Hohenstaufen hill is definitely one of the tour's highlights: it became the Hohenstaufen family seat more than 800 years ago, but only remnants of the walls are visible today. At the foot of the hill there is a documentation centre with a comprehensive exhibition providing visitors with valuable insights into Hohenstaufen history. It is worth making a detour to visit the museum in the Wäscherschloss, a well-preserved knight's castle that dates from around 1200, once the family seat of the Lords of Büren and the "cradle of the Hohenstaufens". According to legend, Friedrich Barbarossa, also known as Red Beard, presented the castle as a gift to a washerwoman (or Wäscherin) with whom he had a love affair. Walkers following in the footsteps of the Hohenstaufens can also tour the region on the Barbarossa trail, and Hohenstaufen country can be equally well discovered by bike. Another place to visit is the Charlottenhöhle cave near Giengen an der Brenz whose wonderful stalactites and stalagmites make it one of the most beautiful show caves in southern Germany.
The region also has great appeal as a family holiday destination, whatever the weather. What better way to spend a rainy day than gazing longingly at the Steiff Museum's collection of soft toys with their trademark "button in the ear", or whiling away the hours at the Märklin Museum of toys and model railways? There are plenty of fairy-tale palaces with fascinating exhibitions, and, to top it all off, a whole host of leisure, fitness, wellness and shopping opportunities on offer in the region's main towns. Churches, castles, palaces and abbeys are all waiting to be discovered, along with showcaves and bizarre rock formations that fit perfectly into the spectacular landscape. One more thing - Swabian cuisine is, of course, famous for its tasty specialities, so you live like a king in Hohenstaufen country.