Hohenurachsteig – Grafensteige premium hiking trails

Hiking trails & Routes

Hohenurachsteig – Grafensteige premium hiking trails

Moderate

4.7

(239)

883

hikers

Hohenurachsteig – Grafensteige premium hiking trails

02:42

8.06km

350m

Hiking

The Hohenurachsteig is a master at showing hikers the most beautiful sides of the UNESCO Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. A variety of paths take you from one promising rock to the next. And at the end a proud piece of history awaits you.

You can also get ready for a sporty climb right at the start of the hike: from Bad Urachs train station you go up to the Hanner Felsen. And there is not just one, not two, but three of them. Each one - the front, middle and rear - rewards you for the strenuous climb with some unique views over the city and the hilly landscape of the Swabian Alb. And so you basically hop from one Hanner rock to the next until you finally reach narrow forest paths and a meadow path.

The next viewpoint is not far: you reach the Eppenzill rock, from where you can see the Urach waterfall and the Hohenurach castle ruins in the distance. The latter must also be admired up close. That's why you now descend on a narrow path along the edge of the slope, passing the Kreuzhütte with a barbecue area and a little later climbing over a saddle to the Schlossberg, where the Hohenurach castle ruins are enthroned. Take your time, because up here there are numerous nooks and crannies that want to be explored - not to mention the fascinating views. When you're ready, you can walk comfortably back to your starting point.

by Bad Urach Tourismus

Last updated: April 24, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Geopark Schwäbische Alb

Waypoints

Start point

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1.45 km

View of Bad Urach from Vorderer Hanner Fels

Highlight • Viewpoint

The efforts of the steep ascent from Bad Urach are rewarded here with a great view.

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1.87 km

View of Bad Urach from Mittlerer Hannerfels

Highlight • Viewpoint

From here you have a great view of Bad Urach. A shelter is available.

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2.20 km

View from Hinterer Hanner Fels

Highlight • Viewpoint

After the climb, which mostly leads through dense beech forest, which is very beautiful in the golden autumn thanks to the colorful foliage everywhere, the view from the northern Hanner Felsen (707 meters) is surprisingly expansive. The Hohen Urach fortress ruins (692 meters) are almost within reach, separated only by the Seltbachtal. The town lies in the Erms valley and opposite the Eichhalde ridge limits our view.

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4.20 km

Eppenzilfelsen Viewpoint

Highlight • Viewpoint

From here you have a beautiful view through the Maisental valley, to the Hohen Urach castle ruins and into the Ermstal valley; diagonally opposite, you have a view of the impressive wall of the Rutschenfelsen. A comfortable "lounge bench" invites you to enjoy the view.

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5.87 km

Hohenurach Castle Ruins

Highlight • Castle

A really large ruin complex of the former Hohenurach prison fortress. The Urach waterfall can be seen and heard from there. There are still some rooms, cellars, dungeons, and open spaces to explore here, and the ruin is definitely worth a detour. Until 2024, the castle ruins will still be renovated in four construction phases. However, only a very small part is always enclosed in scaffolding, which does not detract from the experience of the castle. We found it exceptionally beautiful and interesting. The spiral staircases are often very small and narrow, so you should wear clothing that can also get a bit dirty. Otherwise, everything is very accessible.

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8.06 km

End point

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

3.57 km

3.37 km

899 m

189 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

3.59 km

2.10 km

1.72 km

468 m

166 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (750 m)

Lowest point (470 m)

Weather

Wednesday 14 October

18°C

3°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

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Comments

July 16, 2023,Grafensteige - Hohenurachsteig und Stadtrundgang Bad Urach

Beautiful views from the Hanner Felsen, plus the fascinating Hohenurach castle ruins and exciting nature. The whole thing coupled with a small city tour through the late medieval Bad Urach results in an all-round successful excursion.
As a reward, there was an ice cream.

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April 30, 2025,Wanderung 7/2025; Grafensteige Bad Urach; b) Hohenurachsteig

Unfortunately, today I had to head back home. Before that, I wanted to hike another of the "Grafensteige" trails. I had actually planned to do that yesterday, but the severe muscle soreness from Monday's hike kept me from doing so, so I spent the day in Bad Urach and the thermal baths instead.
Although today's hike is listed as only …

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April 12, 2025,Hohenurachsteig - Grafensteig Bad Urach

Our 4th Grafensteig Trail in Bad Urach 😀

We start our 4th Grafensteig Trail – the Hohenurachsteig – at the P+R parking lot in Bad Urach near the train station. With some steep climbs, we climb the Vorderer Hanner Felsen (front Hanner Rock) and enjoy the view of Bad Urach. We hike along the ridge on a wonderful forest path …

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September 1, 2024,Hohenurachsteig

The hikers' car park is free. As far as I could see, there were no toilets and no water. You should be in good shape for the first climb, and even more so for the second to the castle ruins. The trail down to the ascent to the ruins is also quite challenging. Good footwear and a good tread are …

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June 10, 2024,Outdoor Hochgenuss - Fotoerkundungswanderung auf dem Hohenurachsteig

On July 21, 2024, Thomas will be going on a photo workshop tour here:
das-abenteuer-fotografie.de/fotowanderung-bad-urach-hohenurachsteig

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February 1, 2026,Hohenurachsteig – Premiumwanderwege Grafensteige

When Saturday is fully booked, Sunday is the perfect day for a short hike. No sooner said than done, and I headed to Bad Urach. My main destination was the Hohen Urach castle ruins. I noticed they're located on the Urach Hohensteig trail, which I then followed. The trail leads over the Hanna Rocks, offering a beautiful view of the …

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February 5, 2025,PWW Grafensteige: Hohenurachsteig

I actually wanted to do the Hochbergsteig today, but the beginning was already closed off with signs indicating forestry work 🚫.
So I changed my plans and set my sights on the Hohenurachsteig. The challenging climb at the beginning was rewarded with numerous viewpoints on the edge of the slope. And the Hohenurach castle ruins were of course the highlight …

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February 27, 2022,Hohenurachsteig Bad Urach

Variant of the Hohenurachsteig
- End along the street despite the original route!

Start finish:
Parking P + R main station
maps.app.goo.gl/Xw9ja2wX3ENsh39M8

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February 16, 2023

The Hohenurachsteig is a master at showing hikers the most beautiful sides of the UNESCO Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve. A variety of paths take you from one promising rock to the next. And at the end a proud piece of history awaits you.
﻿
You can also get ready for a sporty climb right at the start of the

Translated by Google •