Rain, Fog, and Lots of Smiles – Our 2025 Company Outing

From castle walls to thermal pools: a day of togetherness despite grey skies.

On Thursday, September 25, around 75 colleagues from administration, research, facility management, and the workshops set out together – destination: Bad Urach and the castle ruins of Hohenneuffen.

We left the institute early by bus and, by 9:30 a.m., were standing on the historic castle grounds. First up was a hearty snack, then everyone chose their own way to spend the day. Some joined a guided tour of the castle – quickly discovering that a limestone fortress doesn’t keep all the rain out. The dripping stones became a running joke and added to the fun.

For the sporty ones, the path led down to Bad Urach on foot. The trail was steep in parts, but the hiking group took it in stride, rewarded with misty views whenever the fog lifted. Others opted for relaxation in the Albtherme, enjoying the warmth of the pools, while the history buffs explored the Heidengrabenzentrum, learning about Celtic settlements from 2,000 years ago.

Meanwhile, in Bad Urach, there was a city tour – plus the irresistible pull of local cafés with excellent coffee and cake. As someone summed it up: “This is exactly what to do with this weather.”

In the evening, everyone gathered again at the Ratsstube restaurant. Over dinner and drinks, the day wound down with laughter and stories before the bus took us back to Stuttgart.

Bottom line: the weather was lousy, the mood was great. A big thank-you to the organizers from the workers council for making it all happen. We’re already looking forward to the next trip – rain or shine!