Schlat: Orchards and Trails at the Foot of the Alb Mountains

Schlat lies at the foot of the Alb Mountains at an elevation of 413 to 700 metres. Circular trails, the Protestant St Andrew’s Church and a long tradition of fruit growing give the village its distinctive character. You can therefore combine your stay with hiking, culture and regional produce.

Circular Trails and High-Level Hikes

Numerous circular trails invite you to explore Schlat and its surroundings; the village is also a popular starting point for high-level hikes. Two routes provide a useful comparison of distances: the Gairen-Seeholz Loop is a 9.5-kilometre circular trail. The Waldaktivpfad trail in Schlater Wald is around 2.8 kilometres long. It starts east of the “Eiche” hiking car park, at the junction towards Grünenberg, and leads through the forest. This lets you choose between a shorter forest loop and a longer circular hike. Around Schlat, hiking routes also connect with the nearby Albtraufgänger Trail and the Swabian Alb Northern Edge Trail.

Church and Fruit Growing

For more than 50 years, the Protestant St Andrew’s Church has been shared by the Protestant and Catholic congregations. Alongside the hiking trails and landscape, it offers a cultural aspect to explore in Schlat.

Schlater fruit includes strawberries, cherries, plums, mirabelles, pears, apples and berries. Schlater farmers sell fresh local produce directly from their farms. The local selection thus includes a variety of fruits and products, which are also reflected in the offerings of individual businesses.

The Jörg Geiger GmbH manufactory in Schlat offers speciality drinks made from traditional apple and pear varieties: single-variety spirits, alcohol-free Prisecco, apple and pear seccos, and single-variety pear and apple sparkling wines made using the traditional bottle fermentation method. Biolandhof Hauser sells fruit, jam, potatoes, walnuts, apple juice and apple-pear juice, as well as spirits made from its own fruit. Geiger GbR in Schlat operates a fruit-juice press with a shop and distillery. Product and business details may change; check the availability of Biolandhof Hauser’s products in particular before travelling.

Find Accommodation to Suit Your Stay

If you are looking for accommodation in Schlat, the activities you have in mind can guide your planning: would you prefer to focus on a shorter forest loop, are you interested in the longer Gairen-Seeholz Loop, or would you also like to explore the local fruit-growing culture? These different themes can help you plan the pace of your stay.

The Wasserberghaus hiking lodge on Wasserberg is in the wider area around the destination. The Swabian Alb Association operates it year-round, and the lodge offers overnight accommodation. If you are considering staying there, check availability in advance.

Within the wider destination of Göppingen

The wider destination of Göppingen also offers its own themes for planning a trip. The Märklineum in Göppingen presents the more than 165-year history of Märklin and its products. In the district of Göppingen, the Löwenpfade are circular trails ranging from 3 to 24 kilometres in length. They can be walked in either direction and are signposted and marked both ways; at every starting point, an information board shows the route, an elevation profile and sights along the way.

Another regional option is the 35-kilometre Orchard Route, a family-friendly way to explore the traditional orchard landscape. These examples are part of the wider destination of Göppingen.

Discover more destinations: Süßen, Mühlhausen Im Täle, Bad Boll, Börtlingen, Ottenbach, Bad Ditzenbach, Adelberg, Aichelberg.

Back to the wider travel overview: Göppingen.