In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Esslingen via the Uracher Wasserfall, Lichtenstein and Hohenzollern into the Upper Danube Valley, then past the old military training area, the Blautopf and Ulm Minster to the Ice Age caves of the Lone Valley: around 450 kilometres of limestone cliffs, karst and steep climbs.
The spirit of the route
The Swabian Jura begins with a wall. Beyond Metzingen the Albtrauf, the escarpment edge of the Jura, rises as a wooded step out of the orchard country, and every climb up it feels like a small pass: hairpins through beech forest, limestone cliffs at the roadside, and then, suddenly, juniper heaths, stone ridges and flocks of sheep. The Jura is a karst upland – water disappears into the ground and re-emerges at spring pools such as the Blautopf, and between lie hundreds of caves in which people carved the oldest known figurines in the world some 40,000 years ago. From your sliding door you will see castles on rock spurs, villages with onion-domed church towers and high plateaus over which skylarks hover in the evening. In the Danube Valley the cliffs press right up to the road, and in the former military training area near Münsingen a century of unused open space has grown wild. The stages are short, the days long: hiking, caves, churches – and in the evening a pitch on the edge of a village with a view of the Albtrauf.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Stuttgart to Bad Urach (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- From the Neckar in Bad Cannstatt take the B10 to Esslingen, then go via Nürtingen and Metzingen (B313/B28) into the Erms Valley. The road is multi-lane as far as Metzingen and slow in rush hour, then it becomes a quiet valley road below the Albtrauf with views of Hohenneuffen and Hohenurach. Just over an hour without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Esslingen am Neckar: the Old Town Hall with its Renaissance gable and carillon, the half-timbered row on the Hafenmarkt and the climb up the Burgstaffel steps through the vineyards to the Dicker Turm.
- Uracher Wasserfall: the Brühlbach plunges around 37 m over a tufa lip; it is a good half-hour walk from the hikers’ car park in the Maisental, and you can continue up to the Hochwiese and the Gütersteiner Wasserfall.
- The Hohenurach castle ruin above the town and the Residenzschloss with its Golden Hall in the old town of Bad Urach.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Reisemobilstellplatz Bad Urach on the western edge of town with around 15 pitches and electric hook-up; check facilities, fees and service points in advance with Bad Urach Tourismus. If you want showers and grass pitches, Camping Pfählhof on the eastern edge of town is an option.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There is no legal free camping in residential areas of Stuttgart, and car parks are off limits because of height barriers. Esslingen provides only two motorhome spaces at the Äußerer Burgplatz – ideal during the day for visiting the old town, but tight for overnighting. On the Albtrauf, remember that hikers’ car parks are not overnight sites, and many carry no-camping signs.
- Insider tip for campers
- All of Stuttgart is a low-emission zone (green sticker), and diesel driving bans also apply: for Euro 4 and worse across the whole city, for Euro 5 in the small low-emission zone around the central basin – this affects many diesel motorhomes up to about 2016. Limit values are now being met and a lifting of the bans is under discussion – check on stuttgart.de beforehand whether and with what exemptions they still apply. The Campingplatz Cannstatter Wasen is in Bad Cannstatt on the Neckar; during the Frühlingsfest and the Cannstatter Volksfest (late September to October) it is crowded and loud there. Esslingen no longer has a low-emission zone; in Baden-Württemberg only the zones in Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg and Pforzheim remain.
2Stage 2: Bad Urach to Sonnenbühl-Erpfingen (Lichtenstein and caves) (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- From the Erms Valley climb up onto the Uracher Alb, go via St. Johann to Kleinengstingen and across the plateau to Schloss Lichtenstein. Continue via Genkingen to the Nebelhöhle and on to Erpfingen for the Bärenhöhle. Winding district roads, hardly any narrow points; about 1 hour of pure driving time. Worthwhile detour: the Honauer Steige (B312) from Lichtenstein down into the Echaz Valley, one of the steepest climbs on the Jura – the former Honau–Lichtenstein rack railway ran here until 1969.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Schloss Lichtenstein: built in 1840–42 for Count Wilhelm of Württemberg on a rock pinnacle above the Echaz Valley, inspired by Wilhelm Hauff’s novel “Lichtenstein”. The courtyard and the view are freely accessible; the interior only on a guided tour.
