Within the rustic Swabian Alb is Gerstetten. It’s a town of history, of a proud culture, and some pretty good eats. OK, that’s a misnomer — it’s a place of really great eats! ;-)
The largest of Gerstetten’s sixteen villages is Gerstetten Proper itself, the other villages combined barely equal the population of just that one village alone. But, not all of what’s to see can be found there. All the better to get out and see them.
Believe it or not, Gerstetten lies on what was once a prehistoric seabed (pretty cool, huh?). At the Geo Park Swabian Alb, you’ll learn plenty about the region’s geological history.
A really fun way to see the town is to hop on the Long Local Railway that runs from Gerstetten to Amstetten. What kid doesn’t love a train ride? During certain times of the year, the Ulmer Railway Friends get together and have everyone take rides on old historical railway cars.
For a further back period of history, you can always visit the ruins of Burg Falkenstein (not Frankenstein ;-) in the hamlet of Dettingen. The castle had a good run, it was built in the 12th century and used for more than 400 years before it was destroyed in 1634.
Just about a century and a half later, the town of Gerstetten built the gorgeous St. Michael’s Church.
Now, it’s time to eat. Sure, the typical Swabian Alb food tastes really yummy and is something not to be missed.
When you’ve had your fill of everything else, go over to the Hungerbrunnen and relax in the warm thermal waters (given they do spring). As if the food isn’t reason enough to come to the Alb region.
