Just half an hour away from our domicile, the Große Lautertal (big Lauter valley) offers caves, castle ruins, trails and bikeways within intact and green (at least during summer) nature. An idea for a nice trip is the old castle Burg Derneck near Hayingen which is run by the "Schwäbischer Albverein" (Swabian Alb Club, Europe's biggest hiking association). During the season, it offers cheap accommodation for everybody - but make sure to reserve well in advance, since the old mansion is always booked out very early!
