Neukirch: Nature, Churches and Wildlife Park

Gentle hills, meadows, forests and numerous ponds shape Neukirch’s landscape. The wild, deeply cut course of the Argen River provides a striking contrast. If you want to focus on exploring nature, north of the Argen you’ll find a landscape of woodland and cultivated land that is ideal for longer hikes. Tours through the many small hamlets and along the river are particularly appealing. This lets you combine the nature-focused part of your trip with the traces of church culture to be discovered in various places in Neukirch.

Church Art and History

St. Ulrich’s Chapel in Elmenau contains rare frescoes from the 12th and 13th centuries. The parish church of St. Mary, Queen of the Rosary, in Neukirch was consecrated on 26 October 1980 by diocesan bishop Dr. Georg Moser. In the old choir of St. Silvester’s parish church are 14 Stations of the Cross, made in 1914 by the Güntert and Nägele art workshop in Sigmaringendorf. The dates mark distinct periods: the frescoes are medieval, the Stations of the Cross date from 1914, and the parish church was consecrated in 1980.

The Neukirch faith trail is around 4.7 kilometres long. At five of the ten stations in Neukirch and the surrounding hamlets, large natural stones stand with information panels. They bear the logo of the pastoral care unit as well as a saying or verse. From the Marian Grotto on Marienberg, the view stretches across the town centre to the Allgäu Alps; benches are available for resting. A church procession takes place at the grotto every year. If you want to plan your trip around it, check the exact date in advance.

Wildlife Park and Different Trail Lengths

The Sonnenhalde Wildlife Park is in Neukirch’s district of Wildpoltsweiler. Its 2.5-kilometre circular trail offers glimpses of native wildlife; the park is home to fallow deer, red deer, mouflons and wild boar. The wildlife park also has an adventure playground, and pony rides are available. Before setting out, check the latest information about the playground and the availability of pony rides.

The trail lengths offer a useful comparison: the wildlife park’s circular trail is shorter than the faith trail, which is around 4.7 kilometres long. The focus differs too: the wildlife park highlights animals and a circular route, while the faith trail features stations with natural stones, a logo and verses. This lets you choose a different focus for your stay depending on the activity you prefer.

Choose Accommodation to Suit Your Interests

When looking for accommodation in Neukirch, you can first decide what you want your stay to focus on: exploring nature and the wildlife park, frescoes and churches, or the faith trail each offer a different experience. Then compare the specific location details of the accommodation with the places that matter to your plans. This lets you choose based on the experiences in Neukirch that interest you most.

The Wider Region: Lake Constance District

As a broader travel destination, the Lake Constance district offers a wider landscape to explore. It extends along almost the entire northern shore of Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg and reaches into the Upper Swabian Hills and, in the east, the West Allgäu Hills. The Lake Constance district has 57.7 kilometres of lakeshore; its landscape is shaped by the lake and the adjoining hills, with orchards, vineyards, meadows and forests.

For another cultural and historical highlight in the Lake Constance district, visit the pile dwellings at Unteruhldingen, Germany’s oldest archaeological open-air museum. The visitor route includes ARCHAEORAMA, a multimedia show featuring a virtual dive to the pile dwellings in Lake Constance. The site also includes the DISCOVERER’S TRAIL. In its pile-dwelling cinema, experimental archaeologists introduce visitors to historical house-building techniques.

Discover more destinations: Uhldingen-Mühlhofen, Daisendorf, Überlingen, Tettnang, Beuren, Kressbronn on Lake Constance, Frickingen, Salem.

Go to the main travel overview: Lake Constance.