Visit the largest Fortress ruin on the Swabian Alps.

If you’re living in Stuttgart or want to travel to southern Germany in the future you should check out the many castles and fortress ruins the area has to offer. It is the perfect trip for a free day including some walking, exploration, nature therapy and relaxation.
One of my favorites and the one I will tell you a bit more about in this article is the Hohenneuffen fortress ruin (in German: Burgruine Hohenneuffen). It is one of the most impressive in the area.
You can combine this sight perfectly with a trip to Kirchheim which is a beautiful old town. It is not very touristic but a treat. Have breakfast there and visit the castle after, or do it the other way round and first visit the castle and have some lunch or dinner in the little town after.If you like relaxation, swimming pools, steam baths, and saunas don’t miss out on the Panorama Therme in Beuren, which is also not far from the castle ruin. But first let me tell you a bit more about the fortress.

Hohenneufen Fortress Ruins

This fortress is the largest complex of its kind on the Swabian Alb. It has its origins in the High Middle Ages and the construction dates back to the 11th century. It was in the possession oft he von Neuffen free nobles and fell into the possession oft he Wüttemberg Dynasty. It even became their residence for a few years. They expanded it and the final phase of construction took place in the 18th century under Duke Karl Alexander. If you want to read everything in more detail, check the homepage of the fortress ruin explaining the history of this place (LINK).

We went there on a Sunday afternoon. The weather was nice and we wanted to go outside and explore the area a little. We parked at the „Wanderparkplatz Hohenneuffen“ and walked the approximately 700 m pathway by foot to the castle (MAP). The path is unpaved, therefore make sure to wear comfortable and solid shoes. Just before you reach the ruin you have to go up a steep hill. It is not long but short and steep. Then, you can take a first short breath at the first viewing platform (view to the north and west of the area).

The path is unpaved, therefore make sure to wear comfortable and solid shoes. After you caught a breath continue walking and enter the gate. After the gate on the left you can enter a little “door” and explore some rooms and look out of the little “windows”. It is quite fun just strolling around and imagining what life must have been like back in the days.

Some paths are unpaved, so make sure to wear comfortable and solid shoes.

You can basically walk around freely and explore everything you want. If you are looking for a guided tour I recommend to ask at the kiosk or restaurant (find details below). Make sure you go to the very top of the fortress. The view is incredible!

If you’re hungry, grab a snack at the kiosk or sit down and have a proper meal from the restaurant.
When you’re finished at the Hohennneuffen ruin, make sure to do explore the forrest. There are some nice hiking tracks. We started at the ruin and just walked without a map or guidance. There are not many paths so it is hard to really get lost. If you feel uncomfortable to go by feeling there is a map right before the fortress as well as at the parking area “Wanderparkplatz Hohenneuffen” (MAP).

For the whole Hohenneufen experience plan approximately 2-4 hours. Depending on how much time you give yourself to explore the area you can spend quite a lot of time in the complex and in the surrounding. If you want to combine it with breakfast upfront or dinner afterwards in Kirchheim, make it a half-day tour. If you want to do a full day tour either explore the Teck ruin in addition or have some relaxation at the Thermal baths in Beuren afterwards (all info and links below). Just one more hint: we were near the fortress during sundown and it was amazing! There is one viewpoint (basically just a lawn) next to a hiking trail not far from it and it allows you to see the fortress ruins while the sun is going down. Beautiful view and colors!

Look at the Hohenneuffen fortress ruin during sunset!

Most important: take your time to dive into the past and use your imagination to feel the atmosphere of our ancestors at the Hohenneufen Fortress Ruins. It is definitely a great experience!

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Entrance fee and opening hours

The entrance is free.
Opening hours:1. April to 31. October:

• Monday, Tuesday, Sunday & Public Holiday: 9:00 am – 07:00 pm
• Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 09:00 am – 10:00 pm

1. November to 31. March:

• every day: 09:00 am – 05:00 pm

Guided tours in German are available on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays at 1.00 pm and 3.00 pm. If you are eager to get a guided tour in English try requesting it via email upfront (LINK to Homepage). The tours are between 2,50 – 5,00 € per Person (child/adult).

