Kernenturm Trail

From the village centre into the orchards

The circular walk starts and finishes at Rommelshausen S-Bahn station. It first leads through the village and past the Bürgerhaus. Opened in 2015, this community centre adds a contemporary touch to the village centre. The Kirchgärten and Bürgergarten provide green spaces between the buildings along this very first stretch.

Beyond the village, traditional orchards and small gardens shape the landscape. Here lie the excavated wall remains of the Villa rustica, a Roman farmstead. They add another layer of history to surroundings characterised by fruit growing and gardens. The route then leads through the wet meadows beside Esslinger Weg and across the Beibach. In the Seewiesen, orchards and allotments once again line the path as far as the edge of the woods near Beiburg.

Through beech woodland to the tower

The longer climb begins as the route enters the woods. Via the Hädertörchen, it heads up to the wooded summit of the Kernen. This section is marked by the transition from open farmland into beech woodland; the climb becomes steeper towards the top.

The Kernenturm stands on the summit. The Stuttgart branch of the Schwäbischer Albverein walking association had the observation tower built in 1896. Its sandstone masonry and historicist forms are characteristic of the architecture of the early walking movement. The shelter added later dates from 1930. Above the treetops, views open out across the Rems and Neckar valleys, the Stuttgart basin and towards the Swabian Alb. Orientation panels on the tower help identify features in the landscape.

Woodland edges and Rems Valley views

After the tower, the route descends through the woods to the viewpoint in the Raubern. At Dichterblick, the Rems Valley comes into view again. Woodland edges, vineyard slopes and views of Rommelshausen and the countryside beyond now define the walk.

The modern Wengerterhäuschen brings another encounter with contemporary architecture. This small building was designed as a viewpoint above the Rems Valley. Views of the surrounding countryside are also a feature of the route at Harthau. The final stretch crosses the Beibach again, follows the eastern edge of the village and passes through Masvingo-Park back to Rommelshausen S-Bahn station.