This stage leads across beautiful plateaus, past large heathlands and colorful mixed forests. It is not far from the Eglenseen lakes to the water tower. You should take your first break at the “Drei-Wettertannen” barbecue area. Here you will find a picture-perfect Alb village surrounded by orchards and forests. Then it's on to the Stubental valley. Of all the meteor craters, the Steinheim crater is the best-preserved crater with a central hill in the world.
Wegbeschreibung
In Gerstetten, we start at the Eglenseen lakes. We follow the signpost – a white shepherd on a blue background. Passing the gardens, we cross the L1164. We continue along the slope, with a magnificent view of Gerstetten and its landmark – the water tower. After about 600 meters, follow the asphalt road to the right. Continue straight ahead at the crossroads. After about 350 meters, follow the sign to the left. We walk towards a garden center. Once there, we turn right onto the meadow path and, at the end of the gardens, turn left up to Müllerweg. We walk along this road for a short distance and then turn right through the green area with its beautiful old trees to the water tower. The viewing platform offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Alb plateau and, on a clear day, as far as the main Alpine ridge. From the water tower, the Albschäferweg trail initially follows the Ameisenbühl road, then turns right after 200 meters and crosses the outskirts of the village to the forest cemetery. From there, it continues along quiet forest paths and across picturesque heathland to the “Drei-Wetter-Tannen” barbecue area. At the edge of the forest, signs point left to the Kulturhof Erpfenhausen cultural center. However, we turn right and follow the Küpfendorfer Sträßchen for the next two kilometers. The trail continues along forest and meadow paths to the Küpfendorfer Hochbehälter. Here you can enjoy a magnificent view. The hiking trail leads past orchards around the pretty Alb village. It is also worth walking through the village, for example to take a break at the village pond. Easy hiking trails lead through the forest down to Sontheim in the Stubental valley. Passing the Sontheimer Wirtshäusle, the trail joins the meteor crater circular hiking trail to the castle ruins and the crater rim of the Steinheim meteor crater. Here, a magnificent view of the crater basin awaits us. Further viewpoints into the crater basin and the Stubental valley line the path to Knillwäldchen. There, the geological trail branches off towards Steinheim via the central hill and the Meteorkraterblick mountain hut. We stay on the heathland and continue straight ahead on the ridge until steps lead us down. The trail takes us along the L1163 country road. Please be careful here again. Passing through the settlement of “Ziegelhütte,” the trail leads across a heath and up a steep forest path to Schäfhalde. Once at the top, the trail leads across the heathland at the edge of the glider airfield to the Heiderose forest restaurant. From Ziegelhütte, you can also choose a more comfortable route. It leads gently uphill on gravel paths through the Unterta. At the junction to the Heiderose forest restaurant, we meet the Albschäferweg again. Via the parking lot, we reach the extensive juniper heath called “Schäfhalde” on a paved path. There, a wide view of Steinheim opens up. We follow the path straight down to the Rohrbrunnen and then along the dirt road to the Steinheim sheep farm. The Smietana family of shepherds breeds Merino sheep, and all kinds of sheep-related products are available in the farm shop.
Access: From the end of the stage at the Steinheim sheep farm to Steinheim +1.8 km.
Sicherheitshinweise
The Albschäferweg trail has a high proportion of natural sections. You will be hiking on meadow paths and forest trails and paths. Forest paths may be in poor condition due to forestry work. Please therefore ensure you wear sturdy footwear.
Please bear in mind that there are not many places to stop for refreshments along the way. We therefore recommend that you take sufficient drinks and a backpack snack with you.
We offer more comfortable paths as an alternative to very difficult sections.
It is often necessary to cross busy roads. Please pay particular attention to traffic.
