Paleolithic cave art has romantic conotations for me. There is very popular Czech (children) book called Mammoth Hunters by Eduard Storch, first published in 1918, but it became famous due to very realistic illustrations by Zdenek Burian in 1937. It is based on archeological excavations in Southern Moravia. The most famous artefact from this place and period is the Venus of Dolni Vestonice, which is around 25-29 000 years old (Gravettian period), and it is the oldest known ceramic statue in the world. Thus, cavemen belong to a common knowledge in Czechia, at least for my generation.

Thus, I was quite surrprised that even older statues (Aurignacian period, ca. 40 000 years old), not ceramic but made from bones, were found in Central Europe and that the places of their origin were inscribed as WHS recently. I did a day trip to Ulm in September 2019. I had no ambitions to see everything, and I wanted to see at least one original artifact in museum and experience the landscape of the core zone.

I visited the museum in Ulm that has quite late opening time (11am). I arrived to Ulm by train quite early (9am), and in a meantime I visited the magnificient cathedral and nearby interesting places (municipal hall, Danube embankment, fishermen district, etc.) The museum is modern and quite interesting but my highlight was obviously the statue of the Lionman (Lowenmensch in German) made from mammoth ivory found in the Lone valley nearby Ulm. There are also copies of other artifacts from the period such as the Venus of Hohle Fels (original in Blaubeuren museum) and reconstruction of original appearance of the Lionman, that is good to put everything into the context (all texts in german only). As I was the first visitor in Thursday morning and only the group of shool kids was in museum with me, nowbody cared about takeing photos...

After enjoying the beautiful statue of the Lionman and takeing a lot of pictures, I skipped other expositions in the museum and run to the railway station to go to Blaubeuren as soon as possible. After arrival to Blaubeuren (12:30) I decided to walk to the inscribed caves first with a danger that I miss the "Urgeschichtliges Museum" (closing time 5pm). It was very nice sunny September day. I walked uphill in direction Schillerstein along quiete side-road that goes to the core zone. After quick descent from the road I approached the view point over the Ach valley - the core zone of WHS (PHOTO - actually it used to be Donau/Danube valley during paleolithe) and to the first cave: (1) Geissenklosterle - the rocks around the cave are quite impresive, but the entrance is covered by fence. Then I walked by local road along corn fields, Ach river and quite noisy main road towards other two caves. (2) To get to Sirgensteinhohle I had to cross the main road and find the way up to the cave. The rock is nicely visible from distance but I was not sure if it is even possible to approach it. I had to walk around the main road for few hunderd meters in direction back to Blaubeuren (not pleasent but doable..) to the small parking-place. There was a tiny path to the property. It was possible to enter the cave and this place was the most authentic one from three I visited. (3) Than, it took only short time to reach the last inscribed cave in Ach valley: Hohle Fels. I was surprised it was opened for visitors... The cave is quite large with interesting displays close to the entrance, so I could see the copies of the Venus and the flute as well as other pieces. Unfortunatelly, the guides could not speak English.

After visiting the cave (around 15:00), I return to Geissenklosterle, climbed uphill to the forest road in direction Blaubeuren. As it was sunny day, I decided to have a beer and late lunch in "Waldgaststatte zur Schillerstein". I returned to the railway station and caugth the train to Ulm at 5pm. So, I missed the museum but enjoyed the Ach valley instead.

All in all, it was very nice trip to the caves with the oldest art... However, none of the caves or even the Ach valley are extraordinarly spectacular, and the main road that goes through the valley is very very disturbing. To understand the OUV that is expressed by artifacts, you need to visit several museums and read a lot of thick books, but I got it in this case.