Discover Dietenheim: Christmas Market, Church and Hiking Trails

Dietenheim combines seasonal festivities with sacred history and trails through a variety of landscapes. The Christmas market on the first Sunday of Advent and the Holy Sepulchre, with its connection to Easter, provide two special cultural highlights throughout the year. Circular hiking trails lead through the Iller meadows and over the surrounding ridges. When planning your stay, you can decide whether you would like to focus on a festival, a glimpse into history or time outdoors.

Christmas Market on the First Sunday of Advent

The Dietenheim Christmas market is held in the market square in the town centre. It has taken place every year on the first Sunday of Advent since 1986. Stalls offer knitted goods and natural products, nativity figures, handicrafts and jewellery. There is also a wide selection of culinary specialities; the range may vary from year to year.

The market also includes an exhibition in the town hall, a St Nicholas gift-giving event and an afternoon church concert. Programme details may also change from year to year. If you are planning a visit for a particular year, check the city's latest dates and announcements. This will help you combine your visit to the market square with the programme events actually planned for your stay.

Swimming Lake and Circular Hiking Trails

The swimming lake is on the northeastern edge of Dietenheim and is not signposted. To find your way, it is advisable to check the route before your visit; signage may change. The local branches of the Swabian Alb Association have also established circular hiking trails around Dietenheim and Regglisweiler. They lead through the Iller meadows and over the surrounding ridges. These varied landscapes provide a practical guide when planning your time outdoors; the routes may change.

The nearby routes have different locations: the Main-Danube-Lake Constance Trail and the Iller Cycling and Hiking Trail pass through Regglisweiler. The Swabian Alb Association's circular hiking trails, by contrast, are laid out around Dietenheim and Regglisweiler. So if you are looking for a particular trail, it helps to keep both its name and the place mentioned in mind.

Church, Tradition and the Holy Sepulchre

With its church tower serving as a landmark, St Martin's Church is one of Dietenheim's attractions. Another aspect of local tradition is represented by the Dietenheim Historical Citizens' Guard, which has taken part in the Corpus Christi procession and other religious and secular celebrations for more than 300 years. The church building and the Citizens' Guard offer different cultural impressions: the striking church tower on the one hand and a long tradition of festivities on the other.

The Holy Sepulchre is set up in Dietenheim's St Martinus parish church three weeks before Easter. Franz Xaver Forchner created it in the Baroque style in 1727; the painter had moved to Dietenheim from Tyrol. Visits and guided tours are possible outside service times. Contact the parish to arrange current options. Its connection to Easter sets this religious experience apart from the Christmas market, which takes place on the first Sunday of Advent.

More Highlights in the Alb-Donau District

In the Alb-Donau district, Hohle Fels near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the site where the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Geierknochenflöte” (vulture-bone flute) were found; both finds are about 42,500 years old. The Alb-Donau district is also part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. Obermarchtal Abbey stands directly above the Danube and acquired its present form between 1686 and 1795. Blaubeuren Monastery was founded in 1085 as a Benedictine monastery; its present buildings are mainly Gothic and date from 1466 to 1510. In Blaustein lies the Stone Age village of Ehrenstein, a Neolithic settlement in the Blau valley that is part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage property “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.”

Discover more destinations: Ehingen, Erbach, Asselfingen, Westerheim, Neenstetten, Munderkingen, Lonsee, Blaustein.

For the regional travel overview: Alb-Donau District.