Extinct Volcano - Blog Posts

Summer highlight reel: Hegau

Towering around 250 m above the industrial city of Singen, the Hohentwiel is one of many reminders of the geological history near the Bodensee, or Lake Constance. This whole area was once volcanic, then the softer rock was eroded by the ice age, leaving this type of steep structure, around the old volcanic tube, behind.

A mountain like this would not have been easy to climb, especially when laden with weapons and armour, so unsurprisingly, several summits have fortress ruins on them. Hohentwiel is one of them (more on that and the climb - oh, the climb! - in another post), and Hohenkrähen, that rock jutting out ahead, is another.

The views from the top of Hohentwiel are just splendid. Two more ex-volcanoes are visible here: the Hohenstoffeln to the left, and the Hohenhewen to the right - there are lots of 'hohens' in Hegau, but it just means they're higher than villages. The weather was something to admire that day too, with showers floating around, like this one over the Schaffhausen area.