Archaeological site · Blaubeuren · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Archaeological site Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren

Geißenklösterle is an archaeological site in Blaubeuren, Baden-Württemberg. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. Within 120 m you'll find a bench.

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Archaeological site Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren

Archaeological site Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren, photo 2

Archaeological site Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren, photo 3

The story

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Audio tour · Geißenklösterle

2:22

You're standing at the Geissenklösterle, a cave in the valley of the Ach, just outside Blaubeuren in the Swabian Jura. It might not look like much at first, but take a good look at that opening in the rock. People were sitting here more than forty thousand years ago. And they were doing something remarkable: making art and music.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Geißenklösterle Blaubeuren: cave of the oldest musical instruments

The Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren is an archaeological site: a cave where people lived more than 40,000 years ago. Archaeologists found flutes here, made from bird bone and from mammoth ivory, which are around 42,000 to 43,000 years old. They are the oldest musical instruments we know. The cave also yielded small figurines of animals from the ijstijd, such as mammoths and cave lions. You will find the Geißenklösterle in the Ach valley, close to Blaubeuren in Baden-Württemberg. Nearby are the Hohle Fels and the Sirgensteingrot. Together with the Geißenklösterle, they belong to the UNESCO-werelderfgoed Grotten en ijstijdkunst in de Zwäbische Alb.

What you can see at the Geißenklösterle

The opening in the rock may look modest from the outside. Most of the site lies underground, where layers sit on top of one another like pages in a book. At the bottom lie the oldest traces left by people here. Above these follow 6 layers and then 7 more. Younger layers lie on top of these, dating from the late part of the last glacial period up to the medieval period. Only a small part of the cave has been excavated, so what you see now is just a fraction of what may still be in the ground.

Early human history and the Geißenklösterle excavations

People used this cave for a very long time. The richest period was roughly 43,000 to 32,000 years ago. The people of that time made small figurines here of mammoths, bison and cave lions. They also carved the Adorant, a relief in ivory of a human with raised arms. Nobody is certain what the figurines were for. After that, people kept using the cave for a long time. Research began much later. The cave was first investigated in 1963. The real excavations started later, and they continued until 2002. Since 2017, the cave has been part of the UNESCO-werelderfgoed.

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

The Archaeological site Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren has benches for a rest. The nearest bench is 140 metres from the cave, and there are 7 benches within 500 metres. According to our map, there is no drinking water at the site: there is no water tap within 1 km, so bring your own water. There is also no toilet at the Archaeological site Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren according to our map, as there are no public toilets within 1 km. It is therefore worth stopping at a toilet before you set off.

Walking and more to see nearby

If you want to keep walking after your visit, there are 2 places nearby. The Ruine Günzelburg, also an archaeological site, lies 1,126 metres from the cave. The Burgrest Sirgenstein, the remains of a castle, is 1,458 metres away. You can combine both places in one walk. When you reach the cave, you can listen to an audio story on the spot in the Outdoor Pitstop app. It lasts 2 minutes, so you hear the story of the cave while you look at it.

Facilities near Geißenklösterle

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No water point, public toilet, bike pump or honesty box within 1 km.

Bench on Bruckfelsstraße, BlaubeurenBench · 120 m

Well-known points of interest nearby

36 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first.

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Hohle Fels · 2.5 km

Photo: Dr. Eugen Lehle · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

All 2,807 points of interest in Baden-Württemberg →

Walks within 2 km

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HW 2 - Schwäbische Alb-Südrand-WegHard · 880 m away291.2 km

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Frequently asked questions

Where is the Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren?

The Geißenklösterle lies in the valley of the Ach, close to Blaubeuren in the Zwäbische Alb in Baden-Württemberg. It is a cave and an archaeological site.

What is special about the Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren?

The oldest musical instruments in the world were found in the Geißenklösterle: two flutes made from bird bone and mammoth ivory. They are around 42,000 to 43,000 years old.

Is the Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Yes, since 2017 the Geißenklösterle has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Zwäbische Alb. This also applies to the Hohle Fels and the Sirgensteingrot nearby.

Are there benches at the Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren?

Yes, the nearest bench is 140 metres from the Geißenklösterle. There are 7 benches within 500 metres.

Is there a toilet at the Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren?

No, according to our map there is no public toilet within 1 km of the Geißenklösterle. So plan a toilet stop in advance.

Is there drinking water at the Geißenklösterle in Blaubeuren?

No, according to our map there is no water tap within 1 km of the Geißenklösterle. Bring your own water.