Experiencing Nature TogetherStargazing in the Swabian Alb

This vast area in the heart of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve is unique: for more than 100 years - from 1895 to 2005 - it was a restricted military area. During this time, no settlements or major roads were built on an area the size of 10,000 soccer pitches. So you can experience a piece of nature that is rich in species, vast, quiet and quite dark at night. Since there is still a lot of ammunition suspected in the area, you must stay on the trails, and dogs must be kept on a leash.

Large Trail Network

Hiking and Biking in the Military Training Area

Would you prefer to visit the former military training area during the day? Then we recommend a hike or bike ride along the 35-kilometer trail network. Along the way, you will not only see the hard-working land conservationists - lots of sheep - but with a bit of luck, rare species such as the whinchat, woodlark or spring gentian. Time and again, you will pass lookouts with stunning views.

Like the stargazing spot, the campsite is located in the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. In this traditional cultural landscape, people try to live in peaceful coexistence with nature. The Hopfenburg also operates sustainably. Here, everything happens at a leisurely pace and yet - or perhaps because of this? - time flies by for the family. At some point, the parents look at the clock in amazement. It's time to light the wood at the fire pit between the tipis. The bread dough has already come out well...

The three youngsters are still nibbling on the last toasted bread when their parents take their headlamps out of the tent at around 8.30pm. Now it's off by car to the stargazing spot about half an hour away. Till Credner is already waiting for the family. After a short introduction, the small group walks in the twilight to the former military training area. After dark, the guests and the stargazing guide gaze reverently into the sky, searching for the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia and the Summer Triangle with the Swan, Lyre and Eagle.

The guests have many questions about the origins and mysteries of the universe. And they want to know from Till Credner about the problems caused by light pollution. "Insects lose their orientation," he explains, and a clear day-night rhythm is also important for humans, for body and soul. Everyone feels better when there is less artificial light. Logically, the headlights stay off later. The family tries to let the stars guide them to the parking lot. Once there, everyone is allowed to look through Till Credner's telescope: How beautiful it is, the Milky Way above the Swabian Alb...

More Information

www.sternenpark-schwaebische-alb.de

www.biosphaerengebiet-alb.de

www.hofgut-hopfenburg.de

www.swabianalb.info

For Elias, Ida, Alma and their parents, their time in nature began in the afternoon. Because it's his father's birthday, they are all spending a weekend together in the Swabian Alb, and the overnight stay is not booked in a hotel but in a tipi at Hofgut Hopfenburg. In addition to glamping accommodation and RV sites, this unusual, colorful campsite also has animals. And plenty of space to run around and play in the countryside.

The family has quickly stowed their sleeping bags and backpacks into the spacious tent. Now the children are playing a game of soccer. And the parents are drinking coffee at the wooden table in front of the tipi. Behind the tent, the Hopfenburg's forest sheep graze in a meadow orchard, separated from the campsite only by a fence. Later, we briefly visit the two Poitou donkeys. The heart of the Hopfenburg is a farm dedicated to the conservation of endangered animal breeds. In addition to the forest sheep and Poitou donkeys, the farm is also home to Hinterwald cattle.

Tipi Packing List

The large tipis at the Hofgut Hopfenburg Campsite can accommodate up to four people. There are single beds with mattresses inside.

Here Are 6 Things You Need for an Overnight Stay in the Tipi

Sleeping bag and small pillow

Towels

Headlamp, preferably also with a red light for the stargazing tour

Bathing slippers for the shower rooms at the campsite

Ingredients for an evening meal, possibly bread dough or barbecue food for the fire pit. You can book breakfast at the campsite in advance.

Don't forget insect repellent - the tent has no mosquito net

Outdoor play equipment and board games as required

When it comes to celestial activity, star guide Till Credner’s passion is immediately apparent. “I’m always fascinated by the natural environment out here and the fact that the infinite expanse of space can be seen with the naked eye,” enthuses the amateur astronomer.

It is still light, but dusk has already descended. Elias, Ida, and Alma stand with their parents at the stargazing place in Zainingen listening to the exciting stories being told by Credner, a physics teacher and volunteer at the Swabian Alb Star Park. He’s about to take the family on a hike over to the former military training area in Münsingen and explain the summer star constellation.