The moment is perfect: clear line of fire. Shh, quiet now! The creature doesn't move an inch. Just stands there, completely still, not moving. Take a run-up, stop. And bang! All my strength in my right arm! My spear hurls towards its unsuspecting target. Bounces against the mighty body. Clatters to the ground. The massive woolly rhino remains unmoved. No wonder. It's made of sheet metal. Just like the whole herd right in front of us.
Ingeborg Schestag grins: "Not bad for the, er, was it your fourth attempt?" Stone Age hunting needs to be learnt. That's exactly what we're doing right now: experiencing for ourselves what life must have felt like in the Stone Age. Archaeology you can touch. This is what the Vogelherd Archaeopark, located in an idyllic river valley in the Swabian Alb, is all about. You can learn how to throw a spear or light a fire here. With rubbing sticks. Just like the ancient Stone Age Swabians once did. I swap my cycling gear for archaeologically correct clothing: a smock and hat made of warm, musty reindeer fur. Exciting, but not a good idea for more than a short walk: the stuff is itchy on the skin. And the seams sewn roughly from dried gut are breathable, if at all.
Conveniently, the theme park is located directly on the cycle route that we have been following for two days through the Swabian Alb: The Albtäler cycle path leads in four daily stages over 190 kilometres once in a large circle through Germany's largest karst mountain range in the southwest. A visit to the Unesco World Heritage Site "Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Jura" is of course just as much a must as spaetzle with lentils and strong beer. Absolutely ...
You can find the complete Swabian Alb travel report with all the information in MYBIKE 1/2022 or as a PDF download below the article.
The most beautiful pictures of the Albtäler cycle path
Tour character of the Albtäler cycle path
Albtäler-Radweg - sounds nice and flat! But far from it: the official 190-kilometre cycle route leads through eight valleys in the Swabian Jura. And where there are valleys, there are naturally also mountains in between that need to be crossed. The climbs add up to a total of almost 2,000 metres in altitude, but the four-star ADFC-certified route also reveals the varied topography of Germany's largest karst mountain range: the bizarre rocky landscapes formed by countless rivers and streams, mysterious caves, wide plateaus, river valleys and a fossilised primeval sea cliff.
"You have to be very careful on the Alb - not to eat too many treats. Fortunately, the Alb Valley cycle path is not too difficult." Patrick Kunkel, MYBIKE travel author
The route leads through nature reserves, idyllic juniper heaths and orchards. Cosy places to stop for refreshments and many sights await you in quaint villages and towns, such as the famous Ice Age art caves in the prehistoric Lone Valley, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The fully signposted circular route starts in Amstetten. You can cycle the tour comfortably in four stages, but you can also choose more leisurely or more sporty sections - no problem thanks to the many accommodation options along the route. The paths are mostly asphalted, with some particularly cosy sections, such as in the Lone Valley, leading over natural surfaces that are easy to cycle on. There is a variant without gravel for racing cyclists.
GPX data
You can download the GPX track for the cycle tour across the Swabian Alb download here free of charge:
or find it in the MYBIKE Collection on komoot
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