg reservoir, the oil shale of the Black Jurassic epsilon layer can be clearly seen in truncated form. The educational trail was laid
Geological educational trail on oil shaleMore information about
Geological educational trail in the meteor crater
About 15 million years ago, our region was shaken by the impact of two meteorites. They have left behind craters in Steinheim in the East Alb and in Ries. These
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Gustav Strömfeld path
The Gustav Strömfeld path celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2012. The Swabian Alb Society, Ermsgau, would like to take this opportunity of renewing and modernising
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Vulcano Crater trail in Münsingen - Apfelstetten
The circular trail has a length of 4,8km and includes four stations which give a few informations about the Earth’s history and the landscape which was formed by volcanic activity.
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Geo educational trail "Im Reich der Meerengel"
The world-famous Nusplingen platy limestone and the scientific excavation of the outstandingly well preserved fossils found here are the focus of the approximately
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Local history circular trail Veringenstadt
The local history circular trail located outside the town in the forest provides interesting information at 3 stations on the topics of pisolitic iron ore excavation, sponge reefs and old settlement sites.
What is bean ore?
In the Swabian Alb, brown-red, often bean-shaped, globules can be found in the soil in some places.
They often occur in karst crevices and are surrounded by reddish or yellowish-brown so-called bean clay. As the name suggests, they consist mainly of iron ore, the mineral goethite (brown iron). These formations are the residues of an intensive weathering of the surface rocks in the age of the Upper Cretaceous/ Paleogene about 65 -60 million years ago. At that time the Alb was mainland and tropical climate prevailed.
Due to the high iron content (up to more than 40%), beanore was already mined in the time of the Celts and is the basis of iron smelting and thus of the metal processing industries in the Swabian Alb. Mining pits, so-called "Pingen", still bear witness to this in the forests today.
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Primeval world path Bolheim
Travel back in time on the Primeval World Path to primordial times 160 million years ago and discover at 12 stopping points how the Alb scenery was transformed
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Soil nature trail "Hidden horizons"
If you always wanted to know more about the soil under your feet, you can discover it for yourself on the soil nature trail "Hidden horizons – Soils on the Alb escarpment" in Beuren. The trail
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grüner pfad (green path) härtsfeld
The cycle path entitled "grüner pfad härtsfeld" leads you through a pristine and striking landscape of the Swabian Alb. On this tour, you can experience two Geoparks:
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Geology educational trail Eislingen
The educational trail "JURASSIC SEA and MORE" offers you an insight into the geology, natural history and historical features of this landscape on
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Rock educational trail Inzigkofen
The first rock educational trail in the world was opened at the viewing rock between Dietfurt and Inzigkofen in July 2007 in the Danube Valley. It gives climbers
Rock educational trail InzigkofenMore information about
Doline trail Bad Urach-Hengen
This 8-km path takes the hiker past various dolines and gives interesting information on the local geology and history, flora and fauna.
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