Bernstadt: Castle History, Nature and Cycling Tours

Bernstadt brings together local history, nature and cycling. The museum in the castle, the adjoining Langenauer Ried nature reserve and cycling tours along the Lone give your trip a variety of highlights. If you are looking for accommodation, your main interests can guide your choice: cultural history, nature in the Ried or getting active on a bike.

Castle History in Bernstadt

The museum in the castle was established and run as a so-called “local history room” from 1982 onwards. After it was expanded to include the banqueting hall with its Baroque stucco ceiling, the museum was extensively redesigned and reorganized. The castle in Bernstadt displays exhibits on local history. This brings together local history and an architectural detail: the exhibits explore the area's history, while the Baroque stucco ceiling defines the banqueting hall.

If you plan to visit the museum, check visiting options in advance. The history of the local history room and its later reorganization offer a different perspective from the exhibits alone: the museum's development and the banqueting hall are also part of Bernstadt's cultural heritage.

Nature and Cycling Nearby

The adjoining Langenauer Ried nature reserve is a former marshland with numerous animal and plant species. You can enjoy the landscape and nature there at your leisure. The Ried offers a natural highlight alongside the cultural theme of the castle; the two areas appeal to different interests, from local history and architecture to experiencing nature.

Bernstadt is also a starting point for various cycling tours along the Lone through the Lone Valley. If you would like to make cycling a central part of your trip, this gives you a specific way to explore the area: the tours follow the Lone through the valley. You can consider culture, nature and cycling as different focuses for planning your trip, without combining them into a single excursion program.

Walking and Cycling Options in the Alb-Donau District

The Alb-Donau District is part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. Walking options in the district include 20 circular “Ice Age Trails,” which are 6 to 14 km long and suitable for day hikes. There are also family-friendly “Ice Age Tracks,” ranging from 1 to 6 km, as well as the Reflection Trail for multi-day hikes. This lets you choose tours by distance and format: from shorter family-friendly trails and day hikes to an option for several days.

The themed cycling tours in the Alb-Donau District also vary in length: the “Ice Age Valleys” route is 75 km, the “Berg Bier Tour” is 115 km and the “Albtäler” cycle route is 186 km. The “Albtäler” cycle route has been awarded four stars. These regional options stand on their own; cycling tours starting in Bernstadt follow the Lone through the Lone Valley.

Cultural History from the Stone Age to the Monasteries

The Alb-Donau District is home to Hohle Fels near Schelklingen, a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the findspot of the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Geierknochenflöte” (vulture-bone flute). Both finds are around 42,500 years old. Another prehistoric site is the Stone Age village of Ehrenstein in Blaustein: this Neolithic settlement lies in the Blau Valley and is part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage property “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.”

The monasteries of the Alb-Donau District also offer different historical perspectives. Blaubeuren Monastery was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1085 and today consists mainly of Gothic-style buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. The Obermarchtal Monastery complex, a former Premonstratensian abbey, stands directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. Together with the Stone Age finds and the Neolithic settlement, the region's cultural heritage thus spans prehistory and the architectural histories of its monasteries.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Obermarchtal, Blaustein, Westerheim, Ballendorf, Erbach, Öpfingen, Breitingen, Heroldstatt.

For the main travel overview: Alb-Donau District.