How to get to there

By public transport: From Nürtingen train station take the train Tälesbahn to Neuffen (Check current timetable here). From there hike for approximately 50 minutes to the fortress. On weekends you can take a Shuttle-Bus to the parking lot near the fortress Hohenneuffen, which is approximately 700 m. Just look out for “Wanderparkplatz Hohenneuffen”.
By car: By car drive to the „Wanderparkplatz Hohenneuffen“ (MAP). There is plenty of parking near the fortress. From the parking spot it is a 700m to walk he ruin. Therefore, make sure to wear some comfortable shoes. There are some more hiking routes around that you can explore after or before your visit.

Other things to do in the area

Burg Teck (LINK): If you haven’t had enough of sightseeing yet, you can check out another castle ruin not far from Burg Hohenneuffen. From Burg Teck you can even have a nice look at the Burg Hohenneuffen, where you have just been. Give’s you a good look at the massive complex from a bit further away.
Panorama Therme Beuren (LINK): Looking for some relaxation after visiting the ruin? Then this is the place to go for you. There are lots of different pools with different temperatures, steam baths, and saunas.
Kirchheim old town (LINK): Kirchheim is a small city approximately 40 km from Stuttgart city. Walk around in the city center, have a coffee, some food and drinks, and just enjoy the vibes and the look of all the half-timbered houses. I further recommend to not only use the big and most common streets. Go left or right now and then into little alleys – there are plenty of them in Kirchheim. End of August definitely check out the wine festival (LINK).If you’re not sure yet whether you want to spend time in Kirchheim, you can have a virtual sightseeing tour on Youtube (LINK).
Summer open-air cinema and Autokino (drive-in cinema) in Kirchheim (LINK):In August there is usually an open-air cinema in Kirchheim showing some great movies. If you understand the German language don’t miss out on that. There are some streetfood trucks there and you can get some cocktails. It’s the perfect place for a warm summer night. Make sure to get your ticket upfront as it is often sold out (LINK).
At the moment you can watch movies at the drive-in cinema in the comfort of your own car (started 14. May), giving you the perfect opportunity to watch movies while social distancing (LINK).

Grab something to eat

There are plenty of places to eat in Kirchheim. That’s why I will only mention a few I love to go to.
Breakfast / little Lunch / Coffee:

• There are two places I enjoy eating for breakfast. If you are looking for some extremely delicious Sandwiches or Bagels, definitely try „Sweet and Salty“ (LINK). It is a very small but super cozy location with a comforting and family atmosphere.
• If you’re looking for a broader menu or brunch, I recommend „Lieblingscafé”. It has a big variety of foods on the menu and always some delicious muffins and cakes to choose from (LINK). They also have some brunch days with a great variety of foods (plenty of options for vegans as well).

Lunch / Dinner:

• I always love having some authentic Turkish food at the „Scharfes Eck“ (LINK). It tastes great. I usually have the chicken or turkey steak and it is cooked perfectly.
• If you are looking for some traditional German food, try the „Wachthaus“ (LINK). It has a beer garden so you can sit outside when the weather is nice.

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Hello everyone,
thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy the content I put up and feel like you want to go explore now 🙂 Please check upfront if the places I mentioned are open (esp. thermal baths) or if there are tickets left (for cinema. You don’t need tickets for the fortress). There are constant changes during covid affecting opening hours and capacities in the facilities that’s why I can’t cover the updates constantly. I hope for your understanding.
If you like what I do here, please share it and press the heart at the bottom of this article. If you have more ideas, wishes or want to help me improve, please get in touch with me via mail! I’m looking forward to get some feedback!

Looking for other things to do not too far from Stuttgart? Maybe the Europapark is something for you to check out 🙂

Yours, Jenni