On the edge of the famous Swabian Alb is the town of Langenau. There’s more than enough here to keep you entertained for more than a day, so be prepared to stay a while.
This town of some 14,000 residents on the River Nau, is also centrally located to neighboring Bavaria as well as the cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm.
If you’re looking for great area museums, you’ll find plenty in the region. The Ulmer Museum has many great exhibits on Swabian arts and crafts, as well as archaeological finds from the Alb (Swabia has its own unique culture onto itself).
Not so much a museum, but just the Langenau archives you’ll find a collection of over 2000 pictures of the town in yesteryear, but only open on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. The kids might prefer a trip over to Legoland instead though (in nearby Günzburg).
The most unique of all the museums is the Lonetal Museum, where you’ll find thousands of years of history under one roof. Check out the 32,000 year old lion figurine and see how this area was once the stomping grounds of animals like the cave lion or woolly mammoth during the last ice age. But, actually the entire Lonetal is a living breathing natural environment and that’s the best museum of them all.
The town’s landmark, however, is the Martinskirche. This church was an evolving work of art from the 14th through 18th centuries.
The Swabian countryside is another work of art and is just brilliant here in Langenau. In fact, Langenau is probably best explored outside, like the Langenauer Ried filled with indigenous plants and animals. There are even natural caves that are just waiting to be discovered.
If that’s not your ballgame, there’s miniature golfing, swimming (indoor and outdoor pool), a sauna, hiking, cycling and jogging trails, inline roller skating, and great mountain roads for anyone brave enough to hop on a motorcycle.
At least you won’t have to worry about a wholly mammoth crossing the road. ;-)
