See Heilbronn in Southern Germany

Everyday German Life in a Town Between Stuttgart and Heidelberg

Sep 11, 2007 Amanda Kendle

Travelers to Germany are familiar with cities like Berlin and Munich, but a a visit to a more typical town like Heilbronn in Baden-Wuerttemberg can show the real Germany.

Heilbronn is a typical, medium-sized German town, found in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in the south-west of the country. Lying about half-way between Heidelberg and Stuttgart, Heilbronn is at the crossroads of several Autobahn routes and is the kind of town many travelers drive past enroute to somewhere more famous. Consider making a stop in the Heilbronn region to discover something about Germany away from the major tourist trails.

What to See In Heilbronn

While, like many German towns, much of Heilbronn was destroyed during the war, the Old Town of Heilbronn is still quaint enough to warrant a half-day stroll. The magnificent Town Hall fronts a square that still features local farmers’ markets three times a week, and opposite is the Kilianskirche, a restored eleventh century Gothic church with a famous wooden altar carved by Hans Seyfer. The Old Town lies within a large pedestrian zone where you can find plenty of shopping, bars and restaurants.

Heilbronn lies on the Neckar River and during the summer months you can take cruises from here in the direction of Heidelberg, stopping at lovely villages like Bad Wimpfen and Gundelsheim. Even a stroll or a bike ride along the Neckar will lead you through pretty territory and often into the vineyards and hills that surround Heilbronn. There are dozens of local wineries that produce not only great wine, but also homely Swabian cuisine. Every September, a great wine festival is held in the center of Heilbronn, where you can sample the products of numerous local wineries and mingle with some very merry locals.

Heilbronn’s Nearby Attractions

If you base yourself in Heilbronn for a few days, you’ll find an interesting array of day trips can be made. In the nearby village of Neckarsulm, you’ll not only be able to visit the Audi Forum at the home of the great car manufacturer, but you’ll also have the chance to visit the Zweirad Museum with its historical bicycles, motorbikes and automobiles. A little further afield, the well-preserved middle ages town of Bad Wimpfen deserves a day of your time, both with wandering the cobblestoned alleyways, climbing the Blue Tower for views over the Neckar Valley, and sampling the local cuisine, especially some delicious Maultaschen. Additionally, a little further north at Sinsheim, you can find the large Technik Museum which houses hundreds of cars and airplanes, including having both a Concorde and a Tupolev which are both mounted on the roof and able to be climbed through.

The copyright of the article See Heilbronn in Southern Germany in W Europe Travel is owned by Amanda Kendle. Permission to republish See Heilbronn in Southern Germany in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Heilbronn Town Hall