It is located at a height of 800 meters on the Swabian Jura, about 30 Kilometers north-west of Ulm.

The Dukes of Helfenstein introduced the Reformation between 1555 and 1567, but Westerheim reverted to Catholicism.

Today its inhabitants are mainly Roman Catholic, though the surrounding villages are Evangelical.

It was badly damaged in April 1945, when German Army units made a stand there.

Before leaving they detonated their explosives which were stored in local barns (Stuttgart State Archives) harv error: no target: CITEREFStuttgart_State_Archives (help).