Welcome to your ultimate travel guide to Blautopf, one of the most stunning places in Germany!
I’ve just returned from my second visit to this incredible destination, and it’s even more mesmerizing than I remembered.
In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about Blautopf, including the best ways to get there, the top attractions to see on your day trip, and how to plan your itinerary for a perfect day.
Blautopf is a must-visit!
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Blautopf means “blue pot” in English, which is why it’s also known as Blue Lake or Blautopf Lake.
It’s actually a spring that serves as the source of River Blau, encapsulated in a karst landscape.
Do you know why Blautopf has this stunning blue-ish color?
The limestone sediments in the water change the color of the water to blue.
Limestone is a carbonate sedimentary rock. When it weathered down over time, the minerals from the rock dissolved, and the small pieces that were released into the water caused this blue color.
This beautiful blue dazzling treasure called Blautopf in Baden-Württenberg is situated in the Swabian Jura (Swabian Alps) in Southern Germany.
Blautopf Lake is located in the medieval town of Blaubeuren, approximately 20 km from Ulm, 80 km from Stuttgart, and 185 km from Munich.
The address of Blautopf:
However, it’s currently closed due to construction work right next to it. Google Maps also shows this closure.
Despite that, I managed to get through the construction during my visit.
I wouldn’t be surprised if an entrance fee were introduced to visit Blautopf in the future.
From major cities such as Stuttgart, Augsburg, or Munich, first travel to Ulm, and then to Blaubeuren.
Once you are in Blaubeuren, you can walk to Blautopf Lake and also the historic old town of Blaubeuren.
To reach Blautopf, first drive to the train station of Blauebeuren. You can find it as “Bahnhof, Blaubeuren” on Google Maps.
Once you get to the train station, park your car. But you can find other parking spots in Blaubeuren.
Parking will cost you around 5-6 €.
From your parking spot, you can start exploring on foot.
If you don’t have your own vehicle, consider renting a car for the day through DiscoverCars. Check out the deals here: DiscoverCars
TICKET
For the entire journey, I used the same ticket: the Detuschlandticket.
I used to suggest the Bayern Ticket, but now there’s an even better option—the Deutschlandticket.
This is my top choice for traveling in Germany now. Priced at €49, it’s valid nationwide on all local public transport and regional trains. It’s a monthly subscription, but you can cancel anytime before the 10th of the month.
This is, without a doubt, the most cost-effective way to travel around Germany these days.
SUMMARY OF MY TRAIN JOURNEY
Journey duration: 3 hours
Journey schedule:
I just wanted to let you know how long it can take to get to Blaubeuren from Munich. Here is the schedule I followed, Which will give you a rough idea of how long the trip can take.
8:34 Departure from Munich Central Station for Ulm
10:41 Arrival to Ulm
10:46 Buying a ticket for Blaubeuren (It’s because I traveled with the Bayern Ticket at this time and we had to buy a separate ticket for this journey.)
11:17 Departure for Blaubeuren from Ulm
11:28 Arrival to Blaubeuren
On my last trip, I took the train much earlier.
6:33 Departure from Munich Central Station
9:27 Arrival to Blaubeuren
Well, if you don’t want to start so early, I get it. But this early schedule was much better.
To find out about the best connections from your departure location and the best tickets for your journey, visit the Deutsche Bahn website, here.
On Google Maps, you will find Blautopf as “Blautopfquelle”.
The place indicated as “Blautopf” on Google Maps is not the right location.
From the train station of Blaubeuren (“Blaubeuren, Bahnhof” on Google Maps), there are two ways to get to Blautopf: a straight route through the town of Blaubeuren and a hiking route through nature.
My recommendation is to start your trip by taking the straight route through the main street of Blaubeuren to Blautopf. Then, finish your day with a walk back to the train station through nature.
When I visited Blautopf for the first time, I started with the hiking route. But for the second time, I just wanted to get to Blautopf as soon as possible.
The hiking route is nice but nothing mind-blowing. So, you can leave that for the end.
