Hegau Panorama Trail – multi-stage hike through the Hegau region

This special offer gives ambitious and less experienced hikers the opportunity to explore the most diverse corners of the Hegau region on a hike.

1. Starting from Engen, the northernmost point, the route leads west to Ballenberg. Passing through the Franzosenwäldchen forest, the route continues uphill towards Napoleonseck. It then continues along the Old Post Road, offering magnificent views of the Hegau and the Alps. Below us lies the idyllic village of Watterdingen, which is part of the town of Tengen. We then cross the road to Leipferdingen and enter the forest shortly afterwards, reaching our destination for the day — Tengen — through the beautiful Hegau landscape.
   
2. 'Engen, Tengen and Blumenfeld are the most beautiful towns in the world.' There is a great deal of truth in this saying. We leave Tengen and head south towards Blumenfeld. After a long descent, the small town of Blumenfeld comes into view. After crossing the main road, we enter Blumenfeld's beautifully restored town centre. The hike continues through the town gate. To the right, down in the small gorge, is the Hotel and Restaurant Bibermühle with its old mill wheel, which is well worth seeing. The menu is highly recommended and invites you to take a break. After crossing the main road, the trail continues along Römerstraße and then along a short stretch of Sonnenstraße towards the forest. It then climbs through the shady forest towards Weil. Once again, the idyllic Hegau landscape lies before us, and the hike continues towards Binningen through fields and meadows full of flowers. After crossing the country road, the trail enters the village via Sägestraße, turning right onto Engelweg. The trail then continues uphill to Hohenstoffeln.
   
   After passing the Stoffler Hof, you will reach the quarry, where basalt was mined until the 1940s. The trail then goes around the double peak, and after some strenuous climbs it turns left past the Sennhof. It continues downhill to Hilzingen, the next stage destination. A visit to the Baroque church of St Peter and Paul is an absolute must there.
   
   
3. Our tour then continues along the connecting road to Dietlishof, going uphill under the motorway towards Heilsberg. From there, we head towards Katzental, before turning right alongside the Riederbach stream towards Gottmadingen town centre. As you follow the Riederbach, you will find lots of information about the local flora and fauna. Once you reach Gottmadingen, you will see the Rauhenberg ridge above Gailingen ahead of you. The hike then continues along Steiner Weg, past the cemetery towards Murbach. After crossing the Biber, turn right towards Randegg, passing the sports field, and continue uphill along Bergstraße. Leave Randegg to the left, passing through fields and meadows towards Rauhenberg. After a long climb, you will reach the Rauhenberg's highest point. We recommend taking a detour to the ruins of Bürgli Castle. Unfortunately, nothing remains of the castle. However, the observation tower offers magnificent views of Switzerland. On a clear day, you can enjoy a unique panorama of the Alps. The view stretches from the Austrian Alps, across to the Swiss Alps, and on to the French Alps.
   
   
4. Whether you want to stay overnight in Gailingen or continue hiking will determine whether the trail leads you down to the town centre or over the Rauhenberg ridge eastwards, before descending to Ramsen in Switzerland. However, you won't be staying in Switzerland for long. You will leave Ramsen via the railway line towards Wiesholz, cross the small hamlet, and shortly after Wiesholz, cross the border back into Germany. From there, the trail leads to the centre of Rielasingen-Worblingen via Arlen. Here, you can take a short detour to Rosenegg and follow the beautifully designed nature trail. The hike then continues alongside the Aach, the lifeline of the Hegau, towards Singen. The little River Aach accompanies you all the way to Singen.
   
   
5. Today's stage starts with a steep ascent to Hegau's largest volcanic cone. Your destination is the Hohentwiel, which is crowned by the ruins of one of Germany's largest fortresses. After passing the Hotel Wiederhold, you will reach the Wiederholdweg trail at the foot of the mountain. Follow this trail to the estate. Tickets for the Upper Fortress can be purchased from the information centre located halfway up the mountain. Once you reach the summit, you will see that the challenging ascent was worthwhile. A unique landscape lies at your feet. The various extinct volcanic cones lie before you like a string of pearls. Lake Constance is within reach. What more could a hiker desire? After taking in these atmospheric views, the trail leads downhill again, then northwards towards Hohenkrähen.
   
   Passing the impressive Hohenkrähen castle, the trail continues towards Mägdeberg. The northern Hegau region unfolds along a ridge, with the village of Mühlhausen-Ehingen nestled in the valley below. To the west of Mägdeberg, the next volcanic cone with its two peaks, Hohenstoffeln, can be seen in the distance. After passing Mägdeberg, continue hiking to the Hegau Cross and then down to Weiterdingen. Turn left onto Welschingerstraße, then right onto Kosbühlstraße and finally right again onto Binningerstraße. Follow the signs to Welschingen, your next destination.
   
