From Amstetten train station to Hürben, we follow the Lone Valley Cycle Route through beautiful natural countryside. In Urspring, the Lone rises from a typical karst spring. The little river takes us via Lonsee and Westerstetten into the idyllic Lone Valley. Along the way, we pass numerous prehistoric caves and unique natural monuments. Information boards about the Stone Age and nature experiences accompany us on our tour to the cradle of art. Soon we come across the sites where world-famous works of art such as the Lion Man, Vogelherd Horse, and Mammoth were found—the Bear Cave in the Hohlenstein Massif and the Vogelherd Cave. At the end of the tour, you can take a long break at the Cave Adventure World near the Charlottenhöhle cave in Hürben and look back on your journey through the Ice Age.
At the train station in Amstetten, we go through the underpass and follow the signs for Lonetalweg to the right onto Lonetalstraße. At the front of Bahnhofstraße, we turn left onto the bike path and continue along the railroad tracks toward Urspring. In Urspring, we follow Albstraße into the village and turn left towards Lonetopf. The source of the Lone river sets the mood for the rest of the tour. At the church, we turn right onto Kirchstraße, which takes us back to the edge of the village. We continue straight ahead on the gravel path, cross the Lone river and cycle along the main road into Lonsee. In the village, we turn right onto Hindenburgstraße and pass the town hall. After the playground, we keep to the right, pass the sports field, and follow the course of the Lone. At the bridge, we turn left back towards Lonsee and, shortly before the main road, turn right onto a small asphalt road. Now our route runs parallel to the railway tracks past Lake Lone to Halzhausen. From Poststraße, we turn left into Bachstraße, turn right directly in front of the railway tracks, and follow the signs past the sewage treatment plant towards Westerstetten. Before we reach the village, we cross the Lone, the state road, and the railroad tracks. In Westerstetten, we turn from Bahnhofstraße onto Kreuzbergstraße and leave the village via Lonetalstraße. Now we continue along the Lone, past Breitingen, into the Breitingen Schönrein juniper heath, which was created by centuries of sheep grazing. After crossing the Bernstadt-Holzkirch road, the most scenic part of the Lone Valley begins. Jura rocks, the remains of the former Jurassic Sea, appear more and more frequently on the slopes. Passing Hubertusfels and Mehlsack, two magnificent viewing rocks, we reach the Salzbühl hiking car park. We cross the Lone and, immediately after the bridge, turn left towards the Fohlenhaus, one of the most beautiful rock formations in the entire valley. At Neenstetten, we pass under the highway on the expressway and continue to follow the winding course of the river. Shortly before Bissingen, it is worth making a detour to the Bockstein Cave, which is considered the oldest Neanderthal settlement complex in southern Germany. Shortly afterwards, we come across the so-called Bärenhöhle (Bear Cave), where one of the unique works of art was created around 35,000 years ago by the first modern humans. A detour to Lindenau, a welcome place to stop for refreshments, is definitely worthwhile. Back in the valley, we soon arrive at the Vogelherd (cave currently closed) near Stetten, where most of the artifacts from the Ice Age were excavated. Information boards below the cave tell us about the discovery site of Vogelherd horses, mammoths, and much more. We continue on the municipal road to Lontal. Now it is not far to the Kaltenburg ruins, which tower high above the valley on the left. Here, the Lone flows into the Hürbe, and we reach the end of the Lone Valley Cycle Route.
We leave the idyllic river valley and turn left towards Hürben, where it is worth visiting Charlotten cave and the HöhlenHaus. From Hürben, we can either take the train back to Giengen or Hermaringen, or continue the tour via Eselsburger Tal valley up to the Gerstetter Alb.
Via Eselsburg, Dettingen, and Heldenfingen, we cycle on to Gerstetten and follow the Lokalbahn cycle path back to Amstetten. If you are already tired at this point, you can take the Lokalbahn train back to Amstetten on Sundays. Bicycles can be transported free of charge.
