Naturpark Obere Donau
Encyclopedia
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and encloses primarily the districts of Tuttlingen
Tuttlingen
Tuttlingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, capital of the district Tuttlingen. Nendingen, Möhringen and Eßlingen are three former municipalities that belong to Tuttlingen...
and Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district....
. Its size encompassed initially 860 km² that were increased by about 500 km² in 2005. The headquarter of the Naturpark (= nature reserve) association is based at Beuron
Beuron
Beuron is a municipality in the district of Sigmaringen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Beuron is known for the Beuron Archabbey and the Beuron Art School for religious art.Beuron is divided into subdistricts :* Hausen im Donautal* Langenbrunn* Neidingen...
. The highest proportion of the Naturpark is taken up by the Heuberg, the south-western plateau of the Swabian Alb
Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alps or Swabian Jura is a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km in width. It is named after the region of Swabia....
, and is punctuated by the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
.
Geography
Two small rivers, the BrigachBrigach
The Brigach is the shorter of two streams that jointly form the river Danube in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Brigach has its source at 925 metres above sea level within St. Georgen in the Black Forest. The Brigach crosses the city Villingen-Schwenningen. After 43 km from the source, Brigach...
and the Breg
Breg
Breg may refer to:* Breg , a river in Germany.* Breg a settlement in the Majšperk municipality in Slovenia.* Breg a settlement in the Mežica municipality in Slovenia.* Breg, Sevnica a settlement in the Sevnica municipality in Slovenia....
at the eastern border of the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
unite at Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar Kreis. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river Danube ....
to form the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
.
The Danube passes through the Upper Danube Nature Park between Immendingen
Immendingen
Immendingen is a town in the district of Tuttlingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
and Ertingen
Ertingen
Ertingen is a municipality in the district of Biberach in Upper Swabia, South Württemberg, Germany. Since the reform of 1975 it comprises Ertingen and the smaller communities, Erisdorf and Binzwangen, which had been independent before...
, its deep bed dug deep into the jurassic stone of the Swabian Alb
Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alps or Swabian Jura is a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km in width. It is named after the region of Swabia....
. In this break-through valley of the still narrow river mighty rocks like chalk rocks ("Kalkfelsen") are exposed: One of it is the "Knopfmacherfelsen" at Beuron
Beuron
Beuron is a municipality in the district of Sigmaringen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Beuron is known for the Beuron Archabbey and the Beuron Art School for religious art.Beuron is divided into subdistricts :* Hausen im Donautal* Langenbrunn* Neidingen...
.
Beuron with its Beuron Archabby lies in the middle of the attractive scenery of the nature reserve.
This break-through valley in the area of the Upper Danube is known as Danube Valley.
The upper part of the Danube passes through following cities: Tuttlingen
Tuttlingen
Tuttlingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, capital of the district Tuttlingen. Nendingen, Möhringen and Eßlingen are three former municipalities that belong to Tuttlingen...
, Mühlheim
Mühlheim an der Donau
Mühlheim an der Donau is a town in the district Tuttlingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
, Fridingen, Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district....
, Scheer
Scheer
-People:*Al Scheer , American Major League Baseball player*Andrew Scheer , Canadian politician*August-Wilhelm Scheer , German businessman*Christopher Scheer, American journalist, son of Robert Scheer...
and Mengen
Mengen, Germany
Mengen is a town in the district of Sigmaringen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 9 km southeast of Sigmaringen....
.
Immendingen
Immendingen is a town in the district of Tuttlingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
and to the south of Fridingen
Fridingen
Fridingen is a town in the district of Tuttlingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the Danube, 10 km east of Tuttlingen, and 23 km west of Sigmaringen....
.
Quite a number of forts and castles are sitting on top of numerous rocks on this stretch above the Danube. These are: Schloss Bronnen, Altwildenstein, Unterwildenstein, Wildensteiner Burg Hexenturm, Wildensteiner Burg Hahnenkamm, Burg Wildenstein
Burg Wildenstein (Leibertingen)
Burg Wildenstein , a fortified castle, built between 1200 - 1300 A.C. is situated above the Danube break-through at the Swabian Alb in Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
, Schloss Werenwag, Schloss Gutenstein (Gutenstein), Ruine Dietfurt, Gebrochen Gutenstein, Hohenzollernschloss Sigmaringen
Schloss Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen Castle was the princely castle and seat of government for the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Situated in the Swabian Alb region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, this castle dominates the skyline of the town of Sigmaringen...
, Schloss Bartelstein and Schloss Scheer.
In parallel with the Danube runs the Danube cycle track which leads from Donaueschingen to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The Danube valley railroad from Donaueschingen to Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
enables the visit of the nature reserve by train. Beside regular trains, the so-called nature reserve express train operates during summer months, especially for visitors of the nature reserve between Tuttlingen and Sigmaringen.
Tributaries to the Danube within the nature reserve are: from the south the Ablach and the Ostrach, and from the north the Bära
Bära
The Bära is a river in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Baden-Württemberg...
, the Schmeie (or Schmiecha
Schmiecha
Schmiecha is a river of Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
) and the Lauchert
Lauchert
The Lauchert is a river in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, left tributary of the Danube. Its source is near Sonnenbühl, in the Swabian Alb. It is approx. 56 km long. It flows generally south through the small towns Gammertingen, Veringenstadt and Bingen. It flows into the Danube in Sigmaringendorf....
.