6. From Welschingen, continue towards Engen. You will soon see the next challenge ahead of you: the Hohenhewen. Once you reach the summit, you can enjoy panoramic views stretching as far as the Black Forest nearby. After the strenuous climb, there is a longer downhill section to Anselfingen. Next stop is Engen, where a tour of the lovingly restored old town is a must. Why not take part in a guided tour with the night watchman and the burgher's wife?
   Next, you will leave the small town via Jahnstraße, heading east. Your next destination is Petersfels, a natural monument of exceptional quality located beyond the motorway. Since 2003, there has also been the Petersfels Ice Age Park, a nature trail featuring trees, shrubs and grasses from the late Ice Age, around 15,000 years ago. The route then continues through the impressive valley and past Schmiedsberg towards the small town of Aach and the Aachquelle, Germany's largest karst spring, where today's stage ends. There, water bubbles up from the ground, flows into the Danube a few kilometres to the north, and then re-emerges at the Aachquelle after around 20 hours.
   
   
7. Next, we leave the small town of Aach via Ettenbergstraße, heading towards Volkertshausen. A few kilometres south, in Volkertshausen, we meet the small river again. It crosses the tranquil landscape as the Hegauer or Radolfzeller Aach, flowing into Lake Constance after 32 kilometres. The hike then continues along Langensteiner Straße into Volkertshausen, before heading back towards Beuren an der Aach along Hegaustraße. You will pass under the motorway and continue towards Steißlingen. As you continue, you will cross the Weitenried nature reserve and arrive in the village of Steißlingen, which has an idyllically situated lake perfect for a refreshing swim in summer.
   
   
8. Leave Steißlingen via Lange Straße heading towards Kirnberg, the ridge to the north of the village. At the car park there, turn left and follow the path through the cool forest towards Langenstein Castle. Home to the fascinating Carnival Museum, this castle is definitely worth a visit. The route then continues through the large castle gate, turning left towards Eigeltingen, our destination today.
   
   
9. The next stage of our journey will take us deeper into the northern part of the Hegau region. Leave Eigeltingen via Homberger Straße, heading towards Nenzingen. Initially, the route runs alongside a forest and through open fields, later leading you through the forest to Orsingen-Nenzingen. Tip: The local campsite offers affordable accommodation. The hike then continues past the foot of Nellenburg Mountain. Above Stockach, you can visit the Nellenburg castle ruins. Hardly any ruins remain to be seen there either. However, the view of Stockach, your next destination, is worth the short climb. The lovingly restored old town is home to many street cafés where you can relax and unwind at the end of the day.
   
   
10. Next, you will leave Stockach, passing Nellenburg Gymnasium on the Am Osterholz road towards Airach. You will soon enter the forest and reach the small village of Airach. Your next destination is the Laubegg Forest Lodge and the small hamlet of Laubegg. There, you will reach the next intermediate destination and turn towards Walpertsweiler. Pass through forests and fields, leave Walpertsweiler behind, then turn towards Mahlspüren in the valley.
    
    
11. The next stage of the journey will take you to the hills of northern Hegau. This is a completely different landscape to anything you have seen so far. While the previous landscape was characterised by volcanic mountains, this plateau has its own special charm all year round. Passing Neumühle, you will hike uphill through the forest to Hohenfels Castle, which dates from the second half of the 16th century. Today, the castle is home to the lower school of the renowned Salem boarding school. Continuing uphill, you will turn left towards Kalkofen after a short hike. There, you can cool off in the idyllic natural swimming pool. Leave the village heading for Liggersdorf, then turn towards the Schwackenreuter Lakes, a nature reserve second to none. This area is used by countless bird species as a stopover on their journey south. Hikers can also refresh themselves in the surrounding wetlands. One of the lakes formed by gravel extraction is open for swimming.
    
    
12. The hike then continues via Schwackenreute to Mühlingen. After passing through the village, the route continues across the rural plateau near Mühlingen. On our way down to Hoppetenzell, we encounter small farmsteads.
    
    
13. During the final stage of the 180 km Hegau hike, leave Hoppetenzell via Johanniterstraße, then turn right into Am Mühlbach. After passing the gravel pit, the route continues through the forest towards Burgtal. Another highlight of this stage is the Heidenhöhlen cave system near Zizenhausen, which is definitely worth a visit. From there, it's only a short distance to Stockach, where your impressive exploration of the Hegau region comes to an end.

If you are planning an overnight stay, please feel free to contact the tourist information offices of the individual municipalities along the route. We particularly recommend hiking through the Hegau in spring and autumn, when you will have the well-signposted hiking trails almost to yourself.