Geopark Festival 2026: Discover, Experience, Understand

After a one-year hiatus, the Geopark Festival is back: On Sunday, July 19, 2026, the UNESCO Global Geopark Schwäbische Alb invites you to a day full of fun and adventure for the whole family. This year’s venue is Katzenstein Castle in Dischingen, in the Heidenheim district, which is one of the geopark’s 25 information centers.

At a Glance

• Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Where: Katzenstein Castle, Dischingen (Heidenheim District)
• Who it's for: Families, children, and anyone interested
• Program: Hands-on activities, guided tours, and interactive stations
• Castle tours: 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. (included in the admission price)

Visitors can look forward to a varied program featuring numerous hands-on activities, guided tours, and events for all ages. Geopark information centers and partners from across the Swabian Alb invite visitors to explore nature, geological history, and regional highlights in a fun and engaging way.

Join in and discover

Children and families can look forward to exciting activities: For example, they can build an archway, meet “Beaver, the Water Engineer,” or test their knowledge in the Geopark trivia game. The program is rounded out by creative activities, games, and other interactive stations.

Anyone who would like to learn more about the venue can take part in one of the castle tours.

Beeing guests in Heidenheim District

Since 2011, the Geopark Festival has been held annually at various Geopark information centers in the Swabian Alb, where the diverse connections between landscape, geological, and cultural history are presented in an engaging way. This year, Katzenstein Castle—one of the 25 Geopark information centers—is hosting the event. As the oldest surviving Staufer castle in southern Germany, it uniquely combines natural and cultural history, making it the perfect setting for this year’s festival.

Katzenstein Castle was chosen as the venue because, like almost no other, it embodies the interplay between natural and cultural history. This medieval hilltop castle from the Staufer era is one of the oldest surviving castle complexes in southern Germany. Its walls, courtyards, and towers tell not only of knights, trade routes, and centuries past, but also of the rocks that make up the Swabian Alb.

It is no coincidence that the 2026 Geopark Festival will take place in the Heidenheim district: The district is one of the ten districts that support the UNESCO Global Geopark Schwäbische Alb and is home to three Geopark information centers: Katzenstein Castle, the Meteor Crater Museum in Steinheim am Albuch, and the Gerstetten Reef Museum.

Note: Last year, the focus was on the anniversary of the UNESCO Global Geopark Schwäbische Alb instead of the regular Geopark Festival. Now the event is returning to its usual schedule.

Further Information:

Flyer for the Geopark Festival 

These are the 25 Geopark information centers

Background Katzenstein Castle