Discover Dottingen: basalt, circular walk and gliding

Dottingen combines a late Gothic church dating from 1605 with the basalt deposit at Eisenrüttel. A circular walk, views in good weather and a weather-dependent ski lift offer other highlights. This lets you tailor your trip to a range of interests—from architectural history and geology to an active day outdoors.

Church and basalt: two special sides of Dottingen

The Protestant church in Dottingen dates from 1605 and is late Gothic. Eisenrüttel is home to a substantial basalt deposit, considered a special feature of the Swabian Alb. Finds from Celtic burial mounds have also been discovered in the area; some are on display at the State Museum in Stuttgart. The church and Eisenrüttel thus offer different perspectives on the town: late Gothic architectural history on the one hand, and a geological feature and archaeological finds on the other.

Nature reserve, viewpoint and circular walk

The Höhnriß-Neuben nature reserve covers around 50 hectares and extends across the districts of Dottingen and Rietheim. It consists mainly of all or part of the Eisenrüttel, Neuben, Wiesach and Höhnriß areas. These names give a more precise idea of the reserve’s boundaries than its name alone.

Buchhalde in Münsingen-Dottingen reaches 866 metres and is the highest point in the town of Münsingen. In good weather, the view from there stretches to the Alps or even farther afield. If you prefer a clearly defined hike, you can follow the “MÜNSINGER HIKING TOUR 3: Around Eisenrüttel” circular route. It starts at the Buchhalde hiking car park in Münsingen-Dottingen and is 5.56 kilometres long. The ascent and descent are each listed as 130 metres; walking time is approximately two hours and 15 minutes. These details make it easier to plan a viewpoint stop and the hike as activities of different lengths during the day.

Gliding and seasonal refreshments

Münsingen-Eisberg glider airfield can be reached via Reutlinger Straße; the airfield access road is on the K6701 between Münsingen and Dottingen. The Münsingen-Eisberg Air Sports Club invites visitors to experience flying for themselves on a passenger flight. The club trains its members in gliding, ultralight flying, touring motor gliders and powered flight.

During the flying season, from April to October, the Fliegerklause serves food and drinks on Sundays and public holidays. If you plan to stop there during your visit, check the latest information on opening days beforehand. This will help you keep the seasonal limitation in mind when planning.

Ski lift in the Dottingen district

At the edge of the forest in the Münsingen district of Dottingen, there is a ski lift with two runs. The family run is about 550 to 600 metres long, and the steep slope is around 400 metres. Both pistes are floodlit. Tobogganing is permitted free of charge off the prepared piste in the car park area. Operating hours depend on the weather. The circular walk takes around two hours and 15 minutes; by contrast, the ski lift’s operating hours depend on the weather.

Münsingen as a wider travel destination

Münsingen also offers other ideas for planning your trip; these are independent suggestions within the wider destination. On selected tours, the Münsingen TrÜP guides lead visitors on foot, by bike or by bus across the site of the former Münsingen military training area. Check the guides’ availability before booking.

The first two WANDERMAHL multi-day tours run by the Biosphere hosts also start in Münsingen. If you are considering one of these tours, check their current availability before planning. The different formats—a guided tour of the former training area or a multi-day tour—offer different ways to discover Münsingen.

Choose the right focus for your accommodation search

If you include Münsingen in your travel plans, you can also consider guided tours and multi-day trips. This focus lets you choose your accommodation based on the experiences you have planned.

Go to the wider travel overview: Münsingen.