- Nebelhöhle near Genkingen: a stalactite cave that Hauff used as a hiding place in his novel; open roughly from April to the end of October.
- Bärenhöhle in Erpfingen with skeletons of cave bears, and the Karlshöhle; open roughly from April to the end of October, check opening times in advance with the municipality of Sonnenbühl.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: AZUR Campingplatz Schwäbische Alb in Sonnenbühl-Erpfingen, a few minutes from the Bärenhöhle: electric hook-up, showers, service points; check season dates on the website. As a Stellplatz alternative on the Albtrauf: Stellplatz am Schönbergbad in Pfullingen.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The plateau between Engstingen and Sonnenbühl lies partly within the Swabian Jura Biosphere Reserve. Overnighting in the car parks of the castle and caves is not intended; a single night without camping behaviour in a public car park with no prohibition sign is usually tolerated in Germany, but here a proper pitch is the better choice.
- Insider tip for campers
- Lichtenstein gets crowded at weekends and on public holidays – arrive early. It is 8 to 10 °C in the caves, so bring a jacket and sturdy shoes. Next to the Bärenhöhle is the Traumland amusement park; on summer weekends the car park is correspondingly full.
3Stage 3: Sonnenbühl to Hechingen (Burg Hohenzollern) (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Go via Melchingen and Ringingen into the Killer Valley and down the valley to Hechingen; for the detour to the Zeller Horn, go via Onstmettingen to the Raichberg on the Jura plateau. Narrow, winding country roads, with village streets to drive through in the Killer Valley. A little over 1 hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Burg Hohenzollern on the Zoller (855 m): ancestral seat of the Hohenzollerns, rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in the 19th century under Frederick William IV, with a treasury and a walk round the bastions.
- Zeller Horn: a viewpoint on the Albtrauf with the classic view of the castle, reached on foot along the escarpment edge from the hikers’ car park at the Raichberg (Nägelehaus).
- The upper town of Hechingen with the neoclassical collegiate church of St. Jakobus.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Zollernalbcamping in Hechingen, a campsite with showers and electric hook-up; check season and facilities in advance. Right at the castle: the motorhome Stellplatz at car park P1, with only a few spaces for shorter vehicles, no service points, one night maximum, overnighting only after online booking through the castle’s ticket portal; departure early in the morning is mandatory, so check the conditions when booking.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the castle car park, overnighting is allowed only on the booked pitches. At the Zeller Horn and the Raichberg there are nature conservation areas on the escarpment edge, and there is no room for campers there at night.
- Insider tip for campers
- From car park P1 a steep footpath leads to the castle in about 20–30 minutes; a shuttle bus runs during the day – check tickets and timetables on the castle’s website. If you stay overnight at P1, you will be first at the gate in the morning, before the coaches arrive.
4Stage 4: Hechingen to Beuron (Upper Danube Valley) (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- Go via Balingen to Weilstetten and up the steep road over the Lochenpass onto the Großer Heuberg, then via Tieringen, Meßstetten and Stetten am kalten Markt to Schwenningen and down in hairpins to Beuron. A rougher plateau, often windy and foggy in spring and autumn; about 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lochenstein at the Lochenpass: a short climb from the car park to a rocky summit with a summit cross and a view over the Albvorland.
- Beuron Archabbey of St. Martin: a Benedictine monastery with a Baroque abbey church and the Chapel of Grace in the style of the Beuron Art School.
