Breitingen: Hiking, Singing and the Schönrain Mill

Breitingen combines signposted hiking trails with a path that invites you to sing along, and the Schönrain Mill with its mill machinery. There are four routes around the village, with different distances and elevation gains. The Breitinger Höhenweg has seven singing stations; at the Schönrain Mill, you can still see the mill machinery with its millstones. When planning your trip, you can choose between exercise, singing together and a specific mill-related theme.

Hiking routes with different itineraries

A 2.3 km circular hike with an elevation difference of 3 m starts and ends at the Pegelhaus/Wanderparkplatz. It initially follows a paved hiking trail along the Lone in the direction of Westerstetten. After 1 km, it crosses a well-maintained footpath and the Lone Bridge; it then follows a well-gravelled field track, partly along the edge of the forest, downstream back to the starting point. When choosing a route, the exact itinerary and the changes between paved trail, footpath and field track are as tangible a point of difference as the distance.

The 3.2 km circular hike has an elevation difference of 60 m and also starts and ends at the Pegelhaus/Wanderparkplatz. It crosses the Lone Bridge and leads through the forest to the Scheckeler and on to a farm outside the village. The return route follows a paved path with a lovely view over Breitingen. Both loops share the same starting point, but differ in length, elevation gain and character: the longer one passes through the forest and by named landmarks, while the shorter one follows the Lone and returns downstream.

The Breitinger Höhenweg offers a different focus from these circular hikes. For each of its seven singing stations, the Breitingen Singing Society and the children’s choir have recorded two songs and invite visitors to sing along. If you would like to include singing together in your outing, this trail offers a distinctive focus alongside comparing distances and elevation gains.

Schönrain Mill and places to take a break in Breitingen

Another hiking route starts at the town hall in Breitingen and leads to the Schönrain Nature Reserve, passing the Schönrain Mill. It follows a forest trail downhill along the Lone; a shortcut is possible. This route therefore takes in both a natural area and a mill site. At the Schönrain Mill, you can still see the mill machinery with its millstones.

For a break, Breitingen has two inns, several benches in scenic locations and an activity point on the Lone. You can choose from different ways to take a break: stop at an inn, rest on a bench or pause at the activity point. If you plan to visit an inn, please check its current availability in advance.

More hiking and cultural themes in the Alb-Donau district

The wider Alb-Donau district offers other hiking options for different time budgets. The 20 “Ice Age Trails” circular routes are 6 to 14 km long and are 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. The regional selection therefore ranges from shorter trails to day and multi-day hikes.

The Alb-Donau district also offers a range of cultural themes. The Hohle Fels cave near Schelklingen is a UNESCO World Heritage cave and the site where the “Venus of Hohle Fels” and the “Geierknochen flute” were found; both finds are around 42,500 years old. In Blaustein, the Ehrenstein prehistoric settlement, a Neolithic settlement in the Blau valley, is part of the transnational and serial UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps”. The Obermarchtal Monastery complex stands directly above the Danube and took on its present form between 1686 and 1795.

Discover more destinations: Asselfingen, Kirchen, Ulm, Heroldstatt, Dornstadt, Blaustein, Illerrieden, Emerkingen.

Back to the main travel overview: Alb-Donau district.