Here, is how you get to Blautopfquelle:
FROM THE TRAIN STATION OF BLAUBEUREN TO BLAUTOPFQUELLE THROUGH THE TOWN
Simply walk to Blautopfquelle taking the Karlstasse. When you leave the train station in Blaubeuren, just walk straight. It takes 20-25 minutes to reach the Blautopfquelle this way.
I made a quick stop at the tourist information office on the way to Blautopf because I needed to use the restroom. Good to know, that it’s an option, right?
This map shows:
- The train station of Blaubeuren where you will start exploring Bleubeuren
- The Blautopf Lake, the highlight of this trip
- Several spots of the historic part of Blaubeuren next to Blautopf Lake
- A couple of spots between the Blaubeuren Train Station and Blautopf Lake to help you navigate the hike between them
When you arrive at Blautopf Lake, start by walking around this stunning lake. I spent a lot of time just walking around it and taking epic photos. Being there feels simply supernatural.
Blautopf is known as the blue lake of Germany. But is it really a blue lake? Let’s see!
The sparkling surface of beautiful Blautopf Lake in Blaubeuren, Germany
The best time to take photos at Blautopf Lake is in the morning and on sunny days. During this time, the water’s color is most vibrant, and the lake’s surface sparkles and glitters.
From morning until noon, the color is at its peak intensity. I visited in the afternoon, but the color was still stunning.
When I explored Blautopf for the second time, I was there from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. During this period, the lake was equally beautiful the entire time.
So, was the lake blue when I was there? The middle of the lake appeared blue from certain angles when the sun was shining, and it was the most striking blue I’ve ever seen.
The sparkling surface of beautiful Blautopf Lake in Blaubeuren, Germany
But I think it’s not exactly a blue lake. It’s a greenish-blue lake. It could be that it’s totally blue much earlier in the morning. Next time when I come back, I’ll be here much earlier and see the difference in the morning.
The sparkling surface of beautiful Blautopf Lake in Blaubeuren, Germany
While walking around Blautopf, you might be wondering about a couple of more things.
What about swimming in Blautopf? It’s probably not allowed. Blautopf is not intended for swimming. It’s a small lake meant to be observed and admired.
What about diving in Blautopf?
Under Blautopf Lake, there is a massive underground cave system. In case, you are considering making a dive in the lake, it’s an option. But, it’s not for tourists, only for scientists.
Having lunch at Café am Blautopf right next to the shiny water of Blautopf with a view of the famous hammer mill is an incredible experience.
On Google Maps, you can find it as “Blautopfhaus Schönhofer am Blautopf”.
Getting a table here takes time but it’s worth it. Be patient, keep an eye on people leaving, and run to the table right away.
We changed the table three times and finally, we had the perfect spot right next to the lake. It was fun to fish out the best table. Don’t miss this place. It’s one of the best places to have lunch in Germany.
The view from our table from over beautiful Blautopf Lake and the hammermill in Blaubeuren, Germany
Wander around the old town of Blaubeuren full of cute half-timbered medieval houses. I loved the place so much that I could have stayed there all day.
One of the half-timbered medieval houses in the historic town of Blaubeuren near Blautopf Lake, Germany
One of the half-timbered medieval houses in the historic town of Blaubeuren near Blautopf Lake, Germany
Beautiful red and white medieval house in the historic town of Blaubeuren near Blautopf Lake, Germany
The best part of this medieval town is little Venice where you will find a row of houses along the canal called Ach.
Little Venice in the historic town of Blaubeuren near Blautopf Lake in Germany
Check out the Blaubeuren Abbey and the bathhouse of the monks as well. The abbey was founded by Benedictine monks and built in the 15th century in late gothic style. The bathhouse of the monks is the only remaining preserved bathhouse in Germany.
Let’s take a short hike along the Blau River to reach Blautopfquelle. The hike should take between 45 minutes to an hour, and it’s a beautiful, easy walk through nature.
