Geology & Archeology

Stunning landscapes and impressive quarries, imposing ruins as well as interesting archeological sites and discoveries document a fascinating settlement history: the Ferienland Donau-Ries is a holiday region full of special geological and archeological features.

The Suevite quarry Alte Bürg is inseparably linked with the Nördlinger Ries. This quarry provided the building stone to construct Nördlingen’s well-known church tower called "Daniel." The pre-Ries-event geology can be almost perfectly explained and understood on the Ipf hill, the site of an early Celtic princely settlement. Scientific excavations are undertaken there even today. The Villa Rustica and the Ofnethöhlen (Ofnet Caves) on the Riegelberg hill represent spectacular periods of history. Both the old Roman agriculture estate and the site where prehistoric skulls were found are evidence of the distinctive history of the Ferienland Donau-Ries.