Katharinenfelsen

Katharinenfelsen rises near Überlingen on Lake Constance’s northwestern shore, forming a steep rock wall up to one hundred metres high. Its exposed face shows layers of upper marine molasse. During ice ages, Rhine Glacier erosion carved the slopes and revealed sedimentary layers visible today. The surrounding protected nature reserve covers nearly four hectares.

The rock contains a glacial mill, an almost circular basin about twenty metres wide and ten metres deep. Glacial meltwater carved it with stones and gravel. The basin later filled with gravel and stone blocks, including pieces measuring up to four metres across. Rocky ledges hold endangered Cheddar pink, while warmer ground supports pine and broom forests.

Natural niches provide nesting places for northern bald ibises, which return each spring to raise their young. Each pair usually lays three to four eggs. Marked trails pass through Hödinger and Spetzgarter Tobel, with views of cliffs, forests, and the geological basin. The first chick usually hatches after about twenty-eight days.