Lucky, lucky me. Today I’m checking out the town of Deggingen, a name that somehow doesn’t flow all that easy from an English speaking tongue, but it sure is easy on the eyes. How could it not, when it’s on the Schwäbischen Albstraße? Oh yes, another one of those German words that doesn’t come off easy English — so we’ll just call it the Swabian Alb Route.
Would you look at that, not even a paragraph in — and we’re already hit up a beautiful scenic route. And while not technically part of a Roman themed scenic route, Deggingen lies in an area that’s known as the Alblimes. It’s all because of its Kastell Deggingen, a Roman fort from around the first century A.D., but somehow remained hidden until the 1970s.
The town’s more modern and industrial history is found at the Heimatstube, a local history museum (that’s only open on the first Wednesday of the month) with exhibits on household, farming, and industry.
This, my friends, is the only acceptable time to be indoors. Grab your most comfortable shoes, then get outside. There are seven marked hiking trails, which you can do from just over an hour, to maybe three hours. Not a bad way to fill an afternoon, ya know.
Biking is popular in the Swabian Alb, and the Filstalroute has got to be one of the best. It’s a doozy — a whopping 67 kilometers, so be sure to take provisions.
Not me, I’m taking a horseback ride. Then I’ve got to finish it up with a hot air balloon ride over the countryside. This seems to be exceptionally popular, so you better call ahead for reservations.
Although you might want to hold off on the balloon ride if one of Deggingen’s festivals is going on. The May Market is fun, as are all the Carnival festivities. It wouldn’t be right to miss out on all the Village Festival fun (in September), while the kids might prefer the Children’s Festival in July.
If that’s too loud for you, then maybe you’ll want to take a quiet walk along the Franziskuspfad, a walk dedicated to the Canticle of St. Francis of Assisi — a religious song praising God for nature.
That sure does seem fitting here in this idyllic landscape, don’t ya think?
