TrÜP Tour: "Wild Nature and Tree Stories" in Gorge Forest and Pastureland

Wild Nature and Tree Stories Full-day hike, 9 km This hike takes you through a core zone of the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve and across the rugged, off-limits northwestern section of the former Münsingen military training area. We begin our hike in the wild Brucktal valley with its protected forest, which allows us to experience a variety of biotopes: hillside and ravine forests, riparian forests with tall herbaceous vegetation, boulder fields, and scree slopes. We come across a mushroom that can be used to make hats or start a fire—and that can even spin. Finally, we realize what trees have to do with churches and what our gut bacteria have to do with tree lichens. Then we head up to the Dolldorf heights, into the restricted area of the military training area, where a completely different, barren landscape awaits us. A bit of the cultural and military history of the training area is, of course, also part of the experience if one wants to understand the site’s original natural state. We find rare plants of the calcareous grasslands and encounter huge, ancient trees. Here we also learn about the symbiotic relationship between ants and butterflies and get to know the humpbacked relatives. We enjoy the silence and seclusion of the place, accompanied only by the wind and birdsong. In the distance, our gaze falls upon a former outpost of Bebenhausen Monastery, where whiskey is distilled today. Perhaps we’ll also encounter sheep with Spanish ancestors. Then we head down into the Katzental valley with its ravine forest and, after crossing the tank ring, over to the upper part of the Brucktal valley. Here, with dry feet, we encounter the remnants of the Jurassic Sea and the site where two children’s skeletons were found in an ancient cave. Their souls are guarded by ravens. Saturated with impressions, we hike back to the starting point in the Fischburg Valley. And these are just a few of the attractions, big and small, that we’ll experience on this hike! **Requirements**: sturdy footwear, sure-footedness, weather-appropriate clothing, long pants, possibly rain/sun protection, a seat pad, bring your own drinks and food, snack break outdoors along the way **Additional info:** Total length of the tour 9 km, total elevation gain 140 m. **Registration** **required** at least 24 hours before the tour starts, directly with the guide.