Hegauer Kegelspiel – Stetten Panorama Trail

"Under the logo "Hegauer Kegelspiel" various premium hiking trails between 7 and 15 km long are marked through the wonderful landscape of the Hegau volcanic cones. The circular hiking trail "Stettener Panoramaweg" at the Hegaublick above the exemplary restored and worth seeing town of Engen presents a Hegau panorama in various constellations. When visibility is good, the impressive volcanic landscape rises in front of Lake Constance with the backdrop of the Alps. The volcanic cones Hohenstoffeln, Hohenhewen, Mägdeberg, Hohenkrähen and Hohentwiel can be seen from here, as if lined up on a string of pearls. On the hike you come across the Neuhewen castle ruins, popularly known as the "Stettener Schlössle". The castle was built in the 13th century. The castle was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War. Since the 18th century, the castle ruins have belonged to the Fürstenberg family. In the 19th century, the ruins were used for mining. of building materials. The ruin is in danger of collapsing and cannot and must not be entered." Source: https://www.radolfzell-tourismus.de/touren/hegauer-kegelspiel-stettener-panoramaweg-bd8d0b8abd Experience score: 59 points; Distance: 7.7km; Paths/narrow paths: 11% Beautiful hiking trail that shines with its views - ideally with a clear view. Now in spring, the variety of spring flowers is also impressive.

Beautiful and promising circular hike, often on natural paths. Appropriate shoes are recommended when wet.

An autumnal phenomenon often occurs here at the lake, which I was able to take full advantage of for my morning walk with Hope today. While a thick blanket of fog hangs over the entire lake area, and the Danube, another typical fog-prone region, also affects a large area north of the lake, individual Hegau mountains and the high ridge at the Hegaublick viewpoint often rise like islands in the sun from the sea of fog. Above Engen, in the direction of Donaueschingen, you can discover the Stetten Panorama Trail, which is particularly well-suited to weather conditions like today's. It circles the village of Stetten along mostly sunny paths and offers magnificent views of the Hegau mountains and, at times, even the Alps. The trail itself isn't spectacular or particularly noteworthy. Rather, it scores points in weather conditions like today with its fantastic views and sunshine amidst the gray, foggy monotony.

Beautiful circular route, not too strenuous and there are several rest stops. If the weather is right, you can get some great views of the Hegau mountains and possibly the Alps. I would just change the direction next time. I had the feeling that you had a lot of beautiful views behind you. And in the 5.4 km area, the route is a bit more difficult due to fallen trees. Nothing dramatic, but you should be a relatively good walker. Starting point: hikers' car park at Hegaublick (not restaurant car park)

Parking: Restaurant and Hotel Hegaustern https://www.bodenseewest.eu/touren/hegauer-kegelspiel-stettener-panoramaweg-bd8d0b8abd

ᵂᴱᴿᴮᵁᴺᴳ On the western side of Lake Constance lies the Hegau, a very special region with a fascinating geological history: About 14 million years ago, the Hegau conical hills were still active volcanoes, spewing fire, before being eroded by glaciers during the Ice Age, acquiring their striking current shape. With heights between 643 and 867 meters, they stand out from the landscape and are visible from afar. One of the best vantage points over this landscape is the Hegaublick near Stetten – and this is exactly where my hike to the highest cone begins: Neuhewen, at 867 meters. For this tour, I'm following the Stetten Panorama Trail – and it certainly lives up to its name. It's not far from the starting point of the hike to the summit. The trail leads primarily through forest, with nettles growing quite densely on the left and right in places, leaving just enough space for a hiker (or even one hiker 😉). The summit is completely wooded, but at the highest point are castle ruins, which are fenced off and cannot be explored further. This is one of many in the region – the Hegau region is one of the regions with the most castles and palaces in all of Germany. I hike back down through the forest for a bit, and the rest of the route then takes me in a wide arc, mostly along field and meadow paths around the village of Stetten. Grasses and ears of corn blow gently in the breeze, a lone tractor makes its way along its tracks, two red kites always trailing behind it. And all this is accompanied by a constant, expansive view of the landscape. It's a truly beautiful loop with many natural trails, where the summit of Neuhewen plays almost a secondary role. And at the start/finish point, there are two places to stop for refreshments with the best views from the terrace, where I can wait for the next bus with a large portion of fries. ---------- 🥾 Continue hiking: The "Hegauer Kegelspiel" combines ten premium hiking trails between 7 and 30 km in length // https://www.bodenseewest.eu/de/erleben/aktiv/wandern/premiumwanderwege-hegauer-kegelspiel

The start - and at the same time the highlight of this round - is at the Gasthaus Hegaustern above Engen. From here you have a wonderful view of the Hegau. The further way is to be considered more or less as an encore. You won't get a more spectacular view anywhere else on it. But first things first! A few parking spaces at the inn are designated as hiking parking spaces, otherwise you can park on the opposite side of the street in a hiking parking space. The path first leads into the forest and slightly uphill to the Neuhewen ruins. There is not much to discover here. A construction fence blocks off the entire area and the hiking trail leads back out of the forest. The path now continues along the edge of the forest. The wings of three wind turbines greet you from the hilltop, but they soon disappear behind the ridge. Otherwise, a wide cultural landscape with fields and meadows can be seen. Stetten is on the left. The path now runs in an arc around this place to return on the opposite side. I like it because of the morning atmosphere, which conjures up warm light and long shadows. A path concept, on the other hand, is not really accessible to me. Certainly the views are quite nice and some sections of the trail are also really beautiful. However, what qualifies the path as a premium hiking trail is not entirely clear to me. Shortly after Stetten, the path changes sides of the valley again and below the wooded hill that hides the Neuhewen ruins, the path leads back to the starting point. Conclusion. Very nice due to the morning mood, otherwise without any special highlights.

A short loop around Stetten, starting at the Hegaublick WP. From there, up to Neuhewen and to the "Stettener Schlössle" ruins. Then through forests and meadows, with Stetten and the volcanic cones almost always in view. It was too hazy today for a nice panorama, though. Finally, a coffee at the Hegaublick.