Meßstetten: Hiking, Water and Folk Art

Hiking along the Alb Escarpment

Marked, well-signposted trails take you through Meßstetten’s diverse natural landscapes, with viewpoints along the steep Alb Escarpment. This gives your trip a clear focus on days spent walking without limiting your options to a single type of trail: the free Meßstetten hiking and leisure map covers the premium HochAlbPfade as well as shorter circular walks and excursion tips. The HochAlb is also home to colourful flower meadows with remarkable biodiversity, especially in early summer.

Trails, Reservoir and Viewpoints

In Tieringen, the approximately 850-metre-long barefoot trail crosses sand, clay, mud, pebbles, bark mulch, forest floor and meadow. Also in Tieringen, Nordic walking routes pass through the nature-rich Hülenbuch nature reserve and along the Tieringer Hörnle, where there are viewpoints. Alongside trails through nature, you’ll find a path with a variety of surfaces.

In the Meßstetten district of Oberdigisheim, the reservoir offers summer swimming, a circular path along the shore, a children’s playground and two barbecue areas. If you’d like to include time by the water in your day, it offers a seasonal focus alongside the hiking trails. Check swimming conditions and the state of the facilities before your visit.

The Sculpture Panorama Trail in Meßstetten is an approximately 1,000-metre-long circular route featuring eleven sculptures by local artists. It is particularly suitable for people who use walking aids, wheelchair users accompanied by someone else, users of electric wheelchairs and families with pushchairs. If the path surface changes, accessibility conditions may change too, so check the situation before your visit.

Folk Art and Local History

The Meßstetten Folk Art Museum displays more than 1,300 folk art objects across four floors. Most originate from the German-speaking regions of southern Germany and date from the 17th to the 19th century. Of the 42 rare pairs of figures from Anton Sohn’s Basel Dance of Death, the museum displays 12. The collection’s scope and this clearly identifiable group of works offer different ways to explore the museum.

In Hossingen, the local history museum stands beside the Protestant church. The Hossinger Leiter is a historic route associated with the daily journeys people once made to workplaces in Lautlingen and Ebingen. Meßstetten’s church history also goes back a long way: in the 12th or 13th century, Meßstetten acquired its own St. Lamprecht’s Church.

Hiking in the Zollernalb District

The Zollernalb district also offers a regional perspective on hiking. The Zollernalb has 14 premium trails: eleven in Albstadt and three in Meßstetten. There are also more than 100 signposted circular hiking routes. The 33-kilometre Schlichem Hiking Trail runs from Meßstetten-Tieringen to Epfendorf. Its landscapes include small waterfalls, wet meadows and a steep-sided gorge. The routes range from the approximately 850-metre-long barefoot trail to a long regional hike—a useful distinction when planning the length of outing you want.

If you’re looking for accommodation for a trip to Meßstetten, use your interests as a guide: hiking and viewpoints, a seasonal day at the reservoir, or folk art and local history.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Albstadt, Laufen, Burladingen, Dautmergen, Winterlingen, Hausen Am Tann, Zimmern Unter Der Burg, Ratshausen.

Back to the main travel overview: Zollernalb District.