The Adventure of Geology
The entire Swabian Alb is basically one single geological theme park
Where else in this day and age can you experience 200 million years of the various epochs and phenomena of Earth history so directly and in such variety? In a Hollywood film or a Jules Verne novel, perhaps, but most certainly when you take a trip to the Swabian Alb, that low range of mountains at the heart of Baden-Württemberg and Europe. Just a few kilometres to the south-east of Stuttgart, the state capital, a veritable “Jurassic Park” opens up for the visitor, where, millions of years ago, real saurians and veritable sea monsters up to 18 metres in length splashed around, together with huge cuttlefish, crocodile, pterosaurs and colonies of sea lilies. Like a speeded-up film, the Swabian Alb gives you at first hand an exciting and intelligible introduction on the evolution of the Earth, from the Triassic to the present day.
Swabian Alb – the Earth’s history experienced live
Climb to the top of a Swabian volcano, which has been peacefully dormant for millions of years. Make your way through the wild Danube gorge with its craggy cliffs, on foot, by bike, by canoe or on the national park express. Rest in the Bärenhöhle cave like a Stone Age hunter, or make your own Stone Age tools in the Prehistoric Museum at Blaubeuren. Take a trip to the underworld: Wasseralfingen’s demonstration mine, the only subterranean river in Germany open to the public, or the marvellous world of caves. See how the Danube, one of Europe’s mightiest rivers, simply disappears near Immendingen. Look for your own ammonites in Holzmaden, or for a fossilized sponge on the Alb. Discover a sea cliff on dry land, with the holes made by boring clams 60 million years ago.
Lower Jurassic - Sun, sea and saurians
Almost 200 million years ago, the area of south Germany that is now dominated by the Swabian Alb was covered by a sea – the Jurassic Sea. With the exception of a few islands, all of Europe was covered by this sea for approx. 50 million years… It was tropically warm. During the Lower Jurassic epoch between 208 ans 180 million years ago, dark limestone, clays, marl and oil-shale were deposited on the Alb. Fossils from this period can be seen in Urweltmuseum Hauff and Werkforum Dotternhausen.
Middle Jurassic - The Alb’s feet of clay
During the Middle Jurassic, between 180 and 150 million years ago, fine-grained clays were deposited, with intermediate layers of limestone and iron oolites. Iron ore has been quarried near Aalen and Geislingen/Steige. Ulm Cathedral was built using Middle Jurassic stone.
Upper Jurassic - Sea coast and juniper scrub
The strata of the Upper Jurassic, formed between 159 and 144 million years ago, are mainly white limestone. The picturesque cliffs on the Alb slopes originate from this epoch, made up of countless remains of shells and lime secretions from sponges, seaweed and corals.
Karstification - Where water and stones disappear
Karstification is the name for the chemical weathering of pervious limestone: rainwater absorbs CO2 , becomes acid and dissolves the limestone, cracks and fissures develop, surface water seeps away and drains away underground. This led and leads to the formation of extensive networks of caves inside the Swabian Alb, or means that the Danube simply disappears near Immendingen…
Tertiary - Volcanoes erupt, meteorites strike
After 50 million years, the Jurassic Sea receded, and the Alb became emerged land. Only a few traces from the Cretaceous and early Tertiary have been preserved. However, the volcanic eruptions that can still be recognized in the region’s physical geography occurred during this time. Within approx. 40 km radius of Kirchheim and Bad Urach, there are 350 volcanic vents.
Quaternary - Of mammoth ivory and reindeer hunters
Roughly 700,000 years ago, homo sapiens appeared on the Alb. Some of the caves inhabited by Stone Age dwellers can be visited near Blaubeuren, in the valleys leading to the Danube and in the Danube valley itself. A sculpture more than 30,000 years old was discovered here, the world’s oldest work of art.
Where else in this day and age can you experience 200 million years of the various epochs and phenomena of Earth history so directly and in such variety? In a Hollywood film or a Jules Verne novel, perhaps, but most certainly when you take a trip to the Swabian Alb, that low range of mountains at the heart of Baden-Württemberg and Europe. Just a few kilometres to the south-east of Stuttgart, the state capital, a veritable “Jurassic Park” opens up for the visitor, where, millions of years ago, real saurians and veritable sea monsters up to 18 metres in length splashed around, together with huge cuttlefish, crocodile, pterosaurs and colonies of sea lilies. Like a speeded-up film, the Swabian Alb gives you at first hand an exciting and intelligible introduction on the evolution of the Earth, from the Triassic to the present day.
Swabian Alb – the Earth’s history experienced live
Climb to the top of a Swabian volcano, which has been peacefully dormant for millions of years. Make your way through the wild Danube gorge with its craggy cliffs, on foot, by bike, by canoe or on the national park express. Rest in the Bärenhöhle cave like a Stone Age hunter, or make your own Stone Age tools in the Prehistoric Museum at Blaubeuren. Take a trip to the underworld: Wasseralfingen’s demonstration mine, the only subterranean river in Germany open to the public, or the marvellous world of caves. See how the Danube, one of Europe’s mightiest rivers, simply disappears near Immendingen. Look for your own ammonites in Holzmaden, or for a fossilized sponge on the Alb. Discover a sea cliff on dry land, with the holes made by boring clams 60 million years ago.
Lower Jurassic - Sun, sea and saurians
Almost 200 million years ago, the area of south Germany that is now dominated by the Swabian Alb was covered by a sea – the Jurassic Sea. With the exception of a few islands, all of Europe was covered by this sea for approx. 50 million years… It was tropically warm. During the Lower Jurassic epoch between 208 ans 180 million years ago, dark limestone, clays, marl and oil-shale were deposited on the Alb. Fossils from this period can be seen in Urweltmuseum Hauff and Werkforum Dotternhausen.
Middle Jurassic - The Alb’s feet of clay
During the Middle Jurassic, between 180 and 150 million years ago, fine-grained clays were deposited, with intermediate layers of limestone and iron oolites. Iron ore has been quarried near Aalen and Geislingen/Steige. Ulm Cathedral was built using Middle Jurassic stone.
Upper Jurassic - Sea coast and juniper scrub
The strata of the Upper Jurassic, formed between 159 and 144 million years ago, are mainly white limestone. The picturesque cliffs on the Alb slopes originate from this epoch, made up of countless remains of shells and lime secretions from sponges, seaweed and corals.
Karstification - Where water and stones disappear
Karstification is the name for the chemical weathering of pervious limestone: rainwater absorbs CO2 , becomes acid and dissolves the limestone, cracks and fissures develop, surface water seeps away and drains away underground. This led and leads to the formation of extensive networks of caves inside the Swabian Alb, or means that the Danube simply disappears near Immendingen…
Tertiary - Volcanoes erupt, meteorites strike
After 50 million years, the Jurassic Sea receded, and the Alb became emerged land. Only a few traces from the Cretaceous and early Tertiary have been preserved. However, the volcanic eruptions that can still be recognized in the region’s physical geography occurred during this time. Within approx. 40 km radius of Kirchheim and Bad Urach, there are 350 volcanic vents.
Quaternary - Of mammoth ivory and reindeer hunters
Roughly 700,000 years ago, homo sapiens appeared on the Alb. Some of the caves inhabited by Stone Age dwellers can be visited near Blaubeuren, in the valleys leading to the Danube and in the Danube valley itself. A sculpture more than 30,000 years old was discovered here, the world’s oldest work of art.
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