Discover Staig: Churches, Art and Countryside

Explore Staig through its art, church architecture and countryside. In the village center, the former Church of St. Mary is used as an art gallery; a modern Catholic parish church was built on the neighboring southeastern slope. The Weihung Valley and the community’s outdoor leisure activities also shape the picture of Staig.

Art and church architecture in Staig

The former Church of St. Mary in the village center of Staig is used as an art gallery. It hosts exhibitions by renowned artists from Germany and abroad. Here, you can encounter paintings in a former church, while other churches in the community showcase its architectural history across different periods.

The Catholic parish church of the Assumption of Mary was built from 1972 to 1974 on the neighboring southeastern slope. Ulm architect Manfred Wacker designed the modern building. It replaced the neo-Gothic brick church built in 1869 by Georg von Morlok, architect of Stuttgart’s railway station. The former church stood beside the late-medieval bell tower, dated 1470/1577.

The district of Steinberg also has a historic landmark: St. Pankratius Catholic Parish Church was first mentioned in 1275; the present church building dates from 1819. The former branch chapel of St. Helena was also historically connected with Staig: it was always served from Staig.

Countryside and leisure in the community

The high plateau between the Danube and the Iller is a landscape shaped by prehistoric settlement. The six districts of Altheim, Essendorf, Harthausen, Staig, Steinberg and Weinstetten developed from this history. They lie in the lowlands and on the hills in and around the Weihung Valley. This interplay of lower elevations and hills frames the community’s landscape.

Leisure activities in the community include hiking, cycling and horseback riding, as well as jogging and walking in the woods and countryside. Alongside art and church history, a range of outdoor activities can therefore be among the focuses of your trip.

Broadcasting history in Harthausen

In Harthausen, which belongs to the community of Staig, the Harthausen Radio Museum explores the history of broadcasting. The private collection spans the period from the beginnings around 1923 to the end of the vacuum tube era around 1970. It comprises about 800 exhibits and related literature; Mr. Hauf has restored many of the items himself. This focus on technological history adds a distinct perspective on the development of broadcasting to the themes of art and church architecture.

Culture and nature in the Alb-Donau district

The wider travel destination of the Alb-Donau district offers further, distinct cultural and natural attractions. Hohle Fels near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the site where the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Vulture Bone Flute” were found; both finds are about 42,500 years old. In Blaustein lies the Stone Age village of Ehrenstein, a Neolithic settlement in the Blau Valley. It is part of the transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage property “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.”

The Alb-Donau district is also home to monastery architecture: Blaubeuren Monastery was founded in 1085 as a Benedictine monastery and today consists mainly of Gothic-style buildings dating from 1466 to 1510. The former Premonstratensian abbey of Obermarchtal is also in the Alb-Donau district. Its monastery complex stands directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795. The Alb-Donau district is also part of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve.

The Alb-Donau district offers hikes of varying distances and lengths: its 20 “Ice Age Trails” circular routes are 6 to 14 kilometers long and are suitable for day hikes. The family-friendly “Ice Age Tracks” cover 1 to 6 kilometers; the Contemplation Trail is intended for multi-day tours. Themed cycling routes include the 75-kilometer “Ice Age Valleys” tour, the 115-kilometer “Berg Bier Tour” and the 186-kilometer “Albtäler” cycle route, which has been awarded four stars.

When looking for accommodation in Staig, it helps to distinguish between the different planning areas: Would you like to focus primarily on the community’s churches, art and leisure activities, or are you including other attractions from the Alb-Donau district in your travel plans? Shape your search around where you would like to stay and what you want your trip to focus on.

Discover more destinations: Laichingen, Munderkingen, Ulm, Kirchen, Dornstadt, Obermarchtal, Langenau, Börslingen

For the overview of the wider travel destination: Alb-Donau district.