I visited this WHS in August 2017. I visited on a long Sunday road trip from Luxembourg so as to be able to visit the Hohle Fels cave.

Hubert's review was the main source of useful concentrated info on the 6 caves that make up this WHS as well as on the nearby museums where most of the finds can be seen. In my review I'll try to give further information and tips for any future visitors. In the forum, he also gave me a very good link with a useful map.

At the point where the Swabian Alb (plateau) inclines towards the Alpine foreland, it is believed that an enormous leap occurred in the cultural development of humanity - the first figurine representations of animals and humans are believed to have been created here as well as the first musical instruments. This is why these 6 caves have been inscribed as a WHS as the oldest Ice Age art (Aurignacian-Gravettian-Magdalenian periods) was found here. In a way, through this newly inscribed series, Germany tries to make up for the lack of prehistoric rock art and paintings when compared to other European countries.

The original Ice Age art can be viewed in 5 museums: one in Stuttgart, another in Tubingen and three quite close to the caves themselves - the Archaeopark Vogelherd in Niederstotzingen (open 10:00-18:00; 7 euro which also gives you access to the Vogelherd Cave); houses a small mammoth and a lion figurine from Vogelherd, the Ulmer Museum in Ulm (open 11:00-17:00; 8 euro; 'strictly' no photos allowed; houses the Lion Man from the Hohlenstein Stadel Cave, and the Museum of Prehistory in Blaubeuren (open 10:00-17:00; 5 euro + 1 euro for photography; houses several remains from the Lone valley caves).

Since all the museums open rather late at 10am, I started with the Hohlenstein Stadel Cave in the Lone Valley. To get there by car, I put Lindenauerweg, Rammingen (89192) in my navigator and followed the signs to the tiny hamlet of Lindenau, where there is a small free parking lot with information boards and an unmanned information point with an interesting video on the Ice Age Caves of the Lone Valley and the Lion Man (opposite restaurant Lindenau). Most of the hamlets have banners proudly displaying the recent inscription on the WH list but there are no plaques yet. From the parking lot head out of the hamlet for a rather flat 1km walk and keep to the left following the signs 'Zum Baerenhohle'. The Hohlestein Cave is actually made up of 3 caves: the Baerenhohle (earliest excavation of bones of a 10,000 year old bear), the Stadel Cave (where the Lion Man was found) and the Kleine Scheuer located between the two. All caves are now open and freely accessible except the innermost part of the Stadel cave (where more fragments of the Lion Man were found recently).

Instead of walking back to the car, since it was still early to visit the Vogelherd cave, I decided to follow the flat 2km walking trail to the Bockstein cave. The final part can be tricky as the cave is completely hidden behind the trees. Just keep on walking on the grass and eventually you'll see a small 'Bockenstein' sign (the last bit is a steep uphill walk). Here mesolithic burials and Neanderthal tools and bone jewellery were found. The cave is freely accessible but its ceiling is heavily eroded so nothing pretty much to see. If you want to skip one of the caves in the Lone Valley this is the least interesting. The trail back to Lindenau from here is marked as Neandertal weg and is quite muddy.

At around 10am I drove to the Archaeopark Vogelherd, paid for 2hrs parking and went straight to the Vogelherd Cave with two entrances, before the first visitors and families. Stone tools were discovered in the throw-off of a badger's burrow and 9 small figures carved out of mammoth ivory are the most important discoveries and are part of the oldest figural art of humanity. The sediments from this cave were excavated recently and almost 400 ornaments and figure fragments from bird bones and mammoth ivory were found. The small mammoth in the visitor centre is worth viewing even though the 8 euro entrance fee is value for money mostly for families with children as there are several activities organised for them.

Next I went to the Ulmer Museum (some 30km away) to see the Lion Man gallery. I parked at the cheap and safe underground Parkhaus Kornhaus in Rosengassen. The Lion Man was recently restored in 2013 and it's a giant puzzle consisting of roughly 300 pieces of mammoth ivory. It is the largest and most mysterious piece of art from the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic from around 40,000 years ago. I still managed to take a photo of it with the Chauvet Cave Rock Art in the background. Nobody informs you that photography is not allowed until you get to the Lion Man gallery which is quite unfair. The Museum in Blaubeuren's approach to photography makes much more sense and the price is also cheaper so if you're pressed for time and money, the museum in Blaubeuren is your best bet.

In the Museum of Prehistory in Blaubeuren (2 hours free parking), you have to leave your bags in free lockers, and there is a very well presented and informative loop to see the finds from the Ach valley caves (highlights are the 3 flutes, the adorant, the painted stones, the water bird and the tiny Venus of Hohle Fels). The staff here is very friendly and there's also an information desk to help you if you still have trouble locating any of the caves.

In the afternoon, I drove straight to the Hohle Fels cave (usually open on Sundays 14:00-17:00 but in August open Thursday-Sunday 14:00-17:00 and Wednesday 10:00-17:00; 3 euro). This is the largest of the inscribed caves and the University of Tubingen still carries out excavations here in the Summer. The sediments from different periods have been collected in different white sacks, marked and are still being analysed. Some 80,000 stone tools and 300 ornaments were found here so far.

On the other side of the valley (and of the 492 road), further on is a small wooden hut and space for maybe six cars. From here, a short but steep uphill climb will lead you to the Sirgenstein cave. This cave is freely accessible but be careful while getting there as there are no railings. This is the least marked cave and the most popular for abseiling. I was surprised that a group of locals was climbing up the rockface just next to the cave's entrance. Many of the abseilers are apparently birdwatchers. A nearby information board points out that several birds of prey and owls nest here.

Last but not least, I drove back a few metres towards Bruckfelsstrasse, through a level crossing, where an information board and commemorative plaque marks the uphill trail towards the Geissenklosterle cave. Be on the lookout for a large rockface among the tall trees and a small cave entrance closed with an iron gate. Excavations are still underway here with equipment and archaeological markings still visible. Apparently, the museum in Blaubeuren is organising an information visit on Sunday 10th September 2017 to this cave (open 10:00-18:00) to see the archaeologists at work. There isn't much to see here anyway and if you were pressed for time, I'd recommend skipping this one from the Ach valley inscribed caves.

All in all, I enjoyed my long day of cave-hunting and I'm very happy that Germany is complete once again.