The former residential town of Bad Urach is located in the middle of the UNESCO Swabian Jura Biosphere Reserve. Spectacular natural landscapes, clean air and the picturesque half-timbered town, ensure for a relaxing and refreshing holiday.
Author's recommendation
Discover our 5 premium hiking trails Grafensteige: Wasserfallsteig, Hohenurachsteig, Hochbergsteig, Hohenwittlingensteig or Seeburgsteig. All premium hiking trails are suitable for sporty and sure-footed hikers and lead you to the most beautiful places in Bad Urach.
Directions
Hardly any other half-day tour offers so much variety: A cool, romantic rocky gorge, the source of the Erms river, the sunny plateau with impressive views, paddocks with magnificent old willow trees and the Uhenfels manor.
We begin our tour on Trailfinger Weg, past the town hall, behind the bridge built from tufa stone over the Erms, we turn right. We are still on Trailfinger Weg, where old smallholder houses are now on the left, which were built using local tufa stone.
We pass the sports field of the Seeburg sport club in the Mühltal, which takes its name from the valley mills that once stood here. As we continue our way into the narrow, shady Mühltal, we keep seeing the remains of the former Mühlkanal on the left.
We come to the source of the Erms river, the artificially dammed spring pond. The Eselssteig begins opposite. It leads steeply uphill on the slope to the plateau. The name still reminds us that the grain was once transported to the valley mills on the backs of donkeys and mules.
After the Erms spring pond, the Trailfinger Gorge begins.
The valley is now so narrow that between the rock walls rising from the bottom of the valley there is just room for the path and a gully in places.
Soon the rock faces recede again, the valley widens and the wooded slopes become increasingly flat. At the edge of the forest there is a rest area with a hiking information board on the left.
Before this rest area we turn left. Through a side valley we hike uphill in the forest on a wide, but not paved road. This ends at the edge of the forest in a gravel hillside path, which we follow to the right for about ten meters.
Then we leave the path to the left. Further uphill, first in the shade of trees and undergrowth, then on a meadow path and finally on a forest road, we reach the connecting road between Münsingen and the Uhenfels estate, where we turn left.
We have reached the plateau.
After a short stretch of forest, the road descends and we have a beautiful view. After this panoramic stretch of the trail, we reach Hofgut Uhenfels (684 m).
Our path leads us through the group of buildings of the Hofgut:
On the right is the elongated stable building, on the left is the former steward's house.
Behind the courtyard fountain (1865), the former manor house, which is characterized by classicism, is striking.
Behind the buildings, the service road continues in a wide curve downwards, to the wooded Albtrauf and from there down the valley to Seeburg, where our tour began.
Equipment
Sturdy shoes, hiking poles and sure-footedness are recommended for this tour.
Safety information
Our circular tours are not walking, but hiking trails. Sturdy shoes, hiking poles and sure-footedness are recommended for all tours, particularly after and during rainfall and in the winter months, the limestone rock and soil can be very slippery, especially on slopes. We also point out the presence of natural forest hazards. We ask you to exercise caution.
In an emergency, always dial the number 112. If necessary, please mention that the people involved in the accident are in inaccessible terrain, so that the Bad Urach mountain rescue service is also informed and there is no unnecessary loss of time during the rescue.
On the hiking signposts of our trails, you will find a plaque with the exact location number on it. The location number consists of the letters BU and a max. 4-digit number. Communicating this number to the control centre in an emergency, helps to provide assistance faster.
Please note the current safety instructions.
