Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura

The Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura comprises six limestone caves scattered across valleys in southwestern Germany's mountain region. Inside these caves lie carved figurines, instruments, and other objects made by people in prehistoric times.

People settled in these caves roughly forty thousand years ago and left behind their artistic creations. The finds show this region was repeatedly visited and used over several thousand years.

The caves display carvings of animals and human figures that people created here over forty thousand years ago. These objects represent some of the earliest forms of human artistic expression ever discovered.

A museum in the nearby town of Blaubeuren displays original artifacts and helps explain the archaeological discoveries. Guided tours allow visitors to enter some of the caves and explore the landscape around them.

The most famous object found here is an ivory lion figurine that predates other major artistic works from this period. This figurine shows that people at that time could already express complex ideas through their art.

Location: district Heidenheim

Location: Alb-Donau-Kreis

GPS coordinates: 48.38778,9.76556

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:42