I’ll explain the route since Google Maps doesn’t display it when you search, though you can see the details if you zoom in on the map.
Step 1: Starting from Blautopf Lake, I walked straight along “Mühlweg” to reach the “Wohnmobilstellplatz Blaubeuren” (RV parking area). This took about 10 minutes.
Step 2: After passing the RV parking, I followed Dodelweg and looked for “Schützenbachweg.” It’s a narrow, paved path that runs along a creek and then alongside the Blau River.
Step 3: I continued straight as “Schützenbachweg” merged into “Riedweg.”
Step 4: I arrived at what looked like a bridge under construction, which I believe was the “Rusenstegbrücke.” Just before reaching the bridge, I took a right.
Step 5: I then encountered a narrow, steep uphill path. It looked a bit confusing, but I followed it.
Step 6: At the top, I found myself on a road. I crossed at the zebra crossing, and turning right, I headed towards the train station.
I hope these instructions will be helpful to you.
The hiking trail after the RV parking space from the direction of Blautopfquelle
Hiking trail signs on the way
I took a short hike along the Blau River to get to Blautopfquelle. The hike should take a maximum of 1 hour for me. It’s a really gorgeous and easy walk in nature.
I will explain it because I think the signs are not obvious and Google Maps doesn’t offer the route as an option to Blautopfquelle.
When you are in front of the train station, take a right and follow the signs. There are a lot of hiking routes that way. So, make sure to keep checking the signs while walking.
I walked to the “Rusenstegbrücke”, a bridge over the Blau River. You don’t need to cross the bridge. The path on the left side of the river.
As you reach the bridge, you will see signs. At this point, cross the zebra crossing. The hiking route will be in front of you.
The route along the river is called “Riedweg”. Just keep walking straight. Riedweg is on Google Maps but you can only see it if you zoom in.
Riedweg continues into the “Schützenbachweg”. At some point, you should reach the “Wohnmobilstellplatz Blaubeuren” (RV parking space). From there, walk straight on “Mühlweg” and you will arrive in a maximum of 10 minutes.
The hiking trail from the direction of Blautopfquelle towards the train station of Blaubeuren
The end of the hiking trail close to the train station of Blaubeuren
I stayed only four hours in Blaubeuren. I still had a lot of time. Therefore, after exploring Blaubeuren, I visited the beautiful medieval town of Ulm.
City Hall in Ulm near Blautopf Lake in Germany
Medieval houses in Ulm near Blautopf in Germany
This was my schedule after sightseeing in Bleubeuren:
16:27 Departure for Ulm from Blaubeuren train station
16:41 Arrival to Ulm
You can dedicate at least 2 hours for sightseeing in Ulm. It’s an amazing city full of medieval architecture.
And my schedule after sightseeing in Ulm:
19:23 Departure for Munich from Ulm
21:23 Back in Munich
Summer is definitely the best time to visit Blautopf Lake. It’s because in summer the colors of nature is the most beautiful.
Make sure you check the weather forecast before your visit and choose days when it’s sunny because Blautopf Lake in Blaubeuren is the most breathtaking when it’s sunny.
And as previously mentioned the colors of Blautopf Lake is the most beautiful early in the morning. So, you had better leave early for this wonderful place.
Bayern Ticket: €13.80 / person in case of a ticket for 5 persons
For 1 person: €29
For 2 persons: €39 / €19.50 per person
For 3 persons: €49 / €16.30 per person
For 4 persons: €59 / €14.75 per person
For 5 persons: €69 / €13.80 per person
Return ticket Ulm – Blaubeuren: 2*€5,50=€11 / person (There is a group ticket here as well in case you are with a group and want to save some money.)
Lunch with a drink at Cafe am Blautopf: €16 – €25
If you want to stay for the night to explore the region, I recommend Airbnb. I have searched for the nicest and best-rated places for you in or close to Blaubeuren.
You can also check out what’s on booking.com but I think Airbnb is much better here. The only hotel I liked the most on booking.com was the Hotel Restaurant Ochsen.
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