Neresheim: Discover Monastic Culture and Trails

In Neresheim, the abbey church and monastery museum meet a variety of trails. This makes it easy to shape your stay around culture, a pilgrimage route and a stroll; the history of the Härtsfeld Railway also offers a distinctive way to explore the area.

Abbey Church and Monastery Museum

Neresheim Abbey Church is a cultural monument of European standing and an outstanding attraction. Housed across three floors in the convent building and prelature, the monastery museum provides an overview of the history of the monastery and its construction. The abbey’s historical significance for the natural sciences, education and art is also among the topics covered.

The museum includes the largely preserved collection of science teaching materials from the former monastery grammar school. The tour ends with a visit to the ceremonial hall, whose stucco paintings were created by Dominikus Zimmermann. The museum visit thus leads from the history of the abbey to a room where the artistic design itself takes centre stage.

A knowledgeable guide is required for the tour through the rooms of the monastery museum. Guided tours for individuals and groups are available only by prior arrangement with the monastery administration. Allow time for this if you would like to include the museum in your stay.

Pilgrimage Routes and Walks

Another Way of St. James begins in Neresheim and leads pilgrims via Tübingen onwards to France. A scallop-shell symbol serves as a waymarker. Shell signs can be found, for example, at the car park in front of the monastery, at the start of Klosterallee near the “Alte Bahnhof” (“Old Station”), in the “Zwing” nature reserve, and to the west, on the Tourist Information building at Hauptstraße 21.

The Baroque Trail is a walking route around Neresheim Abbey. The trail to the Härtsfeld Museum Railway is laid out differently: it leads from Neresheim station to Dischingen station, is not a circular route and is part of the cycle path. This means you can choose between a loop around the abbey and a route with Dischingen as its destination.

The Härtsfeld Railway and Surroundings

The operating centre of the historic Härtsfeld Railway, the “Centralstation”, was in Neresheim, right at the foot of Ulrichsberg. Museum railway services on the Neresheim–Sägmühle line began in October 2001; there, visitors can experience what it was like in the past. The Härtsfeld Railway Museum opened at Neresheim station.

Another point of interest nearby is the natural environment at the old lime works near Neresheim in the Egau Valley. There is a bee education trail, a wild bee viewing station and a newly created bee garden. Alongside the monastery’s history and trails, visitors can also explore bees and their habitat when planning their trip.

When looking for accommodation, you can first consider whether monastic culture, a pilgrimage route, walks or the history of the railway should shape your stay. These different themes can help you decide on the focus you want, without treating the individual routes and visits as interchangeable.

More to Explore in the Ostalb District

Those wishing to explore more of the Ostalb district will find a distinct attraction in Rainau, centred on the Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, it runs for about six kilometres through the municipality of Rainau, in the districts of Buch, Schwabsberg and Dalkingen. Significant sections and individual monuments have been preserved in Limes Park Rainau; a reconstructed watchtower offers panoramic views across the Ostalb. The Limes Gate at Dalkingen is a remarkable structure along the entire stretch of the Limes between the Rhine and the Danube.

Lorch Monastery is another cultural destination in the Ostalb district. It was founded in 1102 by Frederick I, the first Hohenstaufen ruler, and his wife Agnes of Waiblingen as their burial place. The complex includes a medieval church, the cloister, utility buildings and the Marsilius Tower, with views of the monastery grounds, herb garden, sensory garden and surrounding area. The permanent exhibition covers 900 years of monastic history, including through the richly decorated Lorch choir books.

Discover more destinations: Obergröningen, Waldhausen, Rosenberg, Heuchlingen, Waldstetten, Schechingen, Durlangen, Adelmannsfelden.

For the main travel overview: Ostalb District.