Discover Winterlingen

Winterlingen combines engaging educational attractions with theater, local history and distinctive nature themes. This gives you a wide range of interests to choose from when planning your trip: a scale model of the solar system, an extensive stamp and postal collection, protected wetlands and seasonal winter sports.

From the Planet Trail to the Postal Museum

The Winterlingen Planet Trail depicts the solar system to scale, at a ratio of 1 to 1 billion, along the “Space Trail.” This representation translates astronomical distances into a shared scale and offers an educational highlight for anyone interested in the solar system.

The Winterlingen Postal Museum, housed in the old post office building at Ebinger Straße 56, 72474 Winterlingen, offers a very different perspective on history. Its collection comprises more than 5,000 postal items, including a complete old post office counter and more than 300 postal caps from around the world. These tangible objects bring the postal collection to life, from the workplace at the counter to headwear from different countries.

Participatory Theater

K3 is a small theater and, since 2022, a sociocultural center. Children, young people and adults can perform in various theater groups. For families who want to plan an active cultural experience alongside exhibitions and nature, this is a distinctive option. Check with K3 in advance to find out which group activities are currently available.

Protected Nature and Winter Cross-Country Ski Trail

The Winterlingen natural swimming lake is one of the highest-altitude natural swimming lakes in Germany. It is also a valuable wetland biotope, specially protected under the Nature Conservation Act, and home to great crested newts, alpine newts and smooth newts. So the focus is not just on the name of the swimming lake, but also on its ecological character.

Within the municipality of Winterlingen, the Harthauser Heide is designated as an extensive natural monument under Section 32 of the Nature Conservation Act. Guided tours for adults and children are offered there in summer; check locally in advance for specific dates. When snow conditions are suitable, the WSV Winterlingen grooms a 5.6 km classic cross-country ski trail above the Dickeloch ski lift. Around 1 km of the trail is lit while the ski lift is open. Whether this activity suits your stay therefore depends on snow conditions and the lift’s opening hours.

Indoor Swimming Pool and History in Harthausen

The Winterlingen indoor swimming pool has a water surface of 250 m²; its pool is 25 m long and 10 m wide. Anyone interested in local history can visit the local history museum in the town hall in Harthausen. It opened on October 10, 1987, was assembled from collections and loans, and serves as a village museum and a place to connect with the area’s past.

Winterlingen in the Wider Travel Destination of the Zollernalb District

The wider travel destination of the Zollernalb district offers additional themes for trip planning. The Zollernalb lies in the western part of the Swabian Alb UNESCO Global Geopark, where the mountains reach their greatest heights. The region’s geological natural spectacles include the Zillhausen Waterfall and the Felsenmeer rock formations below the Hörnle.

Hohenzollern Castle adds a historical and cultural highlight. The present-day castle is the third fortress on Mount Zoller; after its two predecessors were destroyed and fell into ruin, it was rebuilt between 1850 and 1867. It belongs to the municipality of Bisingen and is located within the boundaries of the district of Zimmern. Its cultural program includes numerous concerts, family days, open-air cinema and exhibitions. The castle is open to visitors daily and offers a glimpse into its historic rooms. Check the current schedule before your visit.

When looking for accommodation in Winterlingen, you can start by considering which experiences you want to shape your stay: culture and local history, nature, or—when snow conditions are suitable—cross-country skiing. Then you can decide whether to focus your plans on Winterlingen or include other themes from the Zollernalb district as well.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Hausen Am Tann, Balingen, Albstadt, Obernheim, Rosenfeld, Weilen Unter Den Rinnen, Ratshausen, Laufen.

Back to the overall travel guide: Zollernalb district.