Fürsten-Route

1 Kirchdorf is one of the most important medieval church sites between the Black Forest and Lake Constance. This is evidenced by the excavations of the State Monument Office in the church of St. Martin from 1978 to 1982. According to this, there was already a house of worship there around 600. For the successor church, the name St. Martin and the foundation by the Frankish kings (probably already at the beginning of the 9th century) are evidenced by a document from 888 (photo in the entrance of the church).

2 The Magdalenenberg southwest of Villingen, the largest burial mound in Central Europe, was first targeted by an excavation in 1890 as an alleged witches' meeting place and treasure trove. Scientists found a Celtic princely tomb but were disappointed to find it had been plundered by grave robbers. 80 years later, archaeologist Konrad Spindler, known for the glacier mummy at Hauslabjoch ('Ötzi'), again disturbed the prince's resting place. The German Research Foundation project left no stone unturned and found 126 secondary burials with rich grave goods in the mound. The burial chamber, dated to 616 BC, is the largest Hallstatt-period wooden find in Central Europe and can now be viewed in the Franciscan Museum. In addition, numerous exhibits offer fascinating insights into the life of a culture without writing: amulets and baby rattles, razors and nail clippers testify to the continuity of basic human needs.

3 At an altitude of 720 – 880 m between Wolfbach and Wieselsbach lies Pfaffenweiler. The nature reserves Tannenhörnle and Plattenmoos with rare flora and fauna, the Celtic burial mound at Magdalenenberg, and forests surround the place.

4 Tannheim is the southernmost district of Villingen-Schwenningen. The traditional holiday resort offers visitors a healthy climate and diverse recreational opportunities, including a volunteer-run outdoor swimming pool. The Plattenmoos landscape protection area (a raised bog with unique flora and fauna), where peat was mined until around 1930, the Wolterdingen pond, and the castle ruins on the Zindelstein district are nearby.

5 Wolterdingen, the largest district of Donaueschingen, lies at both the eastern edge of the Black Forest and the western edge of the Baar. The flood retention basin put into operation in 2012 can hold 4.7 million cubic meters of water and improves flood protection on the Breg and Danube.

6 The city of Donaueschingen and the House of Fürstenberg have been closely connected since the 15th century. In 1488, the Counts of Fürstenberg acquired the castle and village of Donaueschingen from the widow of Habsberg and her sons. The residence castle obtained its current form through a conversion between 1893 and 1896. Since then, the Donaueschingen residence combines the representative claim of a castle with the residential comfort of a Belle Époque villa, all under the sign of a French-influenced style sense. This makes it unique in the German castle landscape. Tours are possible on certain dates and for registered groups of at least 10 people. They can be booked from April to mid-September: www.fuerstenberg-kultur.de.

The generously laid out Princely Fürstenberg Park is crossed by watercourses where ducks frolic in the sunlight. Beautiful old trees, flowering gardens, and many monuments are encountered during a walk through this park, which was laid out in 1820 in the French and English style of the time. The world-famous Danube spring, located next to the castle of the Prince of Fürstenberg, is a karst spring that has been recognized as the historic Danube spring since the visit of the Roman general Tiberius in 15 BC. The sculpture in the spring basin is by Adolf Herr and shows the “Mother Baar,” who shows the young Danube its 2,840 km long way to the Black Sea. Donaueschingen Tourism

This route is presented by the Fürstenberg Brewery.