Lauter (Donau)

Grosse Lauter between Bichishausen and Gundelfingen

The Lauter ( also Grosse Lauter ) is 35 km long left tributary of the Danube in the area of the Swabian Alb in southern Baden- Württemberg.

Lauter source

The Lauter rises in a strong karstic spring at Offenhausen, in the municipality of Gomadingen. In the courtyard of the former convent Offenhausen is the source of the Grosse Lauter. The framed by the monastery wall Quelltopf dismisses an average of 200 liters of water per second. The majority of the water usually seeps into the area of the Swabian Alb in the karst underground and only comes in Albvorland or in the southern area as a source revealed. The specific geological structure at the edge of the former volcano Sternberg, however, has here created conditions which have contributed to the formation of this swelling pot.

Course

It flows through the 35 km long Lauter. The Lauter fringe many medieval castle ruins. Between the communities Obermarchtal and Untermarchtal, a good kilometers south of Lauterach, it flows into the Danube.

The Big Lauter Valley is characterized by the typical landscape of the Swabian Alb, castles, rocks and junipers.

Inflows

  • Schörzbach (left)
  • Dolder Bach ( left)

Attractions

In addition to the original nature and the many castles and ruins, there are other attractions, among others, the main and the Marbach state stud, with its world -renowned horse breeding, the baroque cathedral of Our Lady in Zwiesel, the navigable by boat Wimsener cave or the former military training area in Münsingen. In Münsinger district Buttenhausen located since 2004, the memorial Matthias Erzberger.

Castles and Ruins

Between the source at Offenhausen and the estuary at Lauterach there are 20 castles and castle sites, also two prehistoric fortified facilities, downstream, these include:

  • Ruined castle Blankenstein at Dapfen
  • Castle Grafeneck
  • Castle and Chateau Buttenhausen
  • Castle ruins High Hundersingen
  • Castle ruins Bichishausen
  • Ruined castle Hohen Gundelfingen
  • Niederbolheim Gundelfingen
  • Castle Derneck at Münzdorf
  • Ruin Schuelzburg Anhausen
  • Maisenburg above Anhausens
  • Castle ruins Wartstein
  • Castle ruins Monsberg
  • Castle Ruins of St. Ruprecht
  • Castle Reichenstein
  • Ehrenburg rock at Wimsen
  • Castle Rechtenstein

Water

The Lauter is a popular canoe routes of varying difficulty. Above Buttenhausen the river is open all year locked from Buttenhausen to Unterwilzingen in the period from 15 March to 30 June. Exemptions for individual drivers can be issued for the section Anhausen to Unterwilzingen of the nature conservation authority Ulm. Organised trips, commercial rental and events throughout the year need an official permit. In order to avoid over- use of the water body, the biking the Lauter between Buttenhausen and Anhausen on weekends and public holidays during the period is not permitted from 1 July to 30 September. Furthermore, there for to drive through minimum and maximum values ​​for the water level: The minimum level applicable in Indelhausen at the flour mill 30 cm, it is recommended a minimum level of 45 cm. For the section between Unterwilzingen to its confluence with the Danube a Befahrung at a level of 75 cm or more is not allowed on the level Lauterach.

Reutlingen (district) Alb-Donau-Kreis Lauterach (Württemberg) Karst spring Johann Heinrich Zedler
282048
de