Three people are travelling down a river in a dinghy with a paddle.

Wild & Wet 6 Mini Adventures by the Water in Southwest Germany

27.5.202510 min. read timeby Hirsch & Greif

Discover 6 water-rich micro-adventures in Baden-Württemberg - perfect for spontaneous excursions, enjoying nature and refreshment on hot days.

Dive Down, Breathe a Sigh of Relief, Turn It UpSparkling Water Adventures in Baden-Württemberg

Get out of the house and into the water! In Baden-Württemberg, it is never far to the next water adventure. From SUP yoga to riverbed hiking: If you’re looking for a special kind of refreshment, you’ve come to the right place.

#1 Between the Sea of Reeds and BirdsongBirdwatching Tours at Lake Federsee

Wooden boardwalks take you through metre-high reeds to the observation points at Lake Federsee. The 33-square-kilometre nature reserve is the largest moorland in Baden-Württemberg and home to more than 270 bird species. The birdwatching tours run all year round and provide lots of information about this special habitat and its inhabitants.

Discover the largest moor in Southwest Germany

Three people look out over Lake Federsee from a wooden footbridge.

Nature Cinema

Lake Federsee in Upper Swabia is part of the largest moorland landscape in Southwest Germany.

#2 Still Waters, Wild BeautyPunting in the Taubergiessen Nature Reserve

A punting trip in the Taubergiessen Nature Reserve at the Upper Rhine always follows the same route, but each season, there is always something new to discover. Sometimes nature is in full bloom, sometimes the mist is wafting over the wetlands. What remains is the incomparable calm that wraps around you as the wooden boat glides through the waters of the Blinde Elz River. The silence is only broken by occasional calls from the animal population in the nature reserve near Rust. The boatmen know them all by name - and are happy to introduce them to their guests.

Start your special expedition through wild nature

Four people are crossing a river together in a punt. The bank is lined with many trees.

Does Not Get Any Quieter

A punting trip in the Taubergießen nature reserve on the Upper Rhine is always special.

#3 Underground AdventureCave Tour in Bad Urach

The Swabian Alb is considered one of the most cavernous areas in Europe. Some 2,500 natural and show caves are scattered across the karst mountains . One of the longest caves in the region is the Falkenstein Cave (Falkensteiner Höhle) near Bad Urach. It has its own river and extends five kilometres into the rock - perfect for an underground tour. Equipped with a wetsuit, helmet and headlamp, the adventure can begin. The beginners’ tour is even suitable for children.

Click here for the cave tour

A small group wades through knee-deep water in a cave with headlamps.

Off to the Underworld

Equipped with a wetsuit, helmet and headlamp, we are ready for an adventurous tour in the Falkenstein Cave in the Swabian Alb.

#4 Downstream into adventureRiverbed Hiking in the Murgtal Valley

In Todtnau in the Black Forest Highlands and in the Murgtal Valley in the Northern Black Forest, where the rivers still follow their original course, you do not simply take a walk next to the river. Instead, canyoning or riverbed hiking takes you straight through. The first adrenaline rush comes when rappelling from a height of 15 metres. Sturdy shoes are a must to avoid sliding around. Or go on a soft rafting trip and plunge into the rapids.

Discover the adventures in the Murg Valley

A boy abseils down a ravine with a river.

Hiking was Yesterday

Rappelling from a height of 15 metres provides the first adrenaline rush when canyoning or riverbed hiking in the Murgtal Valley.

#5 Sun Salutation on the LakeSUP Yoga on Lake Constance

Even before the first rays of sunshine touch the surface of the water, you can head out on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) from the Reichenau Island onto Lake Constance. Then it’s time to take a deep breath and keep your balance. Because in SUP yoga, the ground always moves with you. The body is strengthened and the mind finds peace until the gentle waves of the lake and the warming sun carry you into a new day.

More about your SUP time on Lake Constance

A man does yoga on a stand-up paddle board on a lake at dusk.

In Balance

Stand-up paddle boarding on Lake Constance before the first rays of sunshine allows the mind to find peace.

#6 Adventure with TasteGin Workshop and Canoe Tour in Gundelsheim

Glide through the ‘Odenwald Everglades' like a trapper in a canoe on the Neckar River and distil your own moonshine gin: is the workshop at the at the Englert Distillery will give you that Wild West. ‘Moonshine’ was the name given to illegally distilled liquor with a high alcohol content made during the Prohibition period in the USA. It often had nasty side effects. Fortunately, there are experts on hand at the distilling workshop and the individual selection of botanicals produces really special creations you can take home and enjoy without regret.

Become a moonshiner