- An evening walk from the monastery over the covered wooden bridge on the Danube and up to the limestone cliffs above the valley, for example on the Donauberglandweg.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilstellplatz am Kloster Beuron with around 20 pitches, electric hook-up and service points, a few minutes’ walk from the abbey. Other options in Beuron are Camp im Donautal and Camping Buck; down the valley at Hausen im Tal is Campingplatz Wagenburg with electric hook-up, showers and service points.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Upper Danube Valley is a nature park and in large parts a nature and bird conservation area. Overnighting in hikers’ car parks and on farm tracks is not allowed; climbing crags have seasonal closures to protect peregrine falcons and eagle owls. Near Stetten am kalten Markt lies the active Heuberg military training area – observe the barriers.
- Insider tip for campers
- The road over the Lochenpass is steep and winding; use a low gear going downhill. Fill up and shop in Balingen or Albstadt before the Danube Valley – there are hardly any shops in the valley. At the Beuron Stellplatz it fills up early at weekends with cyclists from the Danube Cycle Path.
5Stage 5: Beuron to Münsingen via Burg Wildenstein and Zwiefalten (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- A short climb to Irndorf and Leibertingen and the Wildenstein castle car park, then along the valley road through the Danube Valley via Hausen im Tal, Thiergarten and Gutenstein to Sigmaringen. Continue north-east across the hilly Albvorland to Zwiefalten and, via the B312 and Hayingen, onto the Münsingen Alb. Narrow and winding in the Danube Valley, with cycle traffic; a little over 2 hours in total.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Burg Wildenstein: a spur castle with moats and a drawbridge above the Danube, now a youth hostel; the courtyard and the view are accessible.
- Eichfelsen near Irndorf: a viewing rock high above the Danube with a view of Schloss Werenwag (privately owned).
- Zwiefalten Minster: a late Baroque abbey church by Johann Michael Fischer with stucco and frescoes; also the Wimsener Höhle near Hayingen, which can only be entered by boat.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Stellplatz am Wiesentalstadion in Münsingen with over 30 pitches, electric hook-up and service points, quiet and close to the centre. If you prefer a campsite: Hofgut Hopfenburg on the edge of town with motorhome and tent pitches and showers.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Burg Wildenstein and near Leibertingen there are some motorhome car parks in the forest; check the signs to see whether overnighting is permitted there. Free camping is not allowed in the Danube Valley itself. In Sigmaringen the municipal Stellplatz at the Stadthalle is available for a break on the way.
- Insider tip for campers
- The access road to Burg Wildenstein ends at a car park above the castle; from there walk over the bridge. In the Danube Valley, watch your speed and the cyclists, and look out for oncoming traffic at narrow points between rocks. The Wimsener Höhle near Hayingen-Wimsen is open in the summer half-year, so check times in advance; in high water the boat trips may be cancelled.
6Stage 6: Münsingen to Blaubeuren via Gruorn and Laichingen (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- From Münsingen go to Trailfingen on the edge of the former military training area (access to Gruorn), then via Feldstetten to Laichingen and via Machtolsheim and Seißen down into the Blau Valley. A broad plateau with long straights and finally a downhill stretch to Blaubeuren. About 1 hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Gruorn: the village cleared in the 1930s for the expansion of the military training area; the church of St. Stephanus and the school building were left standing. The former training area has been abandoned by the military since 2005 and is the core of the biosphere reserve – wide juniper heaths without fences.
- Biosphere Centre Swabian Jura in the Altes Lager of Münsingen-Auingen, with an exhibition on karst, heaths and grazing.
