Aufschluss Steinheimer Schneckensand

Tiny snails revealing secrets

In several places around Steinheim am Albuch, you find limy sand containing thousands of fossil snail shells. They originate from a freshwater lake that formed about 15 million years ago in the impact crater of the Steinheim meteorite.

Many researched fossils from the lake sediments tell us about the animal and plant life of that time. They can be admired in the Natural History Museum in Stuttgart or in the Meteor Crater Museum. The little snails are world famous. In 1866, they were the first evidence for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution: a gradual change in the shape of the snail shells was documented by the chronological sequence of the lake sediments. The fossil snails can be discovered at a small outcrop in Steinheim – a board provides the relevant information.

Tip: Go for a hike on the geological trail or on the round trail along the Meteor Crater and combine it with a visit to the Meteor Crater Museum, a Geopark info centre.