Waiblingen: From the Old Town through the Talaue

Stops along the route

1. 1

   Beinsteiner Torturm

   bei km 0.2 · show on map

   The coat of arms above the gate commemorates Count Eberhard the Bearded. It has adorned the tower since 1491, and for centuries the tower formed part of Waiblingen’s town fortifications. A bridge gate is mentioned in records as early as the 14th century. The building later served as a prison; in the 19th century, its demolition was even considered. Its alternative name, Säuturm (Sow Tower), has a practical explanation: pigs were once driven through here to the Rems. Look at the façade and you will see traces of different periods. The small bell turret dates from the 18th century, while the large mural was only added in 1938. (stadtgeschichte-waiblingen.de)

2. 2

   Schwaneninsel

   bei km 0.3 · show on map

   On the edge of the old town, this island forms part of Waiblingen’s recreation area along the Rems. Water, leisure and town life come together here. The island has a boules court and the beer garden behind Kulturhaus Schwanen, as well as a playground. Its role as a meeting place shapes its character just as much as its riverside setting. Schwaneninsel is part of the nearby valley meadows, where green spaces and leisure facilities sit right alongside historic Waiblingen. (erlebnisregion-stuttgart.de)

3. 3

   Kunstlichtung

   bei km 11.6 · show on map

   White willows frame an open space whose shape traces the outline of a building: Galerie Stihl Waiblingen. The Kunstlichtung (Art Clearing) thus translates architecture into planting. Where the gallery’s outer walls would stand, the trees define an open-air space. A strip of concrete set flush with the ground marks the edge of the clearing. The site forms part of the further development of Talauenpark for the Remstal Garden Show in 2019. It was designed as a space for art and smaller events. Here, the gallery building and the landscape are linked by the same basic shape. (erlebnisregion-stuttgart.de)

4. 4

   Michaelskirche

   bei km 20.9 · show on map

   Outside the old town proper lies a separate, walled church precinct. At its heart is this late Gothic church, which had reached its present size by the end of the 15th century. Its importance extended far beyond Waiblingen: as the mother church, it served numerous communities in the lower Remstal. The chancel was built around the middle of the 15th century, followed later by the nave and its 2 aisles. The ensemble also includes the small Nonnenkirchle chapel. The church, chapel and enclosing wall still clearly show that this site formed a separate religious precinct outside the town walls. (leo-bw.de)

5. 5

   Market Square with Half-Timbered Houses

   bei km 21.1 · show on map

   Open arcades support the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), with its half-timbered upper storeys rising above. The building combines a Renaissance ground-floor arcade with Baroque timber framing. In the 19th century, it was due to be demolished to make way for a new building. It was preserved because this would have fundamentally altered the character of the square. The timber frame visible today was only uncovered in the 1920s. The square also features the Marktbrunnen fountain with its figure of Justitia. Behind it stands the former granary of the ecclesiastical administration: a reminder of how closely trade, storage and administration were linked here. (app.waiblingen.de)