Camping with children in Hegau

A legendary volcanic landscape, nearby Lake Constance and imposing knights' castles: the Hegau region is enchanting. The region at the southern tip of Baden is a little paradise for those seeking relaxation and active holidaymakers who enjoy hiking, mountain biking and water sports. Culture lovers will also get their money's worth. Three larger campsites, all child-friendly, and various pitches for motorhomes are available for a varied holiday in the unspoilt nature of the Hegau.

Destinations

When the great poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe travelled through Hegau on his trip to Italy, he enthusiastically called it the beginning of the southern landscape. And indeed, the region between the Baar and western Lake Constance with its rolling hills is almost involuntarily reminiscent of Tuscany. The Hegau Mountains, also known as the chimneys of the Ice Age, are of volcanic origin. As many as nine inactive chimneys rise into the sky in sometimes bizarre-looking formations, crowned by mighty castle ruins that invite visitors to go on extensive discovery tours. The oldest fortress in the Hegau was built in 914 and is located on the slopes of the Hohentwiel. Those who climb it are rewarded with a breathtaking view as far as the Alps on a clear day and learn lots of interesting facts about brave knights, impregnable walls and everyday life in a medieval castle on a guided tour suitable for children. Below the former residence of the Dukes of Swabia, the Hegau metropolis of Singen attracts visitors with exciting museums, a charming pedestrian zone and a wide range of sports facilities. Free caravan sites can be found at the indoor swimming pool and on the Singen State Garden Show grounds.

A leisure paradise for children is the Hegi Familien-Camping campsite, a 5-star site in Tengen right on the Swiss border. Surrounded by a truly idyllic landscape of meadows and fields, a varied entertainment programme, a colourful indoor playground, a natural swimming lake and an indoor pool with a children's adventure world await you here. Tengen also boasts a pretty medieval town centre and serves as a starting point for hikes to the wild and romantic Mühlbach Gorge. The listed old town of Engen is also worth discovering and can be reached from the family-friendly Sonnental campsite, which is surrounded by greenery.

Top tips

• On the back of a horse: Trail riding is the trump card in the Hegau. Ride through the idyllic natural landscape on horseback or in a carriage. Various riding centres, for example in Gailingen and Mühlingen, offer horses for hire. Guided themed rides with a cultural, historical or geographical connection to the region are also on the programme.
• Make your own lollies: At the Bodensee Bonbon Manufaktur in Eigeltingen, it's not just children's eyes that get bigger and bigger. During public show productions, you can experience first-hand how colourful candy canes, lollipops and sweets are made by hand. Visitors have the opportunity to snack on warm candy dough and design their own lollipop.
• Rodeo for children: At the TROPILUA family park in Hilzingen-Twielfeld, the youngest can have fun with electronic bull riding and much more. The 5,000 square metre indoor facility has attractions such as a huge climbing garden, bouncy castles and a children's railway. There is even a lawn golf course.

Activities and excursions

Families can discover numerous attractive excursion destinations from their campsite in Hegau.

By bike or on foot through the Hegau region

Doesn't it sound like a real adventure to have hiked up or cycled down a volcano? The diverse hiking and cycling routes in Hegau make it possible and children can later proudly tell how they conquered a once fire-breathing mountain. The Hohenhewen not far from Engen is unmistakably volcanic. A circular trail at the former basalt quarry of Höwenegg, where you can marvel at a crater lake over 80 metres deep, is suitable for pushchairs. Various premium hiking trails that lead through impressive gorges, lush green forests and along idyllic rivers are grouped together under the name Hegauer Kegelspiel. These include the Albertine-Steig, which begins at the foot of the Schienerberg and on which the volcanic cones of the Hegau appear to be strung together like a string of pearls. From the Rheinuferpark in Gailingen, you can even cross the border on marked trails and hike to the Bibermühle in the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen. If you like, you can explore the Höri peninsula on Lake Constance or take a cycle tour with the family to the Aach spring, the largest karst spring in Germany.

Off to the museum!

The Singen Art Museum is an outstanding centre for the presentation of modern and contemporary art from the Lake Constance region. Young visitors can enjoy special guided tours, holiday programmes lasting several days and creative workshops in the museum studio. Also in Singen, the Hegau Archaeological Museum in the town castle attracts visitors with an exhibition on life in Hegau from the end of the last Ice Age to the early Middle Ages. Various interactive stations allow visitors to experience the history of the region with all their senses, while the vintage car and vehicle museum in Engen is a must for car enthusiasts of all ages. The Langenstein Castle Carnival Museum in Orsingen-Nenzingen, on the other hand, tells a lot of interesting facts about carnival in the Baden-Alemannic region using sometimes grotesque masks and colourful costumes.

Events

Hegau is the right place for those who like to celebrate. Baden hospitality is included.

July

• Hohentwiel Festival in Singen: For a fortnight, Germany's largest fortress ruin is the venue for concerts, theatre performances and cabaret shows. The traditional highlight is the atmospheric castle festival with numerous hands-on activities for children.

September

• Potato festival in Duchtlingen: The locals talk about Hördöpfelfäscht when they put the potato at the centre of an exuberant village festival. Visitors can enjoy all kinds of specialities made from the earthy tuber in cosy barns and tents.

October

• Schätzele market in Tengen: In 1291, King Rudolf of Habsburg authorised the people of Tengen to hold a fair and cattle market. The fair, the largest in the region, has been celebrated ever since. In addition to various fairground rides, there is also a colourful market.