Karstlehrpfad Monheimer Alb

Useful Information

Location:	Karstlehrpfad: Parkplatz, Raiffeisenstraße 19, 86653 Monheim. Dolinenlehrpfad: Sportplatz Rögling, Römerstraße 31, 86703 Rögling. Between Monheim and Mülheim. (48.842741, 10.858041)
Open:	No restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Trail
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	Karstlehrpfad: L=16 km, VR=250 m, D=4 h. Dolinenlehrpfad: L=9 km, D=2.5 h.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Touristinformation Monheimer Alb, Marktplatz 23, 86653 Monheim, Tel: +49-9091-9091-51. info@monheimer-alb.de
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

2007	karst trail inaugurated.

Description

The Karstlehrpfad Monheimer Alb (Monheimer Alb karst nature trail) leads from Monheim to Mühlheim. The start is on the Alb plateau, the trail then leads past an abandoned quarry, the geotope Former Warching Quarry, through a dry valley down to the karst spring in Mühlheim. The typical course of the underground drainage of a karst area is hiked. Five information boards have been set up along the trail to explain the geological background.

The fact that the Gailach river flows above ground in Monheim is quite unusual for a karst area which is drained underground. It has its source near Kreuth, northwest of Monheim. In the further course, it receives several tributaries until it finally seeps away between Warching and Rögling. A dry valley leads to Mühlheim, where the water emerges again at the Schwammühle in a karst spring with a maximum flow rate of 1,000 l/s. The dry valley of the Gailach is not yet a real dry valley, as it carries water several times a year. After very heavy rainfall and when the snow melts, the swallow holes are not able to swallow all the water and the stream bed carries water again. This also explains why the lower part of the stream is also called Gailach. The connection was already obvious before the geological foundations were explored.

The hiking trail is not difficult, but at 16 km long it does require a certain level of fitness. It follows single lane farm roads from Monheim to Mühlheim, which means that you can also do this tour by bike. It is not a circular route, so if you don't want to return the same way, you should take appropriate precautions.

The area is located south of the Nördlinger Ries, a crater formed by the impact of a meteorite 14.5 million years ago. This extraordinary geotope has been managed by the Geopark Ries since 2006, which became a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2022. Naturally, this geopark focuses on the geology of the meteor crater rather than karst. However, the Geopark also offers guided hikes led by certified Geopark Ries nature and landscape guides. The karst hiking trail was opened in 2007, but is no longer mentioned on the Monheim homepage. The paths and signs are of course still there, the only problem is the lack of a brochure with a map. We have linked a private homepage below, which provides very detailed descriptions, maps and even the GPS coordinates for the trail.

Meanwhile, there is also a Dolinenweg (sinkhole trail) near Monheim that is 9 km long, about 2.5 hours. This is advertised on the homepage, and there is a map and GPS coordinates. The starting point is either the parking lot of the Rögling sports field, between Rögling and Tagmersheim, or the parking lot at the outdoor swimming pool in Tagmersheim. This is a circular hiking trail with a total of six way stations with information boards. Despite the name, the topics are more varied, Nördlinger Ries and Urmain, the quite unusual short streams that appear and disappear again and the various ponds in the area are quite unusual for a karst. Drinking water and waste water in karst areas are also explained.