Overview

• The Blautopf in Blaubeuren finished second with about 20.35% of votes, followed by the Wasserbaum near Ockensen with 13.49%.
• Voting ran on the foundation’s website from August 11 to September 28, with eight nominated natural sites competing.
• Heinz Sielmann Stiftung’s Fritz Brickwedde praised the gorge as a geotop and learning site, and Deutscher Wanderverband president Michael Ermrich cited it as a model for responsible hiking access.
• The 2.5-kilometer limestone gorge rises up to 150 meters and ranks among Central Europe’s deepest rock canyons.
• Tourist access has been managed since 1905 with secured walkways that channel roughly 300,000 visitors a year, supported by a sustainability committee formed in 2023.