Discover Heiningen: Trails, Forest and Local History

Heiningen combines trails through the municipality with insights into local history. There are various routes to choose from for an active stay, while a historical walking tour and the frescoes in St. Michael’s Church tell stories of local themes. This means that outdoor activities and culture can each form a different focus for your trip.

Routes for different activities

The 27-kilometre Voralb Route passes through Heiningen. The Voralb Nordic Walking Park has four routes for everyone from beginners to advanced athletes. They are between 3.5 and 14 kilometres long and all start at the car park by the Voralbhalle. The route lengths provide a clear basis for comparing options when planning your outings. Check local signs for current conditions on the Nordic walking routes.

The VORALB HERO offers a different way to explore: this 1.6-kilometre singletrack runs through Heiningen’s municipal forest. Since 2024, the trail has been operated by the Bone Fackers e.V. association from Bad Boll, which is responsible for its maintenance, upkeep and safety. Check for current trail information before making plans.

The Rohrweg and the Heubach Loop are hiking trails in the municipality of Heiningen. Check their current availability locally before setting out. These two hiking trails offer more ways to explore Heiningen on foot.

Local history and art

For the Historical Walking Tour, local residents selected 21 stops and wrote the accompanying texts; most of them were volunteers. Plaques on the walls of buildings provide information about local history, and QR codes link to further information from the municipality. The tour thus brings together selected stops, texts about Heiningen and digital content for a deeper dive.

The frescoes in St. Michael’s Church in Heiningen also feature striking subjects: they depict a representation of St. Christopher, a rare nailing to the cross from 1398, and a “volto santo” – a depiction of the crucifixion with a clothed Christ. The rare nailing to the cross from 1398 gives the frescoes particular art-historical appeal.

Heiningen’s leisure activities were expanded in summer 2014 with an 18-hole pit-pat course. If you are planning to play pit-pat, check whether the course is currently available before visiting.

In the wider destination of Göppingen

If you are planning your trip within the wider destination of Göppingen, you will find more hiking options there. The Löwenpfade in the district of Göppingen are circular hiking trails between 3 and 24 kilometres long. They can be hiked in either direction and are signposted and marked in both directions. At the trailheads, information boards provide details on the route, elevation profile and sights along the way. Their distances cover a wider range than the Nordic walking routes in Heiningen, which are up to 14 kilometres long.

For mountain biking, the Löwentrails in the district comprise four circular routes between 16 and 30 kilometres long. They are particularly suitable for beginners and e-mountain bikers. Hiking and mountain biking thus offer distinct ways to explore the wider destination of Göppingen.

Culture is another regional highlight: in Göppingen, the Märklineum presents the more than 165-year history of the Märklin company and its products. When choosing accommodation, you can start by considering which experiences you want to focus on – the trails and local history in Heiningen or a wider range of themes in the broader destination of Göppingen.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Böhmenkirch, Bad Überkingen, Wäschenbeuren, Adelberg, Albershausen, Donzdorf, Dürnau, Eislingen/Fils.

Back to the wider travel overview: Göppingen.