- Laichinger Tiefenhöhle: a shaft cave whose tour leads down steep iron staircases some 55 m deep, at about 8 °C; open roughly from Easter to the autumn holidays, check times in advance.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilstellplatz Blaubeuren, close to the centre with around 20 pitches, electric hook-up and service points. With showers: Campingplatz Heidehof near Laichingen-Machtolsheim on the plateau, on the route just before Blaubeuren.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the former military training area only the 13 designated paths are open to walkers and cyclists – off them there is still ammunition in the ground, a danger to life; leave any finds where they are and report them to the police. The former Panzerringstraße and closed paths must not be driven on, and overnighting there is even less permitted. The Wohnmobilstellplatz Trailfingen/Gruorn on the edge of the area is a legal starting point with electric hook-up.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Tiefenhöhle has a car park at the Höhlenkundliches Museum; in bad weather it is full there. The stairs are wet and steep – wear non-slip shoes. In Laichingen the museum of weaving and linen history is worth a visit as a rainy-day option.
7Stage 7: Blaubeuren to Ulm via the Ach Valley (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- From Blaubeuren go through the narrow Ach Valley to Schelklingen for the Hohle Fels and back, then along the Blau via Blaustein to Ulm. A valley road, slow in Ulm city traffic. A little over half an hour of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Blautopf: the deep-blue karst spring of the Blau next to Blaubeuren Abbey with the historic hammer forge. In the abbey, the late Gothic high altar.
- Prehistoric Museum (urmu) in Blaubeuren with the Venus of Hohle Fels and flutes made from bird bones – part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura”.
- Hohle Fels near Schelklingen, one of the great World Heritage caves with a high hall; open only in the summer half-year on a few weekdays, mostly in the afternoon – check times with the town of Schelklingen. On the Achtal hiking trail there are also the gated Geißenklösterle and the Sirgenstein.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Wohnmobilstellplatz am Donaubad on the Neu-Ulm side with around 50 pitches, electric hook-up and service points; from there you can walk or cycle across the Danube into Ulm’s old town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Ulm and Neu-Ulm there are no tolerated free-camping spots on the Danube bank; the Stellplätze at the Donaubad are the solution. In the Ach Valley the areas around the caves are protected, and roadside car parks are for day visits only.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Blautopf area has been undergoing redevelopment since the end of August 2024, with work due to continue until about 2028. The circular path is closed in sections and is being renewed in construction phases; the spring remains visible from temporary bridges or an open section of path – check the current status with the town of Blaubeuren. Ulm no longer has a low-emission zone; for Neu-Ulm (Bavaria), check the situation in advance. Weekly market on the Münsterplatz on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
8Stage 8: Ulm to Lone Valley (Niederstotzingen) (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- From Ulm Minster go north-east via Langenau and Öllingen into the Lone Valley, then along the edge of the valley to Niederstotzingen-Stetten and the Archäopark. Flat country roads through farmland; the dry valley of the Lone lies hidden below. Under an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ulm Minster: the tallest church tower in the world (161.53 m), with 768 steps up to the highest gallery; in front of it the Fishermen’s and Tanners’ Quarter on the Blau.
- The Lion Man from the Hohlenstein-Stadel in the Museum Ulm, one of the oldest animal-human figures in the world – best seen before driving to the Lone Valley.
- Archäopark Vogelherd in Niederstotzingen at the cave where the Vogelherd horse was found; also a hike through the Lone Valley to the Bocksteinhöhle and Hohlenstein (some of the sites are gated).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Campingpark Rammingen on the edge of the Lone Valley, a small site – ask about facilities and season in advance. As a Stellplatz with service points: the motorhome Stellplätze in Öllingen or Langenau, with only a few pitches.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Lone Valley is a nature reserve and World Heritage core zone; farm tracks and valley meadows are not places to park overnight. At the Archäopark, park only during opening hours.
- Insider tip for campers
- Climb the minster tower early in the day, before the groups arrive; it is closed in storms or thunderstorms. Archäopark Vogelherd has seasonal opening times and its future was recently uncertain – check that it is open in advance. For the journey home, the A7 is only a few kilometres to the east and the A8 lies north of Ulm.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Wild camping is not allowed in Germany. What is usually tolerated is a single night in public car parks to restore fitness to drive, without camping behaviour (no furniture, awning, wedges or levelling jacks, no waste water) and only where there is no prohibition sign.
