Schwäbischer Albverein

On August 13, 1888, at the invitation of Valentin Salzmann, the representatives of several beautification associations met in Plochingen with the aim of improving the work of the existing groups on the Albtrauf.

Its goal is to cultivate and preserve both the special and the everyday within its territory from the Taubergrund to Lake Constance and from the Black Forest to the Nördlinger Ries.

Being a member of the Swabian Albverein does not just mean joining in a group with a trained hiking guide who knows how to tell about the ways, nature and culture, landscape history and buildings.

The club operates a total of 29 observation towers on the Swabian Alb, but also in other areas of Baden-Württemberg, such as the Swabian-Franconian Forest and the Stromberg.

In addition, the association is also involved in cooperation on titles with other publishers, including hiking and leisure maps of the State Office for Geoinformation and Land Development Baden-Württemberg and the Swabian Heimatkalender.

The Blätter des Schwäbischen Albvereins, since their first issue on 12 May 1889, has published information about the activities of the association and provided a forum for material on local and national history.

A full-time office in Stuttgart oversees the activities of the members in the territory of the association The Albvereinsjugend offers open youth work, and further education and recreation at club level and in the local groups.

Four mission statements shape the identity of the Albvereinsjugend: traveling together, nature and environmental protection, social and democratic action, between tradition and modernity.

The club's youth center Fuchsfarm is located on the Raichberg near Albstadt-Onstmettingen on the Swabian Jura, where since 1965 regular camps for young people are organized.

In 2006, the Albvereinsjugend presented the board game Quer durch BaWü (cross through Baden-Württemberg) with various excursion and hiking destinations around the club area.