Around and about the Winter Country Hotel
Why travel far afield when there is so much close at hand?
Can there be any lovelier way to exercise than to take a hike in the Swabian Alb? That’s certainly what we feel. Here you can enjoy nature with all your senses.
There are some fabulous hiking trails starting just outside the door. There really is something for everyone in the Lautertal valley. Hiking trails range from easy to challenging. But they are all beautiful.
The Hochgehberge high mountain trails are especially recommended. These routes are extremely well-signposted, and we have tested them all in person. Our verdict is that they are well worth the effort.
Enjoy a day out in the country and leave all your cares behind.
So what will you need for your time-out in nature?
EHow about a backpack filled with delicious food and drinks from our region, packed especially for you by our great kitchen team? Please let us know if you need one.
We can also provide you with hiking maps and leaflets.
Romantic Schloss Lichtenstein is a former hunting lodge on a towering escarpment over the Echaz valley. It is a famous landmark of the Middle Swabian Alb. This fairytale castle was built in the Gothic Revival style between 1840 and 1842 by Count Wilhelm von Württemberg.
In the adventure park you can climb the 9 routes of varying difficulty levels. When you visit, you can practise your skills, destress and test your stamina. Anyone over the age of 8 can climb here ... provided they are brave, fit and sure-footed enough. The season extends from 27 March to 7 November.
If a great novellist were to write a book about a small German town in order to reflect the passage of time from feudalism through to the present day, and if a film were to be made of this book, one of the first choices for the setting would be Bad Urach.
As the former seat of the House of Württemberg, Bad Urach is notable for its history, which can be seen everywhere. You will be captivated by magnificent half-timbered houses and the historical marketplace, redolent of past times and blended with the pulsing life of today’s pleasant small town.
Bad Urach has a historical town centre with half-timbered buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries, a marketplace with half-timbered town hall (1562) and late Gothic water fountains, St. Amandus collegiate church, the Mönchshof (former choristers’ cloister), the Castle Residence, the “Spitalbezirk” hospital and the “Webervorstadt” weavers’ quarter (late 16th century). The ruins at Hohenurach and Hohenwittlingen are also worth a visit.
Your first choice for wellness and health activities is the Alb Thermen spa in Bad Urach. The water for this hot mineral bath originates from two mineral springs 770 metres deep in the ground.
Tübingen is a university town.
Steep staircases, narrow alleys and sharp gables create the silhouette for this university town – all the way from Tübingen old town up to the castle. If you are visiting in the summer, an afternoon spent punting on the Neckar River is an absolute must.
Tübingen’s major landmark is also on the Neckar – the Hölderlin Tower. Today it is a literary memorial and museum.
Hohentübingen Castle, an eye-catching and distinctive feature high above the old town offers magnificent views over the Neckar and Ammer valleys, the town and the surrounding area.
The writer Eduard Mörike took Stuttgart to his heart; in 1853 he rhapsodised in his fairy tale “Das Stuttgarter Hutzelmännlein” about the beautiful old houses and their oriel windows “which project proudly from the corners like little doors”.
Despite the destruction of the 2nd World War, Stuttgart – capital of the State of Baden-Württemberg – is full of architectural gems even today. This “big city surrounded by forests and vineyards”, as an old advertising slogan described it, is truly a wonderful sight and experience. The cityscape is shaped by vineyards, the Neckar valley and many green spaces (Killesberg hilltop park, Rosenstein park, the castle gardens and much more). Stuttgart also has an excellent reputation and is known all over the world as a city of culture and theatres. Consider visiting the National Theatre, State Museum, State Gallery, Porsche Museum or Mercedes-Benz Museum, to name but a few examples. The Old and New Castles, Villa Berg, the Collegiate Church and Schloss Solitude are also worth a visit.
And don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Wilhelma – Europe’s largest zoo and botanical gardens. With some 10,000 animals from almost 1,000 different species, the Wilhelma offers one of the largest range of species in Germany.
Ulm is a university city on the south-eastern edge of the Swabian Alb. Its position right on the banks of the Donau River gives it a lively cityscape.
However, the city’s most impressive landmark is the Ulm Minster. Its 161.53 metre-high tower dominates the skyline and gives every visitor a unique view over the city and landscape. The city is not only famed for having the world’s tallest church tower, however; its most famous son, Albert Einstein, has taken the city’s name far beyond the region.
Other sights include the fishermen’s and weavers’ quarter, the crooked house, the Ulm Schwörhaus (oath house) and the Metzgerhof (butcher’s tower).
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Restaurant & Landhotel Winter
Ziegelbergstraße 24
72532 Gomadingen
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