Visit three highlights: Steiff Museum, Knight’s Castle and Drip Stone Cave “Charlottenhöhle”
On a sunny summer’s day, an ASSIST group set off on an excursion to Giengen on the East of “Schwäbische Alb”.
Giengen is the birthplace of Margarete Steiff. She and her nephew Richard are known as the creators of the famous Steiff teddy bear.
Visiting the Steiff Museum is like taking a dreamlike trip back to childhood. The international group learnt about the teddy bear story and saw many exhibits. They also had the opportunity to hug huge bears, tame tigers and even ride elephants!
And the shop was certainly a challenge to everybody not to stress their budgets too much!
Kaltenburg – a Knight’s Castle
The tour continued by bus a few kilometres to the “Kaltenburg”, an old castle which is being wonderfully restored by a private initiative! The group learnt about the medieval times and could see and feel the heavy armament of the knights of that time. Built 900 years ago, Kaltenburg Castle reached its heyday in the 15th century. Since 2014, a private initiative has been fundraising and rebuilding parts of the castle with great dedication. A surprise awaits in the tower: knight’s armour and medieval weapons that you can touch.
Charlottenhöhle – Drip Stone Cave
From Kaltenburg Castle it is only a short hike to the Charlottenhöhle. At 587 metres long, the Charlottenhöhle is the longest accessible stalactite cave in the Swabian Alb. It was discovered in early 1893 and opened to the public just a few months later by Queen Charlotte of Württemberg. The cave has a mysterious and pristine appearance, bringing prehistoric times within reach. Over approx. 3.5 million years, the corridors and halls have been adorned with an array of stunning stalactites. The first mammals known to have lived in the cave were cave bears. The guides can make you feel as if the bears were patrolling the cave just a few hundred years ago — perhaps this is where the idea for the teddy bear originated.
