A trip with my dog to Bad Urach (Part I)

This April, I took a trip with my dog to Bad Urach, a small town located in the Swabian Alps which is famous for its waterfall.

Bad Urach is a nice place to take your dog, as there are many different hiking trails that your pup is sure to love! For the humans, there is the plenty to see too: So much in fact, that I broke down this post into two parts. You can find Part II of my trip to Bad Urach with my dog here.

Do you need a place to stay with your dog in Bad Urach? You can find my review of Hotel Buck here, but to be honest, I would recommend you to try a different hotel.

THE ROUTE

This walk starts at the train station in Bad Urach. There is also a parking lot directly there in case that you are coming by car. Multiple walking routes start from here.

Leaving from the parking lot, I followed the trails going to the right.

Please be aware that there is a metal bridge that your dog may be afraid of directly at the start of the route. It took mine some convincing, but then she passed it like a hero! Should your dog struggle with see-through bridges, consider an alternative route.

Also do note: I did not consciously follow any walking route on this hike, but I tried to directionally aim for the castle ruins. I will try to describe the route as best as I can, but when I doubt, just follow your nose in the direction of the castle! From the castle, the waterfall is then clearly signposted.

Following the trail first took me to an outdoor swimming pool. From there, I went up (there is a sign for further parking spots) and continued towards the right in direction of the castle ruins.

The trails were all really nice and wide. Great to walk on. This part of the route was also very quiet, we did not run into anyone at all until we got close to the castle. A very nice opportunity to let my pup explore without needing to hold onto her leash all the time as well as practice some recall!

There was some forest work being carried out during my visit, so a couple of the paths that would have taken me up to the castle were closed off.

But there are many alternative routes! So if that happens to you, just stay persistent and you shall be rewarded. The final walk up to the castle is quite steep, but we made it. The views from the castle are certainly worth it!

We reached the castle after walking roughly 90 minutes (including needing to try a few different paths). So if that’s enough for you, you could also call it a day and tackle the waterfall on a different day!

However, when we saw the signs for the waterfall leading away from the castle, we decided to just continue along.

And I’m glad that we did! At that point, you’ve already done most of the ascent, so the route to the waterfall is actually quite flat. When you reach the waterfall, you are at the top of it.

Time for some refreshments! There is a kiosk that sells drinks, there are toilets, and of course, your pup can have a drink of the water that is about to fall down the edge!

The top of the waterfall is actually not that impressive, but you can walk down alongside the waterfall and I highly recommend it.

The way down has some fantastic views. You are walking right next to or in parts even through the waterfall all the way down.

Make sure to stop often to take pictures of the different parts! There are even some benches where you can sit in the waterfall and marvel at this natural wonder from close up.

The waterfall is really large and impressive. Don’t miss this when you’re in or near Bad Urach!

From the bottom of the waterfall, we started our way back to starting point. We passed through the parking lots at the waterfall (more toilets and refreshments available!) and then walked along the road. If you don’t fancy the walk back, you can also take the train for two stops instead!

HOW LONG IT TAKES AND WHO IT’S FOR

This walk took us around four hours all in. I actually just wanted to take my dog for a short afternoon walk, but then it kind of snowballed. When I reached the castle and saw the signs to the waterfall, I could not resist! Pure walking time was probably closer to three hours.

If you do this walk, make sure to wear proper shoes that can also withstand some water. On the descent from the waterfall, you are partially walking through the waterfall so your feet will get wet if you wear the wrong shoes.

Although the route is long, I found most of it to be relatively easy to walk. The paths are nice and wide and not too steep with the exception of the final ascent to the castle ruins. That part is proper steep!

Aside from that, I would definitely recommend doing the loop the way around shown here, because trust me: You want to walk down the steps from the waterfall, not up to the waterfall.

If walking up anywhere is an issue, or you are short on time, don’t despair: You can still see the waterfall! Just park directly at Wanderparkplatz Uracher Wasserfälle and then make your way to the foot of the waterfall. That path is flat and can also be done with a pram. No need to go all the way up! The view from below is very pretty too. Everything is possible.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This was quite a strenuous hike for both of us, but it was definitely a highlight too! The waterfall is gorgeous and the views from the castle ruins are worth seeing for sure.

If you only have one day in Bad Urach, I would suggest following this post to see both in one day. However if you are spending more time in Bad Urach, consider combining the walk in Part II with the castle on day one and tackling the waterfall on day two. Because we save the best for last, right?