- Baden-Württemberg: the state forest act prohibits driving and parking motor vehicles in forests outside public roads and car parks. In the Swabian Jura Biosphere Reserve the core zones – including large parts of the former military training area – may only be entered on paths; nature and bird conservation areas such as the Upper Danube Valley and the Lone Valley rule out overnighting.
- On the former Münsingen military training area, ammunition still lies off the marked paths; the rules to keep to the paths are there to protect life, not a formality. The Heuberg military training area near Stetten am kalten Markt is still in military use.
- The Jura has a dense network of municipal Stellplätze, often with a machine for electricity and water. Useful aids: park4night, Campercontact, the Stellplatz guides of the specialist press and the accommodation directories of Schwäbische Alb Tourismus; information on fees is often out of date.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Service stations are found at most Stellplätze (Bad Urach, Münsingen, Beuron, Blaubeuren, Donaubad Neu-Ulm) and at campsites; many work with coins. There are no service points at the Hohenzollern castle Stellplatz.
- Drain grey water only at service stations. On the karst Jura, water seeps quickly and unfiltered into the groundwater, which re-emerges at springs such as the Blautopf – waste water in car parks does particular harm here.
- Tap water is drinkable everywhere; fountains in villages and on hiking trails are often marked “No drinking water”.
- Gas: grey German exchange cylinders are available at petrol stations, DIY stores and campsites; LPG stations (ACME connector) are easier to find around Stuttgart, Reutlingen and Ulm than on the plateau. Foreign exchange cylinders are not exchanged.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t as for cars (50 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h outside, recommended 130 km/h on the Autobahn); over 3.5 t up to 7.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 100 km/h on the Autobahn; over 7.5 t 60 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on the Autobahn. Vehicles with trailers 80 km/h, with a 100 km/h approval 100 km/h on the Autobahn.
- Low-emission zones: Stuttgart is a low-emission zone (green sticker) with additional diesel driving bans for Euro 4 in the urban area and Euro 5 in the small low-emission zone; a lifting is under discussion, so check exemptions and the current status with the city. Otherwise only the zones in Ludwigsburg and Pforzheim remain in Baden-Württemberg – those in Esslingen, Reutlingen, Tübingen and Ulm have been lifted. For Neu-Ulm (Bavaria), check the situation with the Federal Environment Agency.
- Tolls: no vignette for cars and motorhomes; the HGV toll applies to goods vehicles over 3.5 t. For motorhomes with a goods-vehicle registration, clarify the classification.
- Jura climbs such as the Honauer Steige, the Lochenpass or the Albaufstieg of the A8 between Aichelberg and Merklingen have long downhill stretches; use engine braking going downhill.
- Winter: situational winter tyre requirement with the Alpine symbol. The plateau lies at 700 to 1,000 m – from November to March expect snow and ice, and climbs can be closed at short notice.
- Alcohol limit 0.5 per mille, 0.0 for novice drivers and under-21s. Mobile phones only with a hands-free kit. Bike racks must not cover the number plate or lights; otherwise use a light board with a number plate.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- A warm fleece jacket and non-slip shoes: the Bärenhöhle, Nebelhöhle, Tiefenhöhle and Wimsener Höhle are at 8–10 °C, and the stairs are wet.
- Papers showing the vehicle’s Euro emissions standard and a green sticker – for entering Stuttgart, including the diesel driving bans.
- Binoculars: in the Upper Danube Valley chamois and peregrine falcons live in the rocks, and red-backed shrikes and skylarks on the heaths of the military training area.
- Bicycles or e-bikes for the Danube Cycle Path between Beuron and Sigmaringen and the paths in the former military training area, where cars may not go.
- An offline hiking map from the Albverein or an app with the marked paths – there are patches without reception in the Danube Valley and on the plateau, and at the training area every marked path counts.
- Coins for the electricity and service machines at the Jura Stellplätze.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
